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Beautiful, perfectly cooked Scalloped Potatoes are a classic that 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.
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.
Scalloped Potatoes, cooked in a rich cream sauce, are turned into cheesy potatoes with a hefty sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. They are not only great to serve alongside just about any main dish at a weeknight meal, but they are also special enough for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or when you’re entertaining.
These Scalloped Potatoes Are:
- Melt in your mouth tender.
- Richly flavored with garlic.
- Baked in a creamy onion sauce that’s totally addictive.
- Perfectly seasoned with fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Golden brown on the top and soft and delicate on the inside.
- Destined to become your favorite potato dish!
Scroll down for measurements and ingredients.
What You Need To Make This Recipe
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Flour
- Milk – heavy cream can be used as well.
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- Potatoes
- Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Thyme
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh-cracked Black Pepper
- 9 X 13-inch casserole dish
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 its shape a bit better during the cooking process.
Pro 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 Scalloped Potatoes
- Prepare the baking dish and thinly slice the onions and potatoes. Mince the garlic and prep the fresh thyme by pulling off the leaves from the stems.
- Make the homemade sauce (the recipe is below) known as a roux cooked over medium heat. This takes just a bit of time, but it’s essential to the success of this recipe.
- Now, it’s time to build the recipe. Layer potatoes, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, and fresh thyme. Pour half of the sauce over the potatoes. Add a second layer of potatoes, then top with the remaining sauce, Parmesan, and thyme.
- Cover and bake. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake until hot and bubbly.
- To add a golden brown top, broil for 2 minutes. Remove Scalloped Potatoes from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Then…dig in!
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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.
- Change up the ingredients! You can add ham or bacon and sway cheddar cheese for the Parmesan. Add cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce for a bit of heat.
Frequently Asked Questions And Answers
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.
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.
You can store any leftovers 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
- Brown Sugar Mustard Glazed Ham
- Crock Pot Balsamic Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Roast
- Copycat Honey Baked Ham
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
- Best Roasted Pork Tenderloin
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.
Notes
Nutrition
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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
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
My first attempt at something I have always enjoyed eating. So good, Donya, thank you. It was a real treat. Had to make only 1/4 of recipe since it’s just my husband and me; this recipe worked beautifully. Nicely scale-able!
Jackie, thank you so much for sharing and for the terrific rating! I’m so glad you made this recipe your own.
~Donya
What kind of parmesan cheese for this recipe? The shredded in a bag in the dairy section or the powdery kind in a can?
Buy a block and shred it yourself if possible.
~Donya
I had to turn the oven temperature up to 375 after 45 minutes because it was still very runny. It took a total of 1 & 1/2 hours to cook . It was very tasty.
Do you need to peel the potatoes? I find Yukon Gold potatoes have an oddly tough peel (tend to float off when I boil them for mashed potatoes, so I pick most of the loose peel out), but that said, usually like the added texture and fiber the peel adds to the finished dish. I want to make this dish to go with beef tenderloin to impress my in-laws, so I can’t afford a mess-up!
Leaving the skin on is not a problem at all. This recipe is pretty foolproof, and I know you’ll do a great job. Let me know how everything turns out. Sounds like a delicious menu!
~Donya
Seemed a little complicated for just scalloped potatoes. but were very good and very well received although there were 2 other potato dishes at the potluck.
Hey there Mary!
I am so thrilled to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, it does require some hands-on work but the finished product is always spectacular! If you enjoyed this dish, you should check out my recipe for Candied Yams, it’s another potluck classic I think you’d really like. Thank you so much for your kind words and your fabulous rating, I really appreciate your support! Have a Happy Holidays!
~Donya
I was going to make the recipe for eight servings but forgive me I don’t understand the amounts when they are put in .8 or .2??
Could you explain it for me
Hey there Deborah!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, I think you’re really going to love it! If you’re making this recipe for 8 people, I would recommend just using the original measurements for the dish instead of using the partial measurements. This dish originally was intended to serve 10 people, however it’s likely that someone will want a larger serving or will want to go back for seconds, so making 10 servings instead of 8 will actually give you a little flexibility with portion sizes, plus it’s just easier to measure the ingredients. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out if you give this dish a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Love this Easy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe , these recipes seems delicious and amazing. Excited to try this one, thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
Hey there Samantha!
