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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I am currently right now making this recipe. I noticed in the comments that people had said it was runny, and I experienced that also. And I did follow the recipe exactly. I think that the temperature of this recipe might be too low. I moved my temperature to. 400° and my scallop potatoes were boiling so it will boil off some of that liquid and make it thicker. Please note adjust accordingly to your oven. I hope this helps and I haven’t got to taste this recipe yet.
these potatoes didn’t have much flavor
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love these potatoes as much as we do Leta.
Hello. This recipe looks scrumptious! I do want to try it. Question? What are your thoughts about parboiling the thinly sliced potatoes just a couple minutes before layering in my baking dish? I think it may reduce the actual baking time. I have a casserole dish that calls for layering thinly sliced potatoes as final layer to all the other veggies that are parboiled as well. And it always turns out perfect! Anyway, what are your thoughts? Thanks for your time and again for the recipe!
Absolutely you can parboil them! I do that in this easy scalloped potatoes recipe which you can see for tips and it speeds up the cook time a lot.
I doubled this recipe and these were the best scalloped potatoes I have ever made! My family loved them!
I pre-boiled the sliced potatoes for 7 minutes in the chicken broth. I saved the broth when I drained the potatoes and used that in the recipe. ( I cook the potatoes ahead of time to eliminate the possibility of a watery outcome like some experienced.)
Hi! What kind of milk is used in this recipe? Also, if I wanted to add some cheese, how much would you suggest? Looking forward to trying this recipe, will be my first time! TIA
You can use whatever milk you have on hand. I often use 2% as that is what I have, but any will work just fine. If you would like to add cheese I would add it to the sauce when you remove the sauce from the stove and stir in 1½ to 2 cups of cheese. I can’t wait for you to try this Lisa!
“Potatoes Yukon gold potatoes (or red potatoes) have tender skin and don’t require peeling (they hold their shape well). Russet potatoes or Idaho potatoes will work but tend to break apart more (but still taste good).”
It’s still not clear – So do you still have to peel russets’ skin…and if not, do they have to be washed first?
Also, I don’t have enough of either one so can I combine them??
Thanks.
Yes, the russet potatoes should be peeled as the skin is tough. You can combine them if you’d like.
Excellent potato dish. Super easy to make. Family loved them.
Thank you.
These were delicious! We like our scalloped potatoes kind of saucy, so I doubled the sauce but stuck to the same amount of garlic and onion. I did add a bit of dry ground mustard and a touch of nutmeg. Also added leftover ham. This turned out fantastic. I did not have any issues with potatoes not cooking or a watery soupy mess.
I made this with lamb chops, mixed veggies and Texas Toast and dinner was absolutely delicious and the potatoes were very rich. Great recipe that I’ll continue to utilize.
I just made these and the potatoes took over two hours to get tender. They still weren’t perfect but I gave up and took them out of the oven. My sauce was nice and thick before baking but it too turned into a soupy mess after baking just like other commenters. Not sure what happened here. To save the dish, I ended up plating portions in side bowls (minus the soupy liquid) and making a separate extra cheese sauce to put on top of each. For the most part the recipe didn’t have a lot of flavor. I added a ton of salt, spices and Parmesan cheese to doctor them up. I think if I were to make this again I would pre cook the potatoes. That might alleviate the over abundance of liquid and the extremely long cook time.
Oh no! We haven’t had this issue and made this many times. Did you make sure to have your sauce come to a boil for 1 minute? This will help it thicken properly.
Second time making these scallop Potatoes, onions, & garlic, chicken stock gives these potatoes such great flavor. Absolutely love this dish!
Just be prepared to allow much longer cooking time than the recipe states.Otherwise it is okay.
Made this tonight to go with Chicken Fried Steak. I added cheese, didn’t see the part to cook your onions.
Layered potatoes, onions, and a little sauce for all 3 layers. I let it cool longer than stated.
It was delicious, my husband was very impressed. This will be added to our side dishes. Outstanding!!!
I have NEVER had much success making scalloped potatoes but gave this recipe a try because I have never made a roux sauce before-it made all the difference-WOW! Everyone raved about this dish! It did take just longer to bake but I did read your comment about baking in a foil pan-I did not know that-excellent tip for reference sake! This will be my GO TO scalloped potato recipe! DELICIOUS AND TASTY! I followed your recipe exactly but feel confident enough to add a few extras here and there next time. Company ate leftovers for breakfast! THANKYOU!!!
Made the recipe exactly & was the best scalloped potatoes I’ve ever made. I made the day b4 and prebaked as instructed. I highly recommend doing this because it frees up your oven and they need to bake for so long.
Turned out runny in the bottom even after letting set covered again for 20 minutes .. I think the addition of the chicken broth was the reason. I’ve always just used milk before , and that took away from the nice rich texture of scalloped potatoes I’ve made many times before,
Unfortunately I was disappointed
These were a wild hit at our Easter luncheon. The only change I made was using some seasoned salt instead of table salt. Every drop eaten. People asked me to please make then again.
I am wondering if I can substitute the chicken broth for something else?? I would like to make this today but that’s the only thing I am missing!!
Hi Cindy, you could easily replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
made for Easter dinner. Really delicious.
i added 1 1/2 c. shredded Gruyere half layer and top.
What a disaster –
I tried making these today – Easter – and threw the entire casserole away. I’ve been cooking for a long time – and decided to try this recipe as I was serving a ham for the main course. I followed the directions to a T. Baked it covered, uncovered, sat the potatoes on the counter – and it was a soupy mess. Disaster. Never served it to my family. I thought a recipe with so many 5 star ratings would have had a better chance of being successful. Not this recipe. Should have stuck with my cheesy potato recipe that turns out perfect every time. I wouldn’t bother making this recipe again – ever.
Oh no! I am so sorry you had this experience Lisa, we have made this many times and not had that happen. Did you make sure to keep the sauce on the stove until it was boiling and then boil for one minute? That’s the key to having it thicken. Thank you for trying it.