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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followed the recipe using thin (1/8″) sliced Ukon Gold potatoes. After 3 hours in the oven the potatos still were not cooked!! Thin slices of raw potatos, yuck.
flavor was good but mine came out soupy ??? it was way too water.
I’m sorry to hear you had this experience. Did you bring the sauce to a boil on the stove? This is the thickening step.
These were delicious! I made them with red potatoes, unpeeled, and because we had a vegetarian coming for dinner, I used vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Fantastic!
This recipe is idiot proof! I’m quite literally the WORST cook ever. I manage to mess up everything. Made this for Easter brunch and it was a hit! I wanted to do another layer because I cut so many potatoes so I did and just topped with a mix of broth, non dairy milk, and butter and parsley. It was amazing. Cooked for 50 mins the night before then 40 the morning of and then finished on broil for 5-10 mins until it crisped up on top. It was amazing. This will be my go to side from now on.
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Tana! Thank you for sharing your experience.
How do you know if the dish is done/ready/finished?
I made them this morning and they are cooking in the oven right now (2pm).
The other items I’m making need to go into a colder oven (275 degrees) fairly soon. Can I cook the scalloped potatoes fully/completely now and then just broil/brown them at 530pm before serving?
Can I leave them “cooling on the counter” for 3 hours? Since I made them today, I won’t have time to refrigerate, then warm up, then broil/brown before guests show up.
The potatoes are done when they are tender in the center, you can poke them with a fork to check. They will be fine sitting out for a while, they’ll hold their heat for quite a while. It is not generally recommended to leave them out longer than 2 hours however, you can reheat them in the oven at 275°F is there is space.
Happy Easter Holly…. I do not see anywhere that lets me reduce my quantities for just 2 servings…. Am I missing it somewhere
Happy Easter to you and your family too. The easiest way is to click print and then change the servings. Please note that the dish size and cooking time will not adjust with the quantities. Enjoy!
We made a large batch for 80 guests at a funeral luncheon. It took Time, cooking for 80 guests, but got rave reviews!
These were a little bland for my taste. If I made again I would have to slice them up with seasoning or green chilies.
Hi, Holly. I am 32 years old and I’m only just now learning how to cook my favorite childhood recipes for… reasons, no one needs a trauma dump. I just wanted to say that this was very easy for me to follow and turned out really well. I deeply appreciate it. Thank you for bringing my childhood flavors back to me.
I’m so glad you loved these Wyn, sometimes the best recipes are the ones we remember from childhood!
Hi Holly,
I only have unsalted butter. Do you think this will still work?
This will work just fine, you might like to add an extra pinch of salt.
Thank you Holly! Your recipe for scalloped potatoes never fail—they’re loved by guests of all ages every time. These potatoes hit that perfect balance of creamy, comforting, and just a little indulgent. YUM!
Because of this recipe, you are my number one go-to when looking for a new recipe
Hi, Holly. I’m anxious to try this for Easter this year. I’m wondering if you think I could make the sauce the day before and refrigerate it until I’m ready on Easter to slice the potatoes and assemble and bake the casserole?
Thanks.
That should work, the sauce will thicken as it rests so you may need to heat it on low while whisking before using. Let us know how it goes!
Hi Holly! You’re always one of my go-to sites for recipes 🤩planning to make a big batch of these tomorrow…can I slice the potatoes today and leave them covered in water or would it be better to slice them just before assembling the dish?
Thanks for all of your GREAT recipes!
I’m so glad you’ve loved the recipes Marci, thank you for following! :) I haven’t tried slicing them and leaving them in water overnight for this recipe but I have done that with fries many times, I do think it would work. Let us know how it goes!
Can I sub gluten free flour?
I haven’t tried GF flour. If the GF flour you use generally thickens sauces well, I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let us know how it goes!
Do you have to use thickener? Im having a gluten free guest.
This sauce will need to be thickened, you can use a cornstarch slurry in place if you’d like.
Does the entire top need to be covered with béchamel? Mine is looking abut sparse. Should I make more?
There is a video just below the recipe if you’d like to see what mine looks like. There is a thin layer covering almost all the potatoes, but it is quite thin. If your sauce cooled a bit it will go on a bit thicker but will spread as it warms.
What type of milk is best for this recipe?
I generally use whole milk.
how would you do this in a crock pot?
I recommend this Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes recipe.
Can this be made using non fat milk?
Yes it can, it won’t be as rich and creamy with non fat milk.
I am making this for Easter. Everything else in my oven needs to be cooked at 325 degrees. How can I adjust this recipe to cook at that temperature?
I would suggest about 2 hours at 325°F; 90 minutes covered, 30 minutes (or until tender) uncovered. They will also need to rest at least 15 minutes.
I also need to make this for 16+ so 2 separate dishes? I only have 9x 13 Pyrex’s… will that work. I’ve done a lot of research and this will be my first time not making these from a box! Lol. Everyone seems to love your recipe! I hope I can do it justice!
Yes I would recommend two 9×13 dishes, Pyrex will work just fine. With two pans in the oven, you can allow a little extra time just in case, if the potatoes are done (tender) they will keep their heat for a long time. The rest time is important, it allows the sauce to thicken up. Let us know how it goes!