My goodness, I am so excited to hear that you’re giving this recipe a try, these potatoes really are comfort food at it’s finest! Please feel free to reach out with any questions about the recipe, I’m always happy to help. Thank you so much for your kind words and your phenomenal rating, I really appreciate your support!
~Donya
I don’t like the smell or taste of Parmesan can I use mozzarella instead ?
Also what is 3 lbs potatoes 3 medium potatoes ? Really excited to try
Hey there Freeda!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, it’s definitely comfort food at it’s finest, I think you’re really going to like it. If you’re not a parmesan fan, you can absolutely substitute mozzarella, just use the same measurement of 1 cup. I will tell you that the texture of these Scalloped Potatoes may be a little cheesier than the original recipe, since mozzarella is a little thicker than parmesan, but it will taste delicious. 3 pounds of potatoes will be about 5-8 medium sized potatoes, it’s really dependent on their size, but you’ll need enough to fill a 9×13 inch baking dish. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how everything turns out!
~Donya
Made this for Christmas dinner. Served 9:with leftovers. Delicious! Simple recipes with gourmet results. Thank you Donna.
Hey there Marla!
WOW! Thank you so much for your kind words, I am so pleased to hear everyone enjoyed this recipe! I always tell people this recipe is perfect for a crowd since it makes so many servings. Thank you for your support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please feel free to reach out! Happy 2022!
~Donya
Hi, how would I make this recipe for 1 person? I have a dish that is 5.5x4x1/2. My friends and family are doing home made Christmas this year and I want to incorporate this recipe. Oh and we all just cook for ourselves.
Hey there Nancy!
That’s a great question, thank you for your interest in this recipe! I would just recommend cutting the recipe by 1/4, instead of 3 pounds of potatoes use 3/4 of a pound of potatoes, use 1/2 cup of milk instead of 2 cups etc. By quartering the recipe it should fit inside your 5.5×4 baking dish, you may have a single serving of leftovers but it wouldn’t be a lot. Also, if you’re having trouble with smaller conversions you can google a cooking conversion chart to tell you how many teaspoons in a 1/4 cup, it just makes the recipe easier to quarter. I hope this helps, let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you so much for your support, Happy Holidays!
~Donya
Delicious! We loved it.
Hey there!
Thank you SO much for your fantastic rating! I’m so glad y’all enjoyed this recipe, you can never miss with these potatoes, they’re a classic. Thanks for your support!
~Donya
Having read all of the comments, I’m sold on trying this and will make half the recipe this coming Tuesday using fresh thyme from our garden. We don’t normally have milk on hand, but we do have Half and Half which I’ll dilute a bit and use instead of the milk. Do you think Half and Half diluted (about 3/4 cup Half and Half and 1/4 cup water to make one cup would work alright?) I’ll let you know how this comes out. Thank you for a recipe that looks fantastic!
Hey Pat!
What a sweet comment to read, thank you so much for your support! I’m excited your going to try this recipe, it’s definitely a favorite or mine. The recipe used 2 cups of milk so I think that using 1 and 1/2 cups of half and half and half a cup of water would work well. I hope this helps, let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
It was very YUMMY!
We all loved it.
Hey!
Thank you so much for your rating! I’m so glad y’all liked this recipe, it’s a favorite in my house too! Thank you so much for your support!
~Donya
These potatoes are finishing up in the oven as we speak. I shamelessly licked the sauce pan several times and can’t wait to try them! Excellent recipe! Happy Easter he is risen!!🙏
He is risen indeed!
I am so glad you are making these potatoes. They are perfect for an Easter celebration. Thank you Megan for the great rating.
Happy Easter,
~Donya
This was and is the best Scalloped Potatoes i have ever made. We are going to serve it at our Wedding also. I hope you don’t mind. We used the Yukon Potatoes and I loved using them. Do you have any cheats for making them for 100 people. We are doing our own food. I like the idea of making them a head of time. How well will the Parmesan Cheese freeze? If we made the 1 week ahead of the gathering, do we need to freeze them? What about doing a Prime Rib with them? What about Chicken?
Thank you for what ever advise you can spare.
Hey Carla!
