In this scalloped potatoes recipe, I layer tender potatoes with a creamy sauce and cheddar cheese. It's a comforting, delicious holiday side dish!
This scalloped potatoes recipe features tender layers of potatoes baked in a creamy sauce. Onions and fresh thyme add savory depth, and melty cheddar cheese takes it over the top!
When I was growing up, my family always had homemade scalloped potatoes at Easter. Cheesy and comforting, they were my favorite part of our holiday dinner.
A few years back, I set out to develop my own version of this classic dish. It took lots of testing and tweaking to get just right, but I couldn’t be happier with the results. The sauce is creamy, but not overly rich, and the herbs and onions add delicious flavor.
Hearty and flavorful, this scalloped potatoes recipe is a show-stopping side dish. Try it for a holiday like Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or serve it as a part of a regular dinner. So many readers have loved this recipe—it now has over 150 5-star reviews. I think you’ll love it too!
Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients
This scalloped potato recipe calls for these simple ingredients:
- Potatoes, of course! I love using russet potatoes for baked potatoes and French fries, but they’re not my #1 pick for this recipe. Instead, I recommend Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes. Their thin skins, creamy texture, and buttery flavor are so delicious here!
- Butter and flour – They create a roux that thickens the sauce.
- Vegetable broth and whole milk – The sauce’s base! When I was developing this recipe, I tested a version with all milk and no broth, and I found that it felt too rich in the final dish. The combination of broth and milk makes the sauce lightly creamy and more flavorful.
- Garlic and onion – For savory depth of flavor.
- Fresh thyme – It adds fresh, unexpected notes to this comforting casserole. In a pinch, dried thyme works too.
- Cheddar cheese – For tangy, nutty flavor.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Scalloped potatoes vs au gratin
I know some readers will point out that because this dish includes cheese, it’s technically potatoes au gratin. Traditional scalloped potatoes are baked in a milk or cream sauce without cheese.
However, the dish I grew up calling “scalloped potatoes” always contained cheese, so I chose to include it in this recipe. You can call these au gratin potatoes, potatoes au gratin, or cheesy scalloped potatoes if you prefer. They’re delicious any way you cut it!
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
You can find the complete scalloped potatoes recipe at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s an overview of how it goes:
Start by slicing the potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick slices. You could use a mandoline slicer for this step, but I actually prefer to do it with a knife. Just be careful to slice the potatoes thinly and evenly so that they cook through at the same rate.
Next, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium skillet, and then sprinkle in the flour and whisk to make a roux. Whisk continuously as you slowly add the milk followed by the broth.
Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until the sauce lightly coats the back of the spoon, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir often and reduce the heat as needed—you don’t want the sauce to come to a boil, or it could split.
Then, assemble the casserole. Layer half the potatoes and onions in an oiled 9×13-inch baking dish. Top with half of the sauce and 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
Repeat with another layer of potatoes, onions, sauce, and cheese.
Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400°F. Remove the foil, then bake uncovered until the potatoes are tender and the cheese on top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Finally, dig in!
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes Ahead of Time
As delicious as this recipe is freshly made, I secretly think it’s better leftover! When I prepare it for holidays and gatherings, I often make it ahead.
Here’s how to do it:
- Fully assemble and bake the scalloped potatoes according to the recipe.
- Let them cool to room temperature.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- When you’re ready to serve, let the potatoes stand at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake them, covered, for 30 minutes, or until heated through.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in a 350°F oven or the microwave.
More Delicious Potato Recipes
If you love these cheesy scalloped potatoes, try one of these tasty potato recipes next:
- Best Mashed Potatoes
- Perfect Baked Potato
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Hasselback Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced ⅛-inch thick
- ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1½ cups grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a medium skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute, then slowly add the milk followed by the vegetable broth, whisking continuously. Add the garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, whisking often, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat.
- Layer half of the potatoes at the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half the onion, then half the sauce and 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, onion, sauce, and ½ cup cheese.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the cheese on top is browned. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
This was fantastic. Definitely saving this recipe! I used a mixture of cheddar and Parmesan. Amazing!
Hi Kira, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was so delicious! Will DEFINITELY be repeating this recipe.
