Beautiful, perfectly cooked Scalloped Potatoes are a classic you’ll fall in love with after just one bite! Tender, thinly sliced potatoes are baked in a rich, creamy sauce for a side dish that’s excellent to serve alongside any main course and is a must-make for the holidays.
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5-Star Reader Comment
These were the best scalloped potatoes that I have ever made! It will be the only recipe for scalloped potatoes that I will use going forward. Thank you for the wonderful melt in your mouth potato recipe.
Debi
Just when you think you know all the ways to cook potatoes, THIS recipe comes along. I freely admit to really, really liking potatoes pretty much no matter how they are served, but there’s just something special about Scalloped Potatoes. This will quickly become one of your go-to classic side dishes.
What Makes These Potatoes So Good?
- Tender Potatoes with Golden Edges
The layers bake up soft and delicate inside, with perfectly golden, slightly crisp tops. It’s the best of both worlds in every bite. - Rich, Savory Flavor
Garlic, fresh thyme, and a creamy onion sauce infuse every layer with cozy, savory goodness—nothing overpowering, just simple ingredients doing what they do best. - A Side Dish That Fits Any Occasion
Whether it’s a weeknight dinner or something a little more special, these scalloped potatoes bring that just-right touch of comfort to the table.
Ingredients for Homemade Scalloped Potatoes
- Butter, onion, and garlic – the start of all good things, right? These build a flavorful base for the sauce.
- Flour – just a little, to help thicken everything up.
- Milk – I usually use whole milk, but if you want it extra rich and creamy, go for heavy cream.
- Chicken or vegetable stock – either one works great, depending on what you have on hand.
- Potatoes – good ol’ Yukon Golds or Russets(great for Stuffed Baked Potatoes) are perfect here. Just make sure they’re thinly sliced.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – for that salty, nutty kick that melts right into the sauce.
- Fresh thyme – adds such a nice herby flavor. You can use dried in a pinch, but fresh really makes it pop.
- Kosher salt + fresh-cracked black pepper – season as you go for the best flavor.
- And of course, a 9×13-inch casserole or baking dish to bring it all together.
What Type Of Potatoes Are Best For This Recipe?
Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes are the two types of spuds that work well in this recipe. I like to use Yukon Gold because they tend to hold their shape a bit better during the cooking process.
Donya’s Cooking Tip
Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes to get uniform slices. You can also use a very sharp knife to cut the slices. The slices should be about an eighth of an inch thick.
How To Make Creamy, Delicious Scalloped Potatoes
- Start by prepping your ingredients—slice the potatoes and onions nice and thin, mince the garlic, and strip the thyme leaves from the stems.
- Next, you’ll make a simple homemade sauce (full recipe below!). It starts with a quick roux and comes together in just a few minutes, but it’s key for that rich, creamy texture.
- Then it’s time to layer: potatoes, a sprinkle of Parmesan and thyme, pour on half the sauce. Repeat with the second layer, finishing with the rest of the sauce, cheese, and thyme.
- Cover and bake for about 30 minutes, then uncover and let it finish baking until it’s bubbly and tender. For that golden top, broil it for just a couple of minutes. Let it rest, then serve it up warm and cozy.
Tips For Making The Best Scalloped Potatoes
- Make sure to slice the potatoes to the same thickness.
- When making the sauce, taste it and adjust the seasoning for the best flavor.
- You can change up the ingredients! You can add baked ham or bacon and switch cheddar cheese for the Parmesan. Add cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce for some heat.
Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead Of Time?
Absolutely! To make these potatoes ahead of time, follow the directions with one simple change. Bake the potatoes covered for about 50 minutes. Remove the Scalloped Potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool completely. Wrap tightly with foil and store in the fridge. To serve, uncover the potatoes and bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
These recipes are very similar. Scalloped potatoes traditionally do not have cheese, whereas au gratin potatoes do. So, why is my recipe called Scalloped Potatoes? Well, I know this recipe by this name because that’s what they were called when I was growing up. Simple and what I know.
Any leftovers can be stored in the pan, covered tightly, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place in a microwave-safe dish and heat until warmed through.
What To Serve With Scalloped Potatoes
If you tried this Scalloped Potato Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a medium-size pot, melt butter. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in flour, stir to combine, and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Carefully pour in the stock and whisk to combine with flour mixture. Add in the milk, salt, and pepper, whisking all together. Bring the mixture up to a simmer and continue to whisk until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat.
- Layer half of the potatoes in the prepared dish. Sprinkle on half of the thyme and Parmesan cheese. Ladle over half of sauce and repeat layer of potatoes, remaining sauce, thyme, and cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue to cook for 30 minutes until bubbly around the edges. Set oven to broil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until potatoes are golden brown on the top.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Cat
Hi Donya,
The idea of creamy is appealing but the pictures of your finished product do not look creamy. Should we add more chicken broth and flour?
It has turned out terrific every time per the way the recipe is written. Please feel free to make it to your liking.
~Donya
Miska Knezevic
Excellent
MICHAEL
THE SCALLOP POTATOES WERE VERY DELICIOUS. EASY TO MAKE AND EASY TO BAKE. GREAT FOR FAMILY OUTINGS. YOU DID GOOD DONYA.
THANKS MICHAEL
Roberta
Absolutely perfect my family is still raving
Jenn
These were fantastic and an absolute hit for our holiday party! We are also at high altitude (4800ft) and I do not feel that increased cooking time was needed, except the broil time. It was more like 5-6 min but I just watched it carefully for browning. I changed the recipe just a little by using 1 1/2 cups of 2% milk and 1/2 cup of half-and-half, increased the garlic to 4 big cloves, increased parmesan to 3/4 cups per layer and also added fresh thyme to each layer including more for garnish. The roux was perfect!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It is definitely a keeper!
Martha Fauscett
Made your scalloped potatoes. Delicious!My daughter would like the recipe now.
Dianne
Excellent recipe but prep time is much more than 15 minutes.
Jim B
I made this and the flavor was amazing. I did find that after baking it for the suggested amount of time and temperature it wasn’t done. I ended up having to increase the time by 15 minutes. As a result it seemed somewhat dry. Would adding more liquid have taken care of this? Also it seemed as though it needed more salt. Definitely a keeper. Do you suppose that altitude might have something to do with the results? I live at 3800 ft.
Yes, the cooking time at high altitude makes a difference. As for the salt, I recommend adjusting it as to your likeing.
~Donya
Sha
I parboil the sliced potatoes in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain-carefully given the slight thickness of the potato. Then proceed with recipe.
Rickine
Great idea Sha…. How did they come out?
Sandy
I made this ahead for Easter dinner. Reheated beautifully. It was delicious.
Leftovers were good too!
You’ve made my day, Sandy. Thank you for the outstanding rating.
~Donya
Karen
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I am going to serve at a birthday dinner….unfortunately, her husband does not like thyme (or rosemary or most herbs). Will deleting this detract significantly from the taste?
Just leave it out. You’ll be fine.
~Donya