My mom's creamy scalloped potatoes are the perfect comforting side dish for a family dinner — everyone will be back for seconds! Made with 5 main ingredients and baked to perfection in 1 hour.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love Homemade Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How Do You Make Scalloped Potatoes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Cheese Scalloped potatoes recipe
- What To Serve With This Scalloped Potato Recipe:
- Other Delicious Potato Recipes To Try
- Hosting Thanksgiving?
- Mom’s Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Why You'll Love Homemade Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
I don't know about you, but when I think of a spiral ham, I immediately think of scalloped potatoes. Some things are just meant to be together. Peas and carrots. Grilled cheese and tomato soup. Peanut butter and Jelly. Cookies and milk.
So today, I'm really excited to share my Mom's scalloped potatoes recipe. It's crazy simple to make and uses really minimal ingredients for maximum flavor. It's a classic dish that is comforting and perfect for feeding a crowd. You could even make a smaller version if you're expecting fewer people.
There is nothing more comforting than creamy, savory potatoes that are cooked until fork tender and golden brown on top, right? In case you need more convincing, this recipe is:
- Full of cheesy flavor
- Creamy without any heavy cream needed
- Family-friendly
- Affordable
- Perfect for the holidays
- Leftovers are delish!
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Potatoes- I usually use russets — they have a mild flavor and a good amount of starch (starchy = creamy). Some other options include Yukon Gold and red potatoes.
- Onions- You can honestly opt for whatever onions you have on hand. I almost always have yellow ones at home, so that's what I used here.
- Milk- Here's where the creaminess comes from without being overly rich! I can't recommend whole milk enough. It has just the amount of richness you'll need. Don't use skim.
- Flour- Works as a thickener along with the milk. You'll essentially use both to create a slurry that you'll pour over the pan of potatoes before baking.
- Salt & Pepper- To taste.
- Grated Cheese- Technically optional, but I never say no to cheese. I like grated Romano, but you could also use Parmesan... or your personal favorite.
How Do You Make Scalloped Potatoes
Step 1- Create the "scalloped" layers
If you plan on baking your old fashioned scalloped potatoes right away, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and prepare the pan. Otherwise, simply spray your baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Cover the bottom of the baking pan with the sliced potatoes — it's okay if they overlap. Next, add half of the sliced onions then season with salt and pepper. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, then the onion, and finally season. Layer the rest of the potatoes on top and season one more time.
Step 3- Add the milk.
Create your slurry with the milk and flour. Pour the mixture all over the potatoes and onions, then sprinkle with grated cheese if using.
Step 4- Bake (or chill).
Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F for 1 hour, or until golden brown and crispy on top.
If you don't plan on serving your creamy scalloped potatoes right away, cover the baking dish with foil and store in the fridge until you're ready. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Au gratin potatoes typically include cheese. That being said, I included the option to top my creamy scalloped potatoes recipe with Romano cheese for a little added flavor.
The easiest way is to use a mandoline because you'll get a more uniform cut. But you can just as easily take your time and use a really sharp knife. The key is to get them nice and thin.
Yes! You can assemble the entire dish and refrigerate until you're ready to serve. It will keep for a day or two, and you can bake just before serving.
A little of both. The overall texture should be creamy thanks to the milk and the starchy spuds. The potatoes should be soft but still have a bit of a bite. Otherwise, they'd taste and feel like mashed potatoes!
Yes! Swap out the flour of 1:1 gluten free flour- I like Bob's Red Mill or King Arthur brands.
Tips For Making Cheese Scalloped potatoes recipe
- Try to slice the potatoes as thin as possible. Your goal should be to get them to around ⅛-¼-inch in thickness.
- Slice the onions as thinly as possible too, and they’ll melt right into the dish!
- Spray down the baking pan with nonstick cooking spray to help prevent sticking. You could also apply olive oil with a clean paper towel.
- When creating the layers of potatoes, try to make it as even but slightly shingled.
- You want the milk to almost cover the potatoes, but not completely. Start with 2.5 cups. If you need a little more, go for it.
- Bake uncovered so that they get nice and golden brown on top. Adding the cheese also helps with this!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- You can clean the potatoes and slice the onions ahead of time.
- Leftovers and storage- Let the potatoes cool completely before adding any leftovers to an airtight container. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in 30-second bursts in the microwave, or covered in the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through.
What To Serve With This Scalloped Potato Recipe:
Easy cheesy scalloped potatoes are incredibly versatile and pair with so many other recipes. Some obvious choices for the holidays would be my crock pot ham or orange rosemary roast turkey.
Other side options include peas with onions, garlic green beans, broccoli with cheese sauce, and my Grandma's baked artichoke hearts. For dessert? I love my coconut cake or cherry cheese pie!
Other Delicious Potato Recipes To Try
Hosting Thanksgiving?
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Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Mom’s Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 5-6 cups thinly sliced potatoes sliced to around ⅛-1/4 inch thickness
- 2 cups thin sliced onions
- 3 cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup flour
- 3 teaspoons Kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoons ground black pepper
- ¼ cup grated Romano cheese optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9" x 13" baking pan with cooking spray. Spread a layer of potatoes along the bottom of the pan to cover it (they can and will overlap a bit).
- Sprinkle half of the onions, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper onto the potatoes.
- Spread a layer of potatoes onto this.
- Sprinkle half of the onions, 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper on top.
- Layer the remaining potatoes on top and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper.
- Whisk together the flour and milk and pour it over the layers of potatoes. It should almost but not completely cover them and you can add a little more milk if needed.
- If using Romano cheese sprinkle it on top of the potato mixture.
- Bake for 1 hour until golden brown and crispy on top (if not using the Romano cheese, these won't get as brown). Cool for 10 minutes and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Try to slice the potatoes as thin as possible. Your goal should be to get them to around ⅛-¼-inch in thickness.
- Slice the onions as thinly as possible too, and they’ll melt right into the dish!
- Spray down the baking pan with nonstick cooking spray to help prevent sticking. You could also apply olive oil with a clean paper towel.
- When creating the layers of potatoes, try to make it as even but slightly shingled.
- You want the milk to almost cover the potatoes, but not completely. Start with 2.5 cups. If you need a little more, go for it.
- Bake uncovered so that they get nice and golden brown on top. Adding the cheese also helps with this!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- You can clean the potatoes and slice the onions ahead of time.
- Leftovers and storage- Let the potatoes cool completely before adding any leftovers to an airtight container. You can store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in 30-second bursts in the microwave, or covered in the oven at 350 degrees F until heated through.
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