My goodness, thank you so much for all your kind words of support and your rating! Congratulations on getting married, I am so grateful you want to share my recipes at your wedding! Now for the scalloped potatoes, I have instructions for freezing and storing the dish in my blog post, right above the recipe directions, that will guide you through prepping this dish ahead of time. You will actually bake it before and after freezing so that the texture stays the same. These potatoes really go well with everything, so for your decision between Prime Rib or Chicken, I would probably do chicken because it’s easier to prepare a large amount of it well. I have some great crockpot chicken recipes, that are good for feeding a crowd and can be frozen, as well as some great chicken wing recipes. I hope this is helpful, congratulations again on your upcoming wedding!
~Donya
Hi,
Do you peel the potatoes first?
Hey Amy!
That is a great question! No I do not normally peel my potatoes, my family likes the potato skin. This recipe is all personal preference though, so whatever is easiest or best for you will work great! Let me know how it turns out!
~Donya
Is it possible to prepare this the day before and then bake the day of? thanks!
Hey Amanda!
That is a fantastic question, and the answer is yes absolutely! If you want to prepare this dish the night before, just leave it in the fridge covered with tinfoil until you’re ready to bake the next day. The baking instructions will be the same as the original recipe. I hope you try it, let me know how it goes!
~Donya
Hi Donya,
I just came across your recipe and want to incorporate this for Easter dinner this weekend. Sounds delicious!!! I only have 3 people for dinner and would like to halve the recipe. Do you recommend halving all the ingredients and what time and temp. would you recommend for cooking a smaller recipe.
Thanks for your attention.
Hey Bernie!
That’s a great question! What you’ll want to do is halve the entire recipe and then bake in a dish about half the size of a 9×13, I would use something like an 8×8 or one of those smaller square pans you’d use for brownies, you just want a pan that will maintain the same thickness while baking as the original recipe. Then you’ll cook it at the same temperature, 350 degrees. Bake the dish for 25 minutes covered up, and then another 25 minutes uncovered. I hope this helps, and I hope you enjoy the recipe. Have a very happy Easter!
~Donya
Thank you Donya. Looking forward to making this side dish. Happy Easter !!
Hey there Bennie!
You’re welcome! I really hope you and your family enjoy, Happy Easter!
~Donya
Hi Donya,
I am planning on making this scalloped potato recipe for Easter along with your recipe for either Brown Sugar Mustard or Orange & Pepper Glazed Ham. They both sound so good I’m having trouble deciding! Anyway, here is my question: the scalloped potato recipe calls for milk. We only drink skim & I’m not sure if I need to buy whole milk or 2%. Can you clarify for me?
Thanks so much!
Hey Carol!
First of all, let me just say how happy I am to hear you’re making all these recipes of mine, it truly warms my heart! I would recommend that you use 2 cups of whole milk for the scalloped potatoes, only because it really adds to their richness. That being said, you can absolutely use skim milk, and it will still come out great! I simply prefer the richness of the potatoes with whole milk, but it is really just personal preference. Thank you so much for your support, I hope you have a very happy Easter!
~Donya
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly, and clarifying what kind of milk to use for the Scalloped Potatoes Recipe. I kind of figured you would say whole milk, as I could see how that would add to the decadent richness of this recipe. So I decided to make the Brown Sugar Mustard Ham, the Scalloped Potatoes, and your Skillet Green Beans for Easter! I have made the Green Beans before, and can attest to how good they are! This is going to be one very yummy meal! Thank you, Donya, for these truly delicious and easy recipes!
Hey there Carol!
Thank you so very much for this lovely kind comment and your tremendous support, I am so grateful! I am thrilled y’all are doing the Brown Sugar Mustard Ham, I am sure you’ll love it. Now those Skillet Green Beans, they are one of my absolute favorites I could eat those everyday of the week! I really hope you enjoy your meal and enjoy the recipes, have a very Happy Easter!
~Donya
What size casserole dish should we use? We will bake today, and we’re excited!
Hey there Elizabeth!
That is a great question! I recommend using a 9×13″ casserole dish for this recipe as it’s written, but if you want to you can halve the recipe you can bake it in a 9×9″ square pan. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
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.
Thanks, Debi!
I am thrilled you liked the recipe. And a big thank you for the 5-star rating!
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
XO,
~Donya
Donya
These look so good.
I been looking for something different to to cook and this is it.
Making it for Sunday dinner and I’m thinking a ham to go with it…
This is awesome news, Vicki!
I hope you like the recipe. If you do, pop over and give it a rating if you don’t mind.
Thanks so much.
Have a great afternoon,
~Donya