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.
Such a hit with my husband!! He devoured them! 10/10 so good and easy to make!
Will it work to assemble the dish up to the point of baking and then refrigerate overnight to bake the next day?
Yep! Scroll up a bit in the blog post, there are make ahead instructions.
I have tried three or four scalloped potatoes recipes, and this one is by far the best. The others were bland, this one was very flavorful. I used a combination of Swiss and cheddar., caramelized my onions before adding them and added in a layer of ham chunks.- perf for Easter.
Absolutely delicious, even without the cheese (wanted to leave out some of the calories).
I’m having a hard time finding the make ahead directions could someone please help me out? Thank you in advance.
Hi Megan, no problem! Here are our make-ahead instructions:
– 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.
Thank you!
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.
Hi! Can this recipe be made with 2% Lactaid milk? I have a son with milk allergies so I have to use Lactid for recipes. Thank you!
Hi Chastity, I think that should work.
Hi I bought extra sharp cheese and guyre cheese to make mac and cheese but decided to try your potatoes for Easter instead Do you think the extra sharp will be too sharp? Should I use a mixture of the 2? And also could I substitute chicken stick instead of the vegetable stock? Thank you !
Hi Lisa, you can totally use chicken stock! I think the extra sharp cheese will work great too.
Can this be made ahead of time and baked a few days later?
Yep! If you scroll up a bit in the post, there are make-ahead instructions.
I haven’t ever made scallop potatoes in my life and I’m almost 40 yrs old. I never liked them…until THIS recipe!!!! WOW! What have we been missing!! My entire family of picky eaters loved this recipe and it’s definitely a repeat dish going forward! Thank you so much for adding to my recipe book!
Hi Jillian, I’m so glad it was such a hit!
Could I use chicken or beef stock instead of vegetable stock. Has anyone tried this? Should I adjust any other part of the recipe if I do use chicken or beef stock. Which would you recommend? Thanks for your input!
I used chicken broth and it was perfect!
I am making this today, it sounds perfect!
I’m curious. How did it go?
Just made it today. Trying it out before Easter. It’s perfect.
I’m glad you loved it!
PERFECT just as written! A family first and HUGE hit for my husband and picky teens. Daughter is a potato hater and she actually went for seconds!! My only mistake is reducing serving size to serve 8 – we had very little left over! I may have cooked the sauce in the pan a touch longer but it thickened up nicely and turned out so well. Leave time to let it set after cooking (10 min for us); don’t rush the sauce and you should have the same outcome. Thanks for sharing this – going to be a regular in our family’s rotation!
Hi Kim, I’m so glad it was a hit!
This scalloped potatoes recipe looks so yummy and comforting! I love that it uses fresh thyme. Definitely gonna try this one for our next holiday gathering. Thanks for sharing!
deliciozo
Could you please add how many potatoes under the ingredients list? Thank you.
She said 3lbs. There’s no way to tell you the size/shape of your potatoes and how many you would need. Buy a scale and weigh them. It’s easy.
Love your website and this recipe is a keeper!
Probably doubled the cheese and added an extra 20 minutes, 10 at 425 and used mozzarella instead of part and we approve.
I’m glad you loved it!
The best hands down I’ve ever made. Had to cook a bit longer but our oven is temperamental so who knows…about 20 mins longer for me. Totally worth it! Used a mandolin carefully as it makes it much easier!
I’m so glad you loved them!
This recipe is a lot of work especially if you hand slice the potatoes like I did instead of using a mandolin. However it is well worth the effort. I added chopped mushrooms and used a whole medium sized red onion. The fresh thyme is a must and I also I increased that to almost 2 TBSP. Absolutely delicious result.
Nailed it
I can’t usually make scallop potatoes well, but this recipe rocked. I didn’t use as much beef stock- i replaced about 1/2 of it with milk. But otherwise spot on!