Easy Scalloped Potatoes

Name: Easy Scalloped Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: Cooking spray (or butter (to grease casserole dish)); 2.5 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut into thin slices, approximately 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thick (about 7 to 8 cups)); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 yellow onion (peeled and minced); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 cups milk (I used 2% milk fat); 1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream); 10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (divided (about 2.5 cups)); 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (plus more to taste for optional garnish); 1/2 tablespoon minced summer savoury (optional); 1.5 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Published: October 28, 2018 Updated: July 6, 2020 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 28 Comments

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Scalloped potatoes from scratch are easier than you think! A comfort food classic, these easy scalloped potatoes with cream have lots of herbs, spices, garlic and cheese. They’re super delicious and make for a fabulous vegetable side dish the whole family will love.

Cheesy scalloped potatoes in a casserole dish garnished with thyme.

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 of 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 them 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!

Close-up of cheesy scalloped potatoes garnished with thyme.

Ingredients for Scalloped Potatoes With Cream

Russet potatoes
Cheddar cheese
Aromatics, like onion and garlic
Fresh herbs
Seasoning
Flour
Milk
Cream

Ingredients for a homemade scalloped potatoes recipe.

How To Make Them

Full details on how to make scalloped potatoes are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

Layer half of the potatoes in a greased casserole dish.
Top with half of the sauce.
Repeat with remaining potatoes
Then repeat with remaining sauce.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake. You can garnish with thyme after, if you like.

Collage of steps to make scalloped potatoes.

Best Potatoes To Use

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!

Portion of cheesy scalloped potatoes on a small white plate.

Tips for Making This Recipe

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 ⅛ to ¼ 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 ⅓ the amount as fresh. For these scallop potatoes, I used 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme. If using dried, use 1 teaspoon.
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. Use a young cheddar over an aged. It has more moisture and melts better.

More Yummy Vegetable Side Dishes

Hope you love these homemade scalloped potatoes as much as we do! Hubby happens to think they’re the best scalloped potatoes.

If you make these scalloped potatoes with cream, be sure to leave a comment below!