These creamy scalloped potatoes have a rich, cheesy sauce and nice crispy edges. They're the perfect side dish for any holiday meal or paired with roast chicken or a perfectly cooked sous vide steak!
You might also like these brown butter mashed potatoes, these harissa smashed potatoes, or this purple sweet potato pie!
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Scalloped Potatoes vs Potatoes Au Gratin
Short version, au gratin potatoes are sliced potatoes cooked in a cream sauce that includes cheese, and they often also have some sort of breadcrumb topping. Scalloped potatoes on the other hand, are very thinly sliced and don't typically have cheese in the sauce.
Now it's all more technical than that and there are lots of nuances, but in my opinion it's a bit of an arbitrary distinction. These potatoes are very thinly sliced and include a small amount of cheese....so it really could go either way.
I'm calling these scalloped potatoes, but feel free to argue with me in the comments. All that matters is that they're creamy, cheesy, and SO good!
Ingredient Notes
You just need a few simple ingredients to make these crispy scalloped potatoes!
Potatoes - The best potatoes to use for this dish are either Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes. These varieties have a waxier texture and hold their shape well (as opposed to russet potatoes which are starchier and will become mushy).
Heavy Cream - Cream will yield the creamiest potatoes, but you can also use half and half or whole milk for a lighter version.
Cheese - This is optional but I love a little bit of parmesan added to the potatoes! But you can also use gruyere, swiss, or just leave it out all together.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a medium sized ceramic baking dish.
Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice the potatoes as thinly as possible (about 1/16th of an inch).
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the garlic until aromatic.
Stir in the flour to create a roux, and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Then stir in the heavy cream and continue to stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper until combined and smooth.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Add the sliced potatoes to a large bowl and pour the sauce over top. Gently toss to coat the potatoes in the sauce.
Stack the potato slices and arrange them upright in the greased baking dish. Pour any leftover sauce over the potatoes. Sprinkle a little extra parmesan over top if desired.
Tent with aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and cooked through.
Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Most scalloped potatoes are arranged in layers in a dish, but I prefer to arrange them upright. This allows all the edges to get nice and crispy while the bottom is soft and creamy. The best of both worlds! But you can arrange your potatoes however you prefer.
Recipe FAQ's
Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
A single serving of potatoes heats up great in the microwave! But you can reheat the entire dish in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes. Just make sure the dish is room temperature before putting in the oven! [cold ceramic + hot oven = a very bad day]
Yes! Prepare the scalloped potatoes and arrange in the baking dish (but don't bake), and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When time to bake, remove from the fridge and let come up to room temperature (about 30 minutes) and then bake as normal.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Special Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream, substitute whole milk or half and half
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a medium sized ceramic baking dish.
- Using a mandolin or sharp knife, slice the potatoes as thinly as possible (about 1/16th of an inch).
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter with the garlic until aromatic.
- Stir in the flour to create a roux, and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Then stir in the heavy cream and continue to stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the parmesan, thyme, salt and pepper until combined and smooth.
- Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
- Add the sliced potatoes to a large bowl and pour the sauce over top. Gently toss to coat the potatoes in the sauce.
- Stack the potato slices and arrange them upright in the greased baking dish. Pour any leftover sauce over the potatoes. Sprinkle a little extra parmesan over top if desired.
- Tent with aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Sarah says
I made these for Easter dinner and they were a hit. Not only was the presentation lovely, the potatoes tasted amazing. They felt easier than the recipes I have used before. So much faster! I will be making these again. I doubled the recipe and it fit perfectly in a 9×13. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Cynthia Nimphie says
Great recipe! and your data on the dish is right on!
phyllis mikula says
Sounds delicious and I am making them now for company dinner
sbldr says
I make 1 1/2 times the sauce maybe because high altitude came out great and yes bake longer I did just turned down to 300 for 30 min more
Becky says
I used 5 lbs of potatoes as instructed and there sauce to potatoes didn't quite turn out. Sure the potatoes were good (hey they are potatoes) yet I think there should have been more saucy goodness. I just put dabs of butter on top of my single serving and it was good. OH well, live and learn.
Jamma says
My first time making scalloped potatoes, and they turned out great!** I usually make au gratin, but I wanted to switch things up. This recipe was super easy to follow and came out perfectly. The only tweak I made was parboiling the potatoes—nothing worse than an undercooked spud! Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe.
Maman says
Hi! I want to make this for a Friendsgiving I’m attending. Any recommendation on how I can transport this/when would it be recommended to start baking?
Can I bake it at home? And then reheat in the oven at the Friendsgiving?
Kyleigh Sage says
I would definitely bake it at home and then reheat it there if needed because it will reheat quicker than it would fully cook!
Cheryl Schwarz says
The recipe was very easy to make,it looks good and tastes even better! Thanks so much!!
Sarah says
Can I make these a day ahead of time? If so, do I bake them and reheat?
Kyleigh Sage says
You can go ahead and bake and then reheat. Or you can assemble everything, cover, and bake the next day! Always be sure to let your baking dish come back up to room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes before reheating or baking the next day (so you don't thermal shock and break the dish).
Maman says
What are your suggestions for reheating in the oven?
Kyleigh Sage says
Reheat at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until the middle is warmed through. If you're transporting them and keeping them warm, they'll reheat in 10-15 minutes!
Christine says
Added extra cheese and man was it delectable
Kiara says
Came out great!
Michelle says
So good! I love how the tops get nice a crispy