I followed it exactly, only I mixed a white cheddar and a cheddar. My man went back for seconds and he never eats seconds. I also shared pics with the foodies in my family, lol.
Thank you for the recipe, the directions were clear and easy to understand and the flavors all came together perfectly!!!
I decided to use roasted garlic in the béchamel and a mix of gruyere and cheddar, just for a slight twist on this. It’s a perfect recipe.
what a great recipe, It looked way too soupy while baking so I increased time by 10 minutes and let it set up for 30. Just wonderful, the onion makes bechamel with the cream sauce. Brilliant
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lisa!
Great recipe, I used double the cheese than was listed and it still turned out great.
Hi Mike, I’m so glad you loved the potatoes!
Well, the baking & standing time by itself is 90 minutes. So budget 2 hours. My dinner was late.
That being said, it is absolutely delicious! My family loved it. It’s goin’ in the rotation.
I used almond flour to make it gluten free. The roux did not thicken and I am wondering if it is because of using gluten free flour?
Almond flour won’t work for thickening. Use garbanzo flour for good results (and then use about 1/3 less than you would all-purpose flour)
I had one spoonful left after making for my family! Everyone loved it, definitely one to file in the make again category.
Delicious. Didn’t have whole milk on hand so used 1 1/2 cups 2% and 1/2 cup half and half. Also used a chicken bouillon cube (mixed w/ one cup hot water) instead of veggie broth. Turned out so good that I’ve now made it two more times.
Hi Victoria, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
I did the exact same thing!
Hi! I’m wondering if you think substituting chicken broth for the vegetable broth would be okay. I have that on hand and the recipe seems really great, but I don’t want to ruin it with the alteration if you think it won’t work out well. Thanks!
yep, that would be fine!
Followed directions -no onions as kids wouldn’t have eaten it- and was delicious! saving it for sure! The fresh thyme made all the difference and the smell amazing!
Hi Kathy, I’m glad everyone enjoyed it!
Can I use cornstarch instead of flour?
Hi Melissa, I’ve never used cornstarch here, so I’m not sure how it would affect the texture of the sauce. If you try it, I’d use 2 tablespoons cornstarch instead of 1/4 cup and dissolve it in a little of the vegetable broth. Add the milk and broth to the pan with the butter before adding the cornstarch slurry. I hope this helps!
OMG this was delicious! I made them for our Easter dinner and they were a hit. I have Celiac disease so used gluten free flour, and we also used lactose free milk and cheese. We cooked for quite a bit longer but just kept the foil on during the extra time. Potatoes don’t always cook the same. Total hit, thanks!
Hi Katie, I’m so glad it was a hit!
My scalloped potatoes are still not cooked after 1 hour and 10 minutes in oven, why?
Hi Irene, Did you change anything about the recipe? If not, my guess is that your potato slices may have been thicker than ours. I would cover the baking dish and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender.
I made this for Easter dinner. By far this was everyone’s favorite dish! The flavor was intense and delicious. The only thing I modified was I used a 4-cheese blend I already had. I think this made the cheesiness more intense.
Hi Scott, I’m so glad the potatoes were a hit!
The dish was a great success at a family gathering. The recipe is easy to put together, especially with a mandolin to slice the potatoes. I prepared the dish the day before and heated covered for 30 minutes at 350.
Do you think I could simply substitute the flour with gluten free flour to make this GF?
Thank you SOOOO much for your simple and fast recipes! They are a God-sent. My family loves them, especially my hubby and I’m cooking fun things daily!? I was looking for recipes like yours because the ingredients are ones I find in my pantry. Also, they are healthy recipes. I’m not vegan nor a vegetarian, but I’ll add meat to some. My daughter and I are delighted to be receiving your emails. Again, thanks for sharing.?
Hi Eve, I’m so glad your family has been loving the recipes!
Thank you. I love your cookbook
So glad you love the book, Karen!
Hi, This looks delicious. I would like to know if I can substitute yogurt instead of milk. I just did that on your cheddar and broccoli cheese soup, and it turned out well.
Hi Chantee, I’d recommend sticking with milk here. I’m not sure what the yogurt’s texture would be like after an hour+ in the oven.