If you don’t want ooey gooey cheese covering every single nook and cranny of your scalloped potatoes then look away. These Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are perfection! If you happen to want an easy Crock-Pot Scalloped Potato, I’ve got ya covered. You may also love my Potatoes Au Gratin with Smoked Sausage.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
For this recipe, I take a cream sauce and smother it over thick-cut potato rounds. I like to use a mandolin so that our potato slices come out the same every time. This is seriously the most amazing cheesy scalloped potato recipe that I have ever had.
Scalloped Potatoes vs. Au Gratin Potatoes
Why is there so much confusion about scalloped potatoes versus Au Gratin Potatoes? Well, they are very similar. So, we are calling our dish cheesy scalloped potatoes, and let me explain why we can do that. We are basically combining the best parts of both dishes.
A traditional scalloped potato dish consists of sliced potatoes layered in a casserole dish and baked with heavy cream and lots of herbs. A traditional Au Gratin Potato dish, on the other hand, has grated cheese sprinkled between the layers, resulting in a cheesy, more decadent dish. In both dishes, the potatoes are cut into rounds, but the potatoes used in scalloped potatoes are often cut a bit thicker than those in au gratin potatoes.
What Potatoes are Best for Scalloped Potatoes?
When choosing a potato for scalloped potatoes, I recommend a Russet potato (like I used for this recipe) or Yukon Gold potatoes. These two kinds of potatoes are starchy enough to help thicken the sauce and they will also turn out soft and tender. If you choose a more waxy potato, they may not soften up. Also, slice the potatoes as evenly as you can (which is why I recommended a mandoline earlier). Keep the thickness from 1/8 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch to ensure the potatoes are cooked evenly.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
So many people have asked if this could be combined with Ham. Without a doubt. This would be amazing with the addition of ham! I would maybe cube it and put it in between the rows of potatoes. Really, all you need to do is add it to the ingredients list, it will incorporate with the rest of the recipe just fine. That would take this from a side dish to a knock out the main course!
No matter which way you decide to prepare this cheesy scalloped potatoes dish, you will not be disappointed! Neither will anyone at your dinner table. Seriously? What is there not to love!?
I love to pair this with other holiday favorites like the worlds WORST stuffing, roasted carrots, creamy mashed potatoes and herb butter roasted turkey!
More Side Dishes
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
- Medium saucepan I like this one from Kitchenaid!
- Mandoline (optional)
- 2-Quart baking dish I use a glass baking dish like this one!
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch slices (about 2 pounds)
- 1 yellow onion, sliced into rings
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups whole milk, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray an 8×8-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange the potatoes and onions in the prepared baking dish, staggering potato and then onion.
- In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened.
- Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted and smooth, about 30-60 seconds.
- Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 85-90 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- For a crisp topping, change the oven setting to broil after the potatoes are baked. Broil until golden brown.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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I made this and OMG, so delicious! I altered the recipe a bit… I added my sliced potatoes to the sauce and coated them all before adding to the pan, and instead off adding sliced onion, I layered with crispy fried onions… Absolutely delicious recipe 😋!!
I’m going to make this for my Christmas dinner but with this recipe with the 2 lb of potato approximately how many servings would that be I have never tried making this type of potato
Recipe says servings 8. It’s under nutrition info. Hope this helps.
For John J. Recipe says serves 8. Hope this helps. I’m going to make this for Christmas too but there are only 2 of us.
There are 4 of us, and I plan to make this recipe this year too! It was requested by two of my guests! Nostalgia for the season.
Wow what I nice presentation! These were so good, followed recipe as written. I will be making them again for Christmas dinner. My husband and I do a practice run for our sides and this made the mark to serve again. Thank you
Can I prep this the night before it sounds yummy !
I wouldn’t because the potatoes will turn brown or gray and not look appetizing
Would I be able to double recipe and put in 9×13 pan Would I cook for same time
Sure!
Ingredients (for doubled recipe):
8 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch slices (about 4 pounds)
2 yellow onions, sliced into rings
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt (you can adjust to taste)
4 cups whole milk, room temperature
3 cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded (adjust to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions (for doubled recipe):
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly spray the 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Arrange the doubled amount of potatoes and onions in the prepared baking dish, staggering potato and then onion as before.
In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for about one minute.
Stir in the milk. Cook until the mixture has thickened.
Stir in the doubled amount of cheese all at once, and continue stirring until it’s melted and smooth, which should take about 30-60 seconds.
Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and onions in the 9×13-inch dish, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake for approximately 85-90 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. However, since you’ve doubled the recipe and are using a larger dish, it’s a good idea to start checking for doneness around the 75-80 minute mark. Potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork when they are done.
For a crisp topping, change the oven setting to broil after the potatoes are baked. Broil until the top is golden brown, but be sure to keep an eye on it as broiling can quickly cause browning.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Keep in mind that the cooking time can vary slightly depending on your specific oven and how well it maintains temperature, so monitoring the dish towards the end of the cooking time is important to ensure perfectly cooked potatoes.
Can I make these the night before and reheat in a crockpot the next day?
Your potatoes look delicious. Merry Christmas.
These are so good! Merry Christmas!
Can I substitute oat milk for whole milk for this recipe?