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.
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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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
Can I go simple, just milk and onions with the seasoning and butter and let go?
Sure. The flavor will change but as long as you are happy, do it.
~Donya