Scalloped Potatoes
Creamy, hearty, and indulgent, this scalloped potatoes recipe is the perfect potato side dish for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. It's rich, creamy, indulgent, and will always be in my top 5 potato side dishes. Thinly sliced potatoes and onion are smothered in a creamy sauce with grated cheese until tender, golden, and bubbly. Potato perfection.
Creamy potatoes may be a side dish that requires more effort, but they always pay off. Side dishes that complement this recipe include my honey butter carrots, roasted green beans, and braised red cabbage.
You'll also love my leek and potato gratin if you like this recipe - another amazing potato side dish! I love serving double potatoes on big holidays, so we'd serve these scalloped potatoes alongside roasted potatoes, too.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
My partner and I are both obsessed with scalloped potatoes, dauphinoise potatoes, potatoes au gratin (whatever you want to call them - they're pretty similar dishes!), and we've slowly but surely been converting our families to have a dish of creamy baked potatoes on the table at big family gatherings such as Easter or Christmas. In fairness, they've not been hard to convince!
I've been able to test this recipe a lot as a result - tweaking the amount of creamy sauce, the amount of potatoes so it doesn't get too dense, and the amount of cheese and garlic for the perfect savory, indulgent sauce without feeling overly greasy or overwhelming.
The result is this recipe: simple to bring together, absolutely delicious, and the dish everyone is bound to be fighting over at the table!
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes: The main event! I used large white baking potatoes for this recipe, which are then peeled and thinly sliced. You could use a mandoline to save time on slicing the potatoes, or just use a knife and carefully slice your potatoes.
Onion: You'll need a large white onion for this recipe. We slice it thinly either with the mandoline or a knife, and layer it over the potatoes before adding the creamy sauce. It adds a nice bit of texture and flavor to the dish.
Roux Sauce: To make the creamy sauce for your scalloped potatoes, you'll need to make a roux. Traditionally, this is made from butter, flour, and milk. In this recipe, I also add a dash of double cream for extra creaminess and some vegetable stock to add more flavor and thin out the sauce so it covers all of the potatoes evenly.
Seasonings: I use dried thyme and rosemary, alongside salt and pepper, for this dish. You could also use fresh thyme and rosemary if you have it. Fresh chives or parsley are ideal for using to season the top of the dish.
Cheese: A traditional scalloped potato recipe does not have any cheese. If you'd like to keep this recipe 100% authentic, omit the cheese. However, I love how a sprinkle of grated cheese over the top gets it really golden and bubbly - potatoes and cheese are a match made in heaven!
Variations & Substitutions
Vegan version: Use vegan butter and vegan cream to make your roux sauce, and simply omit the cheese to make this recipe dairy-free/plant-based.
How To Make Scalloped Potatoes
Step 1: Slice your Potatoes and Onion
Using your mandoline or a knife and chopping board, peel and thinly slice your potatoes and onion. Set them aside while you make the creamy sauce.
Step 2: Make the Roux
To make your roux sauce, add the butter to a saucepan and once melted, stir in the flour until it forms a doughy consistency with a biscuity smell. Slowly whisk in the milk until the sauce is smooth, then add the cream, vegetable stock, minced garlic, and seasonings. Keep whisking the sauce as it heats until it's thick and creamy.
Step 3: Layer the Potatoes
Add about half the potatoes to your baking dish and top with half the onion. Pour over half of the creamy sauce and scatter over half of the cheese. Top with the remaining potatoes, onion, and creamy sauce. Keep the remaining cheese aside for later.
Step 4: Bake
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes covered, then uncover and add the remaining cheese to the top of the dish. Bake for a further 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and the top is golden and bubbly.
Scatter over your fresh chives or parsley if using, and let the potatoes rest for 10 minutes before serving - this gives you lovely layers that hold their shape a little better.
Scalloped Potatoes vs Au Gratin Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes are typically composed of thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy sauce. Traditionally, they're not cooked with cheese - so some of you may argue that this recipe is closer to potatoes au gratin or dauphinoise potatoes.
However, I simply can't imagine this dish without a little sprinkling of melty, golden cheese! It really elevates the dish, but feel free to omit for a more traditional iteration of the recipe.
What To Serve With Scalloped Potatoes
These scalloped potatoes make an excellent side dish as part of a bigger meal - perfect for roast dinners or holiday tables. Serve them alongside crispy roast potatoes, honey butter carrots, and roasted green beans.
Storing
Refrigerator: Once cooled, cover your baking dish with foil or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Store any leftover scalloped potatoes for 3-5 days. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave or oven before eating. You might need to add a splash of milk or vegetable stock to the pot to loosen the sauce.
Freezer: Bake the scalloped potatoes in a disposable foil tray and freeze covered, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Defrost fully before reheating, and use within 24 hours of defrosting.
FAQs
They're called scalloped potatoes because "scallop" refers to the method of thinly slicing the potatoes, derived from the Old English word collop, meaning "to slice thinly."
Scalloped potatoes typically don't have cheese in the layers, focusing on a creamy sauce and sliced potatoes, while au gratin includes cheese and often breadcrumbs, creating a cheesy, crusty topping.
Yes, you can use cream instead of a roux-based sauce for a richer texture, though it increases the fat content. The potatoes' natural starches will help thicken the sauce during baking.
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes
- 1 white onion
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon plain flour
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 400 ml milk
- 150 ml double cream
- 200 ml vegetable stock
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 100 g cheddar cheese grated
Method
- Use a mandoline or a knife and chopping board to peel and thinly slice your potatoes and onion. Set aside while you make the roux sauce.
- Preheat your oven to 200C (395F)
- Add the butter to a saucepan on low heat until melted.2 tablespoon butter
- Add the flour, stirring into the butter until a doughy consistency forms and it smells biscuity.2 tablespoon plain flour
- Slowly pour in your milk, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth, begins to thicken (3-5 minutes). Don't let the milk boil.400 ml milk
- Add the double cream, vegetable stock, minced garlic, and seasonings. Keep gently whisking the sauce as it heats until it's thick and creamy. Remove from the heat.2 cloves garlic, 150 ml double cream, 200 ml vegetable stock, 0.5 teaspoon salt, 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Add half the sliced potatoes to your baking dish and spread half of the onion over the top.1 kg potatoes, 1 white onion
- Pour half of the creamy sauce over the potatoes and scatter over about half of the cheese.100 g cheddar cheese
- Add the remaining potatoes to the baking dish and layer the onion on top.
- Pour over the rest of the creamy sauce, using a spoon to nestle the sauce in between all the slices of potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are fully covered by the sauce.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and uncover. Scatter over the remaining cheese, then place the dish back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
Hiya. This looks amazing. I am curious though.. the Ingredients do not mention "onion". I am assuming it is 1 large onion, sliced? Thank you 🙂 😋