Scalloped potatoes are a classic side dish made with thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy sauce (cheese optional!). I’ve been making this recipe for as long as I can remember. Originally published in 2019, it has been loved by readers ever since.
If you’ve never made scalloped potatoes from scratch before, you’ll be amazed how easy they are to make. Simple ingredients, tried-and-true steps, and a rich homemade flavor.
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Why This Scalloped Potato Recipe Is So Amazing
- The Secret Sauce: Many recipes use only cream or milk however, when creating this recipe many years ago, I found that the addition of broth makes sauce perfectly rich and light. It’s silky delicious without being too heavy.
- Feelin’ Cheesy? This is a classic scalloped potato recipe with a white sauce however, you can add cheese (see recipe notes) .
- Kitchen tip: Scalloped potatoes will hold their heat for up to 45 minutes, so prepare them early if you need the oven space.
Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes: I use Yukon gold or red potatoes for scalloped potatoes. They have thin skins, so they don’t need to be peeled, and they will hold their shape. Russet or Idaho potatoes can be used and should be peeled; they won’t hold their shape as well but still taste great.
- Onion: Use either white or yellow onion to flavor the sauce. Soften the onion in butter to bring out the natural sweetness.
- Sauce: Milk makes the sauce creamy without being too rich or heavy while broth adds flavor and salt to the sauce. I prefer chicken broth, but vegetable broth can be used.
- Seasonings: The seasonings are simple, and it’s important to salt each layer of potatoes. You can add ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, crushed rosemary, or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley to the sauce if desired.
How To Make Scalloped Potatoes (overview)
Making scalloped potatoes from scratch takes time, but it is easy. There are four basic steps:
- Slice potatoes: Start by thinly slicing the potatoes (a mandoline is helpful).
- Prepare sauce: Next, prepare the cream sauce according to the recipe below.
- Assemble: Layer the potatoes and sauce in a baking dish.
- Bake: Finally, bake the potatoes covered so they become tender and then uncover and continue baking to create a golden brown topping.
This recipe can be prepared up to 48 hours ahead of time.
Prepare the potatoes as directed in the recipe.
Bake the dish covered for 50-60 minutes.
Cool completely on the counter (leave them covered; the steam will help finish cooking). Cover and refrigerate.
To bake, remove the potatoes the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered for about 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.
Add Up to 2 cups of shredded cheese to the sauce or between the layers of potatoes. Remove the sauce from the heat after boiling, and whisk in the cheese. Do not boil the cheese, or it may separate.
I recommend a bold cheese such as sharp cheddar or gruyere.
Prepare the recipe as directed and bake the potatoes for 45 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered.
Cool completely, then cover tightly and freeze.
To cook, thaw the potatoes in the fridge overnight and follow the directions below, adding 20 minutes to the covered cooking time.
Store leftover scalloped potatoes in the fridge for up to 4 days.
The main difference between scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin is the cheese. Scalloped potatoes don’t generally contain cheese (although you can add cheese if you’d like).
This recipe has a creamy onion sauce; cheese can be added for an au gratin version—check the recipe notes for tips.
Looking for more ways to prep potatoes? Try oven roasted potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, or crispy smashed potatoes!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes, *see notes, sliced about ⅛-inch thick
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease casserole dish and set aside.
To Make the Sauce
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion begins to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Combine the milk and broth. Gradually add it to the flour mixture, whisking until smooth after each addition. It will be very thick at first; continue adding a little bit of liquid at a time while whisking.
- Once all of the liquid has been added, increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil while whisking. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper and let the sauce boil for 1 minute.
To Assemble the Potatoes
- Layer ⅓ of the potatoes in the prepared dish, seasoning with ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Pour ⅓ of the cream sauce over top.
- Repeat the layers, including salt and pepper, ending with sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for an additional 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and potatoes are tender. Broil for 3-4 minutes if desired.
- Allow the potatoes to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- Prepare the potatoes as directed in the recipe.
- Bake the dish covered for 50-60 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on the counter (leave them covered; the steam will help finish cooking). Cover and refrigerate.
- On the day of serving, remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered for about 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Side Dish
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Hi wondering if I can use dairy free milk?
Yes, this should work just fine.
Hi Holly, your recipe is so very similar to what I have been making for 40 years. I absolutely love that you know the difference between Scalloped Potatoes and Potatoes au Gratin because the internet does not. Your recipe, like mine, are one of the few without cheese.
Earlier on in the description step three says “3. Layer potatoes, onions and sauce. Cover and bake.” What onions? The video does not show onions and the rest of the description does not say anything about onions other than the onions that go into the sauce. So where do these other onions go?
Sorry for the confusion; the onions are diced and added to the sauce. Enjoy Cheryl!
