Looking for a tasty side dish for your next family dinner? Look no further than this simple and delicious Scalloped Potatoes Recipe. Perfectly creamy and flavorful, your loved ones will be begging for seconds.
These delicious Classic Scalloped Potatoes are made easily with sautéed onions and garlic, creamy sauce, fresh herbs, and plenty of salt and fresh ground black pepper. This is hands down, one of our favorite side dishes. It is easy to make, delicious, reheats well, and goes with almost any main course. They are the perfect side dish for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
If you like smooth and creamy comfort food side dishes, try cauliflower casserole, Irish colcannon, cauliflower au gratin, and baked macaroni and cheese.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Butter: either salted or unsalted
- Milk: whole milk is best, but I have used 2% in a pinch
- Seasonings: fresh thyme, fresh parsley, ground cayenne pepper, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Potatoes: Yukon golds are my go-to potatoes for this recipe. You can use Russet potatoes, but please peel them. Russets will break down more than Yukon Golds.
How to make Scalloped Potatoes
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Then reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking to combine. Cook over low heat until thickened, whisking frequently. Do not let it boil. Stir in about 2/3 of the thyme and parsley, and all of the cayenne pepper. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
Layer 1/4 of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Pour 1/4 of the sauce over the top of the potatoes and spread it out with a spoon or spatula. Repeat the layers three more times, ending with the cream sauce. Top with the remaining fresh herbs.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the casserole is bubbly on the edges. Turn the broiler on for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking to brown the top. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Preparation Tips
- Slice the potatoes between 1/8-1/4 inch thick. A mandoline works well for this recipe.
- If you like a lot of seasoning, add fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper to each layer. You can also go hog wild and add some Cajun or Creole seasoning.
- To make these into au gratin potatoes, whisk in 2 cups of good quality shredded cheddar to the sauce at the very end over very low heat. As soon as it melts, proceed with the recipe as written.
- Keep an eye on the potatoes when they are under the broiler. Broilers can be unpredictable, especially in older ovens. I always set a 1-2 minute timer to avoid getting distracted.
Serving Suggestions
- Chicken: roasted chicken, grilled chicken, Italian chicken, chicken cordon bleu, bacon-wrapped chicken, creamy chicken dijon
- Beef: baked meatloaf, New York strip steak, beef tips and gravy, meatballs and gravy, homemade sloppy joes.
- Pork: grilled pork tenderloin, pan-fried pork chops, smothered pork chops, pork loin roast, baked ham
- Seafood: baked cod, air fryer salmon, grilled shrimp skewers, broiled lobster,
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in the microwave at reduced power so they heat all the way through. For larger portions, reheat in the oven at 300 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until heated through.
If freezing leftovers, let them fully cool first. Then spoon them into sturdy freezer containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Authentic classic scalloped potatoes do not have cheese in them. They are made with a well-seasoned béchamel sauce.
Potatoes au gratin are cheesy potatoes slathered with cheese sauce, usually made with heavy cream and cheeses like sharp cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan. The sauce is mixed in at the end of the preparation of the béchamel sauce and then layered with the potatoes in the same manner as scalloped potatoes.
If freezing the whole casserole, remove it from the oven about 15-20 minutes before being fully cooked. Let the dish fully cool. Then, cover it with two layers of plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove it from the fridge 30-40 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. Then, remove the plastic wrap and finish baking at 350 degrees.
If freezing leftovers, let them fully cool first. Then spoon them into sturdy freezer containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.
More Potato Recipes
Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 inch or not-deep 2-quart casserole dish.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Then reduce the heat and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk whisking to combine. Cook over low heat until thickened, whisking frequently. Do not let it boil.
- Whisk in about 2/3 of the thyme and parsley and all of the cayenne pepper. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Layer 1/4 of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Pour 1/4 of the sauce over the top of the potatoes and spread it out with a spoon or spatula. Repeat the layers 3 more times ending with the cream sauce. Top with the remaining fresh herbs.
- Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the casserole is bubbly on the edges. Turn the broiler on the last 1-2 minutes of cooking to brown the top. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Video
Notes
- Slice the potatoes between 1/8-1/4 inch thick. A mandoline works well for this recipe.
- If you like a lot of seasoning, add fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper to each layer. You can also go hog wild and add some Cajun or Creole seasoning.
- To make these into au gratin potatoes, whisk in 2 cups of good quality shredded cheddar to the sauce at the very end over very low heat. As soon as it melts, proceed with the recipe as written.
- Keep an eye on the potatoes when they are under the broiler. Broilers can be unpredictable, especially in older ovens. I always set a 1-2 minute timer to avoid getting distracted.
Nutrition
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Elsa
Made these for Easter. We are “bland eaters” so I didn’t use any spices….except salt. ; )
I would have added parsley, but whenever I buy a bunch I always end up throwing most of it out, because the bunches are soooo big.
With that said, the scalloped potatoes were very easy to make, especially since I bought a mandoline to slice the potatoes. They were absolutely delicious, even without all the spices – believe it or not.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Elsa! I am so glad that everyone liked them!
Jack
I think we have tried a similar recipe with how the potato shapes but it was with chedder cheese and other ingredients. This looks yummy and would love to try it.
Stephanie
We love these scalloped potatoes in my home – I love to serve them with your New York strip steak recipe. It is my boyfriend’s favorite meal.
Oli
This scalloped potatoes recipe was so rich and comforting. The step-by-step instructions made it easy to recreate. It’s a perfect dish for family dinners or special occasions!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Oli. We love them too!
Carol
These are the best scalloped potatoes. The whole family loved them even my picky toddler. Thanks for the recipe, Beth!
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Carol!