Baked Scalloped Potatoes

At dinners and parties throughout the Midwest, Scalloped Potatoes are always the first thing to disappear. This recipe uses a quick, made-from-scratch cheese sauce that’s layered with plenty of potatoes.

Why you’ll love these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

I grew up with Scalloped Potatoes that came from a box, and they tasted like the box. But after going to culinary school and mastering all the mother sauces (and daughter sauces), Scalloped Potatoes suddenly became a whole lot more interesting. Some things are just better when they’re made from scratch.

In Scalloped potatoes, you build layers of potatoes separated by a cheese sauce. But if you want to get technical, you make a roux first, then add milk to make a béchamel sauce (mother sauce), then stir in cheese to make a mornay sauce (daughter sauce). It’s all very fancy and French, but it’s also just a cheese sauce.

Don’t skip the cayenne pepper, even if you’re feeding kids. It’s just a little bit and it’s not terribly spicy, but it adds a welcome flavor and a bright color.

Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect side for a holiday meal like Christmas or Easter, but they’re easy enough that you can make them during the week, too. And if you have leftover ham, chicken, or turkey, feel free to stir it in to the sauce before you layer it between the potatoes.

Ingredients for Scalloped Potatoes

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

• Butter: Mix with flour to make a roux, the base of the cheese sauce.
• Flour: Regular all-purpose flour.
• Milk: When you add milk to your roux, it’s technically a béchamel sauce. Add cheese to a béchamel, you end up with a mornay sauce.
• Cheese: Any shredded cheese is fine. Shred it off the block yourself or buy a bag already shredded.
• Salt and pepper: It’s crucial to season your cheese sauce so the casserole isn’t bland. I have my suggested amounts of S&P in the recipe. It’s okay if the sauce tastes a little salty because it will flavor 3 pounds of sliced potatoes.
• Cayenne pepper: This adds a a subtle heat and flavor to the sauce and I highly encourage you to add it. Anything more than ¼ tsp. might be too spicy for kids in my opinion. I used ½ tsp. and loved it. 
• Potatoes: Starchy russet potatoes are the best choice for scalloped potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes are another good choice as they are a hybrid of starchy and waxy potatoes. Use a mandoline if you have one, but a sharp knife works fine too.
• Chives: Garnish your potato dish with fresh chives, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, paprika, or coarse kosher salt.

What is a mandoline slicer?

A mandoline slicer can be super helpful to quickly get uniform potato slices for Scalloped Potatoes. In our roundup of the best mandoline slicers, I included the Progressive International Slicer that I’ve used for years as the top pick. It’s stable, can stand on its own, and can even make waffle shapes.

How to Make Scalloped Potatoes (in oven)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Whisk in flour until cooked through, about 1 minute.

2. Whisk in milk until smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.

3. Stir in 1 cup cheese and season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne if using (I like 1 teaspoon salt , ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne, see note 2). It’s okay if the sauce tastes just a little salty because it will be flavoring 3 pounds of potatoes. You should have about 3 cups of cheese sauce.

4. Drain the potatoes well in a colander and blot dry with a clean kitchen towel. Layer half the sliced potatoes in bottom of prepared baking dish.Top with half the cheese sauce (about 1 ½ cups). Layer the second half of potatoes and top with remaining cheese sauce.

5. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese over the top.

6. Bake uncovered until heated through and the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 1 hour. Garnish with fresh chives or paprika and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Scalloped Potatos Recipe Tips

• Yield: This recipe makes about 12 servings of Scalloped Potatoes, ½ cup per serving. Your exact number of servings depends on how you slice it up.
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: This recipe can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated (unbaked) up to 1 hour in advance. Bake as directed in the recipe. If you make the recipe further in advance than one hour, you may have a lake of grainy gray or brown liquid in the pan. This isn’t harmful but may look unappetizing. If this happens to you, just drain off the liquid and proceed with the recipe as directed.

Best Scalloped Potatoes Variations

• Mix up your mix-ins: For a heartier side dish that verges on main course, layer in thinly sliced ham between the potatoes or crumble cooked bacon over the top of the casserole. Thinly sliced onion, leeks, or sliced garlic cloves can be added to the layers of potatoes for a little extra flavor.
• Garnishes: G
• Slow Cooker: Prepare the liner of the pot as you would the casserole, then build the dish following the same instructions. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. They don’t get as toasty or crispy on the top, but they’ll still taste delicious.
• Au Gratin Potatoes: Potatoes au Gratin are a lot like scalloped potatoes but have cheese sprinkled in between each layer of potatoes along with the cheese sauce.

Favorite mains for scalloped potatoes

Chicken and Turkey Recipes

Perfect Roast Turkey

Main Dishes

Pork Roast

Beef Recipes

How to Cook Beef Tenderloin Roast

Chicken and Turkey Recipes

How to Make Rotisserie Chicken

Homemade Scalloped Potatoes (in Oven)

By Meggan Hill

At dinners and parties throughout the Midwest, Scalloped Potatoes are always the first thing to disappear. This recipe uses a quick, made-from-scratch cheese sauce that's layered with plenty of potatoes.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Servings 12 servings (½ cup each)

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 237

5 from 47 votes

ReviewPrint

Equipment

• Mandoline slicer

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter (¼ cup or ½ stick)
• ▢ 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (¼ cup)
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups milk
• ▢ 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ cayenne pepper to taste, optional (see note 1)
• ▢ 3 pounds potatoes peeled, thinly sliced, and submerged in water (see note 2)
• ▢ fresh chives or paprika, for garnish

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Whisk in flour until cooked through, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk until smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
• Stir in 1 cup cheese and season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne if using (I like 1 teaspoon salt , ½ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne, see note 2). It's okay if the sauce tastes just a little salty because it will be flavoring 3 pounds of potatoes. You should have about 3 cups of cheese sauce.
• Drain the potatoes well in a colander and blot dry with a clean kitchen towel. Layer half the sliced potatoes in bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with half the cheese sauce (about 1 ½ cups). Layer the second half of potatoes and top with remaining cheese sauce.
• Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese over the top. Bake uncovered until heated through and the cheese is melted and browned, about 1 hour. Garnish with fresh chives or paprika and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Cayenne pepper: This adds a a subtle heat and flavor to the sauce and I highly encourage you to add it. Anything more than ¼ tsp. might be too spicy for kids in my opinion. I used ½ tsp. and loved it. 
2. Potatoes: Starchy russets are the best potatoes for scalloped potatoes. I like to use a mandoline slicer for easy uniform slices, but a sharp knife works fine too. Aim for 1/8-inch slices (not too thick, not too thin). Store the potatoes in water up to 24 hours in advance to prevent oxidation (and to get ahead on prep).
3. Yield: This recipe makes about 12 servings of Scalloped Potatoes, ½ c. per serving. Your exact number of servings depends on how you slice it up.
4. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5 cupCalories: 237kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 9gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 179mgPotassium: 572mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 390IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 211mgIron: 1mg

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