Scalloped potatoes from scratch are easier than you think! A comfort food classic, this easy scalloped potatoes recipe has lots of herbs, spices, garlic and, of course, cream. They’re super delicious and make for a fabulous vegetable side dish the whole family will love.
Whenever I think of scalloped potatoes, I always think of special occasions. It’s definitely not your average side dish. Though this recipe takes about an hour to bake, the prep time and ingredients are pretty simple.
Hubby purchased a bag-o-veggies from a co-worker who was selling them as a fundraiser for their kid’s sports team. The bag was loaded with lots of potatoes, a lot more than what hubby and I would normally eat. They were local potatoes, so I knew that I had to make good use of ’em so cheesy scalloped potatoes it was!
Growing up, the boxed scalloped potatoes were pretty popular in our home. They were delicious, of course, but nothing beats scalloped potatoes from scratch. So it’s homemade all the way these days!
What are the Ingredients for this Easy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe?
- Russet potatoes
- Cheddar cheese
- Aromatics, like onion and garlic
- Fresh herbs
- Seasoning
- Flour
- Milk
- Cream
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
MAKE SAUCE FOR SCALLOPED POTATOES
- Essentially, what you are doing here is a white sauce. You just melt some butter, cook onion and garlic and then add flour to form a paste. Add milk, cream and cook a little. Then, stir in seasoning.
SLICE POTATOES
- Carefully slice potatoes with a mandolin or use a sharp knife.
ASSEMBLE HOMEMADE SCALLOPED POTATOES
- Layer half of the potatoes in a greased casserole dish.
- Top with half of sauce mixture
- Repeat with remaining potatoes
- Then, repeat with remaining sauce.
- Top with shredded cheese and bake, You can garnish with thyme after, if you like.
Full recipe instructions in recipe card below.
What Are Best Potatoes for Scalloped Potatoes?
You want to go with something that is on the starchier side of things so it will lend to a lovely, creamy sauce. And who doesn’t love creamy scalloped potatoes?!)
I love to use russets. Yukon gold would work great too!
Can you These Ahead of Time?
Yes! Make ahead scalloped potatoes are the best! Such a time saver!
If you want to take some of the load off on a busy day (like Thanksgiving or Christmas Day), you can make these scalloped potatoes a couple days in advance.
Prepare them up to the point of before baking. Let the sauce cool slightly after it has been poured over the potatoes, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake.
When ready to use, place on counter for about 20 minutes to allow the dish to warm slightly and bake per instructions or until heated through and it’s all brown and bubbly.
How to Reheat Scalloped Potatoes
Leftover scalloped potatoes reheat well.
I like to add a little water or stock to the casserole dish to add moisture (about 1/4 cup).
Simply place casserole dish in oven at 350 F, cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes until heated through.
Leftovers should be enjoyed within 3-4 days.
Tips for Making these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Slice the potatoes thinly and about the same size so they cook through equally. If you have a mandolin, (carefully) use that. Otherwise, slice by hand the best you can. I like roughly 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick.
Peeling the potatoes isn’t necessary, though I did. If you decide not to peel, just ensure that they are washed and scrubbed clean before cutting.
If using dried herbs, use 1/3 the amount as fresh. For these scallop potatoes, I used 1 tbsp of fresh thyme. If using dried, use 1 tsp.
Want to lighten things up a little? Use half and half instead of heavy cream and cut back the cheddar cheese on top to 1 cup instead of 1.5 cups.
Cheddar cheese was used in this easy cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe. Opt for a young cheddar over an aged. It has more moisture and melts better.
Other Vegetable Side Dishes you May Enjoy
- Harvest Wild Rice Salad – This hearty fall salad combines wild rice, pomegranate and kale for one nutritious, delicious bite!
- Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe – These sheet pan root vegetables are generously coated in herbs and roasted until golden brown and yummy.
- Apple & Gouda Mixed Green Salad – This simple green salad combines sweet, crisp apple and creamy gouda. Lots of textures and flavours in this one!
- Skillet Potatoes– These smashed baby potatoes require only a handful of ingredients and bake up crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
- Garlic Roasted Rainbow Carrots from Sarah of A Fit Cookie – With lots of colourful carrots, garlic and seasoning, this is one easy, delicious side dish for special occasions and weekday dinner, alike.
- or you may like these holiday side dishes
Hope you love these homemade scalloped potatoes as much as we do! Hubby happens to think they’re the best scalloped potatoes 😉
Until next time take care and chit chat again soon,
~Dawn
P.S. If you think these scalloped potatoes with cream will make your belly happy too, please be sure to hit that Pin button. Many thanks, you guys! XO
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Easy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe {with cream}
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb potatoes -peeled and cut into thin slices (about 7-8 cups)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 onion -minced
- 3 cloves garlic -minced
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 cups milk -I used 2%
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 10 oz cheddar cheese -divided (2.5 cups)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme -minced, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 tbsp fresh summer savoury -minced, optional
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- cooking spray -or butter (to grease casserole)
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat melt butter. Preheat oven to 375 F for later.
- Add onion to melted butter and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Mixture will be like a paste. Whisk in milk and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Add heavy cream and cook until liquid just starts to lightly bubble. Off heat stir in 1 cup of cheese, thyme, savoury, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne and nutmeg.
- Grease 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray or butter. Spread half of sliced potatoes in dish. Pour over half of sauce mixture. Repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce. Top with remaining 1.5 cups of cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is golden. Enjoy!
Notes
- Slice the potatoes thinly and about the same size so they cook through equally. If you have a mandolin, (carefully) use that. Otherwise, slice by hand the best you can. I like roughly 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick.
- Peeling the potatoes isn’t necessary, though I did. If you decide not to peel, just ensure that they are washed and scrubbed clean before cutting.
- If using dried herbs, use 1/3 the amount as fresh. For these scallop potatoes, I used 1 tbsp of fresh thyme. If using dried, use 1 tsp.
- Want to lighten things up a little? Use half and half instead of heavy cream and cut back the cheddar cheese on top to 1 cup instead of 1.5 cups.
- Cheddar cheese was used in this easy cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe. Opt for a young cheddar over an aged. It has more moisture and melts better.
Nutrition (estimate only)