Easy to make and to kick it up I add some bacon bits and used a pint of cream and less broth, and a bit of cayenne pepper. My 3 sons inhaled 13 x 9 deep dish in 20 minutes and they said it tasted excellent. Can you believe it, they want this at least 3 times a month.
Freaking amazing! I made this for a special at-home date night for me and my husband and we both absolutely loved it. I have never made scalloped potatoes before and the only other time I have had them was at my wedding, and this recipe came out even better than our wedding potatoes for sure! Highly Recommend, easy to make for new cooks.
How wonderful Leia! I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe and you found it easy to follow!
This dish has never been one of my favorites, but I was cooking a ham for an event and wanted the perfect side dish that would be familiar to people. I was so surprised how everyone kept going on and on about how good the dish was, Will definitely make this again and using the mandolin to do the cutting made it so quick to put together,
I have made this recipe many times, it is so good. How do I amend it for redskin potatoes
White, red, or Yukon gold are all potatoes with thin skins and similar textures; they can be used interchangeably in this recipe as they will all hold their shape well. I am so glad you are enjoying this recipe Carol!
I have to hand slice my potatoes, so they end up on the thicker side. I boil them for about 5 minutes before putting everything together. I also sprinkle a few bacon bits into the layers. This turned out so delicious, and it’s easy.
Made these last night. Excellent. I was at a loss as to what vegetable to use on the side so I added some chopped peppers and mushrooms to the onion and then put some leftover bacon bits and frozen peas on each layer. Delicious
Definitely the best cream sauce I have ever tasted. The dish turned out great! Lots of second helping requests.
This was really good. I scaled back the size a little and substituted garlic scapes for onions since I cannot eat onion. I added a little thyme and sage and oregano and dried mustard to the cream sauce. I also put the cheese in the layers — didn’t have cheddar, so used slices of pepper jack in the first layer and some grated Mexican cheeses in the second layer. Added the top layer of cheese in the last 15 minutes as written. I thought it looked a bit dry so added a bit of liquid; this was a mistake — good but slightly soupier than necessary. I had left over Christmas ham in the freezer and sliced that and layered it as traditional scalloped potatoes i.e. alternative potato and cheese slices in each layer.
Baked an hour covered and 25 minutes uncovered with cheese the last 15. It was VERY tasty. With the salt in the ham, cheese and the half cup of bouillon used as the chicken broth I didn’t add more and it was perfect. Really good.
I would definitely say double the sauce or use smaller pan. I just got done putting this together and was only able do two layers. I had enough potatoes and room in pan to do one to two more layers but no sauce.
I had the same problem not enough sauce, but I noticed after the first layer. So I added more cream and little broth to stretch it out. It worked out perfect.
There are no directions or a video showing how to prepare the potatoes for this recipe.
I know how but I’m sure there are those out there that could use some guidance .
People of ages cook.
Hi Lisa, you can find the video for this recipe by scrolling to the bottom of the recipe or clicking the video icon at the top of the post. I hope this helps!
I do not measure and I do things my own way. For those of us like me this is a fantastic guideline to create your own version. For those of you who do measure and follow recipes, this is a solid one. Trust it. For a nice twist simply use a smoked cheddar. It was really nice! I know everyone’s taste is different but we liked it a lot.
If I were to half the recipe would you decrease the cooking time?
Yes, the cooking time would decrease slightly. You’ll want to ensure that the potatoes are tender in the middle (poke it with a fork or butter knife). They will still likely need at least an hour to cook through. Let us know how it goes!
Don’t you hate it when recipes don’t tell you the temperature to bake an item, only just for a certain time?
Hi Frank, the first instruction includes the temperature. 1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Hope that helps.
Can this recipe be cooked in a crock pot?
Find the crockpot scalloped potatoes recipe here Robin. Enjoy!
Absolutely amazing!!! I’ve never made scalloped potatoes until now and this recipe is absolutely incredible the only thing I did was add an extra garlic clove as we love garlic. Definitely recommend thank you for sharing your recipe ❤️
So glad you loved these Katherine!
You need to go back to the drawing board. The scalloped potatoes were the worst .I followed your recipe to the T…seems it needs DOUBLE the cream sauce….very disappointed….I could have WINGED it better than this.
The best I can do with a HALF 9×13 pan of dry potatoes…..try to flip it into a soup of some kind…..if you would like my photos ….I can prove this isn’t what you assured to be at all ……bummer dinner !!
How disappointing Wendy, I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you. This recipe has been made thousands of times and based on the reviews, it doesn’t appear that other readers have had the same problem.
1/3 of the cream sauce should be added to each layer so you should not have had any dry potatoes without sauce. You could certainly double the sauce to your liking.
to steam and the potatoes will cook a bit faster. ?????????
We cover the potatoes to help them steam and that helps them cook a little faster! I hope this helps Taylor.