Made with layers of tender potatoes and a rich, creamy, aromatic sauce, Scalloped Potatoes 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 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 pounds of that day’s pick and almost instinctively, I forget about them. Yes, you read that right. I lug home my purchases and soon after, any memory I had of my time spent browsing spuds is gone!
They sit, stored in a produce basket, until I’m struck with a sudden craving or a stroke of pure genius. Today was THAT day! As I poked around the kitchen a thought occurred to me: I have everything I need to make Scalloped Potatoes. They’re cheesy, creamy, sweet, salty and just about everything I could ask potatoes to be.
Just wait until you try them for yourself!
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!
ARE THEY THE SAME AS POTATOES AU GRATIN?
The one ingredient that separates Scalloped Potatoes from Potatoes Au Gratin is cheese! Au Gratin is made using a similar herb-infused cream but grated cheese is sprinkled between the layers of potato. Breadcrumbs may also be sprinkled over the top before baking.
You might be reading this and asking yourself “well, if this recipe uses cheese, isn’t it a au gratin?”. The classic definitions of these two dishes are often ignored! Countless recipes for both dishes call for cheese, breadcrumbs or both.
I chose to publish this recipe under the title “Scalloped Potatoes” because it’s the title I’m most familiar with. But if you’re looking to impress by using fancy lingo, here’s your chance!
HOW TO MAKE SCALLOPED POTATOES
The best part about this recipe is how accessible it is! Most, if not all, 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:
Thinly Sliced Potatoes
Potatoes are the star of this dish; they take on an immense amount of flavor and in doing so, become exceptionally tender. To guarantee the potatoes soak in every drop of your aromatic cream it’s crucial to thinly slice them.
If possible, use 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.
Spices (Pepper, Paprika, Onion & Garlic Powder)
I prefer to keep the spices I use at a minimum; I want the flavors to be simple yet delicious. Pepper will add a woodsy sharpness, paprika a mild sweetness and both onion and garlic powder layer in roasted, caramelly undertones.
TIP: Taste your cream mixture before adding it to the potatoes! Adjust spice according to your personal tastes. You can even add something new and fun to the mix. Go crazy!
Half & Half
Half & Half will 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!
Monterey Jack & Colby Cheddar Cheese
Both monterey jack and colby cheddar are mild, softer cheese with a high moisture content. Their smooth texture melts perfectly throughout the potatoes. Both cheeses layer in a buttery component that I absolutely LOVE.
TIP: This is a great opportunity to use just about any cheese that you’ve got on hand. Get creative and make this recipe your own!
STORAGE AND REHEATING
Scalloped Potatoes can be made ahead of time and reheated 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 either use a lidded dish or seal the top of the dish using plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
When reheating, I would recommend using the oven rather than the microwave. I find that microwave dries out the cheese and makes for a chewier potato consistency. Simply preheat the oven to 350 degrees 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!
GRANDBABY CAKES BEST POTATO RECIPES
There are just about a million and one ways to make potatoes! From hashbrowns hasselbacks, there is always a new, exciting way to prepare this classically American pantry staple.
Here are a few of my FAVORITE ways to prepare potatoes:
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cup extremely thin sliced potatoes, if you lay horizontal see notes below for vertical potato baking
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese divided
- 1 cup colby cheddar cheese divided
Instructions
- Wash potato slices then dry them completely and set to the side.
- Add salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder to a large bowl and whisk together until combined.
- Preheat oven 400. Grease a large casserole dish with a cover.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour into melted butter until completely combined.
- Whisk in half and half and a ½ cup of monterey jack cheese and a ½ cup colby cheddar cheese until completely combined then remove from heat and set aside.
- Add dried potato slices to the seasoning bowl and toss evenly covering all the slices with seasoning. Add half of the potatoes in one layer to the pan if adding horizontally and the classic way then pour half of the cheese sauce over them and spread it out covering the layer. Repeat with the final layer of potatoes and pour remaining cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese. (Note: If stacking vertically, you will need to add all of the potatoes and then pour the cheese sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese. See notes below on changing the seasoning amount needed.)
- Bake covered in the oven for 30 minutes then remove the cover and bake for an additional 30-50 minutes (depending on how thick your slices are) or until cheese is melted and bubbly and potatoes are completely tender.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes then serve.
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This is so good! I needed a base recipe for scalloped potatoes to which I added layers of deli meat. So satisfying! I used a mandoline to produce 1/8” slices, and I baked for an hour total. Next time I’d go longer.
WOW! I never had scalloped potatoes before, and I couldn’t have found a better recipe to try them for the first time. I made this twice now and I know I’ll never have to look for another recipe! I made it with sliced ham, so now I know it’s also going to be a post-holiday dinner staple.
Oh my word!!! This looks soooo good. I love that you can do them in a Vertical way. as an option. It would be really cool to do this for a Special Occasion or Holidays.
Thank you also for all of the additional information vs just showing a recipe!!! As a noncook, I find this very interesting and helpful.
Loved this recipe and you can tweak it to your own taste which was so fun. I made it for a breakfast side this morning.