Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (With How To Video!)

Made with layers of tender potatoes and a rich, creamy, aromatic sauce, Scalloped Potatoes with Cheese make for something classically delicious. With a few simple ingredients, this recipe can come together to be the BEST Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving side dish ever!  If you love these, you will love my Southern Smothered Potatoes, Potato Gratin, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, and Garlic Mashed Potatoes, 

There is one stop I make almost every time I walk through the produce section of my local market: the potatoes. I step in front of their chaotic display to marvel at the different varieties: Japanese, Garnet, Russet, and Yukon Gold. Each breed of potato is unique in size, color, texture, and taste. It’s incredible!

I load up my cart with a couple of pounds of that day’s pick so I can make my favorite potato recipes.

This cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe is one of those, but so are smashed potatoes, southern smothered potatoes, and this simple roasted fingerling potatoes recipe.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Great tasting! They’re cheesy, creamy, sweet, salty, and just about everything, I could ask potatoes to be.
• Everyone’s holiday favorite! This dish goes with everything from turkey to ham, making it the perfect easy potato casserole to serve up for special occasions.
• Easy to make. They taste so good everyone will think creamy scalloped potatoes took forever to prepare but they are actually quite easy.

What Are Scalloped Potatoes?

Scalloped potatoes consist of thinly sliced potatoes (of any variety) layered in a casserole dish and baked with heavy cream or milk. Some recipes may even use a mixture of heavy cream and milk. The cream is infused with herbs, spices, and sometimes, fresh garlic.

During the baking process, the potatoes soak up the aromatic liquid and become deliciously tender. Each bite is intended to be creamy yet, slightly crisp on the exterior. Yum!

Ingredients

The best part about this recipe is how accessible it is! Most, if not all, of the ingredients, are pantry staples that we are all familiar with. Look through the pantry, scrape out the fridge and let’s put together something extra tasty tonight!

Here’s what you’ll need to find:

• Potatoes: The star of this dish; they take on an immense amount of flavor and in doing so, become exceptionally tender.
• Seasoning: I keep the seasonings simple using a blend of salt, black pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. The black pepper adds a woodsy sharpness, paprika, a mild sweetness, and both onion and garlic powder layer in roasted, caramel undertones.
• Sauce: Made with butter, all-purpose flour, and half and half. The half and half join forces with the cheese to create that ooey-gooey, creamy goodness that we all know and love. Its slight sweetness also comes through quite nicely!
• Cheese: Use a combination of Monterey jack and Colby cheddar cheese. Both Monterey jack and Colby cheddar are mild, softer cheeses with high moisture content. Their smooth texture melts perfectly throughout the potatoes. By using a mixture of cheese, it layers in a buttery component that you will absolutely LOVE.

How to Make Scalloped Potatoes

Let’s look at what goes into making this classic comfort food dish! It’s much easier than you would think.

1. Wash the potato slices then dry them completely and set them to the side.
2. Mix together the salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
3. Melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until completely combined.
4. Add the half and half, one-half cup of Monterey jack cheese, and a one-half cup of Colby cheddar cheese whisking constantly until completely combined and cheese is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Add the dry potato slices to the seasoning bowl and toss evenly covering all the slices with seasoning.

6. Add half of the potatoes in one layer to the pan then pour half of the cheese sauce over them and spread it out covering the layer.
7. Repeat with the final layer of potatoes and pour the remaining cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.

8. Bake the cheesy scalloped potatoes covered in the oven for 30 minutes then remove the cover and bake for an additional 30-50 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly and potatoes are completely tender.
9. Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.

TOP TIP: You may need to extend the cooking time depending on how thick your slices of potatoes end up. To check for doneness, use a fork or skewer and insert it into the center of the potatoes. It should slide in easily without any resistance.

How to Make Vertical Scalloped Potatoes: Layer all of the potatoes into the baking dish and then pour the cheese sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. Be sure to see the special notes in the recipe card for vertical potatoes.

How to Store

• Make Ahead Scalloped Potatoes: This recipe works great to make ahead of time and reheat for serving as long as they’re stored properly. Store the potatoes, once fully prepared, in a microwave or heat-safe dish for easy reheating. Be sure to use a lidded dish or seal the top of the dish using plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
• Leftovers: Store leftovers after the dish fully cools down. Store it in the same casserole dish used for baking or transfer it to a smaller dish using a spatula to keep it from falling apart. You may find the casserole easier to transfer after cooling since it will hold together much more easily. Store for up to five days.
• Reheat: When reheating, I recommend using the oven rather than the microwave. I find the microwave dries out the cheese and makes for a chewier potato consistency. Simply preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and cover the top of the dish with foil. Allow the potatoes to heat through, it should take about 30 minutes. If you’d like a crispier top, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
• Freezer: To store for a longer period of time, freeze for up to three months. When ready to serve, thaw scalloped potatoes with cheese in the refrigerator and then heat up following the instructions above.

What to Serve with Scalloped Potatoes

Whether you plan to serve this for a holiday dinner or simply a hearty comfort food weekend meal, you will find it makes the perfect side dish for a wide range of main courses.

• Main Dish for Holidays and Special Occasions: Fried Turkey, Honey Glazed Ham, or Lamb Chops.
• Weekend Dinner: Fried Chicken, Homecooked Meatloaf, Baby Back Ribs, or Oven Fried Chicken Tenders.
• Other Sides: Southern Green Bean Recipe, Creamed Corn, Collard Greens, and Fried Okra.

Expert Tips

• Thin potato slices. To guarantee the potatoes soak in every drop of your aromatic cream it’s crucial to thinly slice them.
• Use a mandoline. Slice potatoes with a mandoline to achieve uniform slices. Otherwise, use a very sharp knife (carefully) to cut the slices. Aim for potatoes that are about an ⅛ inch thick.
• Taste the sauce. Before adding it to the potatoes and adjust the spice according to your personal tastes.
• Get creative and make this recipe your own! Cheesy scalloped potatoes are a great opportunity to use just about any cheese that you’ve got on hand. You can also change up the sauce by trying out different seasonings.

FAQs

More Grandbaby Cake’s Best Potato Recipes

There are just about a million and one ways to make potatoes! From hash browns to hasselbacks, there are always new, exciting ways to prepare this classically American pantry staple.

Here are a few of my FAVORITE ways to prepare potatoes:

• GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
• CANDIED SWEET POTATOES
• POTATO SOUP WITH CRUNCHY KALE
• DELICIOUS POTATO STACKS

*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!

This post was originally published in April 2020. It has been updated for content and new images.