Looking for a tasty side dish for your next family dinner? Look no further than this simple and delicious Scalloped Potatoes Recipe. Perfectly creamy and flavorful, your loved ones will be begging for seconds.
These delicious Classic Scalloped Potatoes are made easily with sautéed onions and garlic, creamy sauce, fresh herbs, and plenty of salt and fresh ground black pepper. This is hands down, one of our favorite side dishes. It is easy to make, delicious, reheats well, and goes with almost any main course. They are the perfect side dish for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
If you like smooth and creamy comfort food side dishes, try cauliflower casserole, Irish colcannon, cauliflower au gratin, and baked macaroni and cheese.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Butter: either salted or unsalted
- Milk: whole milk is best, but I have used 2% in a pinch
- Seasonings: fresh thyme, fresh parsley, ground cayenne pepper, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Potatoes: Yukon golds are my go-to potatoes for this recipe. You can use Russet potatoes, but please peel them. Russets will break down more than Yukon Golds.
How to make Scalloped Potatoes
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Then reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, whisking to combine. Cook over low heat until thickened, whisking frequently. Do not let it boil. Stir in about 2/3 of the thyme and parsley, and all of the cayenne pepper. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
Layer 1/4 of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Pour 1/4 of the sauce over the top of the potatoes and spread it out with a spoon or spatula. Repeat the layers three more times, ending with the cream sauce. Top with the remaining fresh herbs.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the casserole is bubbly on the edges. Turn the broiler on for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking to brown the top. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Preparation Tips
- Slice the potatoes between 1/8-1/4 inch thick. A mandoline works well for this recipe.
- If you like a lot of seasoning, add fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper to each layer. You can also go hog wild and add some Cajun or Creole seasoning.
- To make these into au gratin potatoes, whisk in 2 cups of good quality shredded cheddar to the sauce at the very end over very low heat. As soon as it melts, proceed with the recipe as written.
- Keep an eye on the potatoes when they are under the broiler. Broilers can be unpredictable, especially in older ovens. I always set a 1-2 minute timer to avoid getting distracted.
Serving Suggestions
- Chicken: roasted chicken, grilled chicken, Italian chicken, chicken cordon bleu, bacon-wrapped chicken, creamy chicken dijon
- Beef: baked meatloaf, New York strip steak, beef tips and gravy, meatballs and gravy, homemade sloppy joes.
- Pork: grilled pork tenderloin, pan-fried pork chops, smothered pork chops, pork loin roast, baked ham
- Seafood: baked cod, air fryer salmon, grilled shrimp skewers, broiled lobster,
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in the microwave at reduced power so they heat all the way through. For larger portions, reheat in the oven at 300 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until heated through.
If freezing leftovers, let them fully cool first. Then spoon them into sturdy freezer containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Authentic classic scalloped potatoes do not have cheese in them. They are made with a well-seasoned béchamel sauce.
Potatoes au gratin are cheesy potatoes slathered with cheese sauce, usually made with heavy cream and cheeses like sharp cheddar, gruyere, and Parmesan. The sauce is mixed in at the end of the preparation of the béchamel sauce and then layered with the potatoes in the same manner as scalloped potatoes.
If freezing the whole casserole, remove it from the oven about 15-20 minutes before being fully cooked. Let the dish fully cool. Then, cover it with two layers of plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove it from the fridge 30-40 minutes before baking to bring it to room temperature. Then, remove the plastic wrap and finish baking at 350 degrees.
If freezing leftovers, let them fully cool first. Then spoon them into sturdy freezer containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.
More Potato Recipes
Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 inch or not-deep 2-quart casserole dish.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Then reduce the heat and add the garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk whisking to combine. Cook over low heat until thickened, whisking frequently. Do not let it boil.
- Whisk in about 2/3 of the thyme and parsley and all of the cayenne pepper. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Layer 1/4 of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a greased casserole dish. Pour 1/4 of the sauce over the top of the potatoes and spread it out with a spoon or spatula. Repeat the layers 3 more times ending with the cream sauce. Top with the remaining fresh herbs.
- Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the casserole is bubbly on the edges. Turn the broiler on the last 1-2 minutes of cooking to brown the top. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Video
Notes
- Slice the potatoes between 1/8-1/4 inch thick. A mandoline works well for this recipe.
- If you like a lot of seasoning, add fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper to each layer. You can also go hog wild and add some Cajun or Creole seasoning.
- To make these into au gratin potatoes, whisk in 2 cups of good quality shredded cheddar to the sauce at the very end over very low heat. As soon as it melts, proceed with the recipe as written.
- Keep an eye on the potatoes when they are under the broiler. Broilers can be unpredictable, especially in older ovens. I always set a 1-2 minute timer to avoid getting distracted.
Nutrition
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Dana
My grandma used to make scalloped potatoes a lot when I was a kid. This recipe was easy to make and it brings back such good memories, thanks for sharing, Beth.
Edgar
These scalloped potatoes are the best. This is my favorite side dish for my favorite grilled steak recipe. Thanks for sharing, Beth!
Steph
Oh my goodness, I love scalloped potatoes and these are amazing! They go with so many meals and my whole family enjoys the taste.
Ellanor
Honestly, these are amazing! I’m a sucker for any potato-based recipes and I love the addition of herbs like parsley. This recipe is going on my weekly rotation.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Elanor! I am so glad that you liked the scalloped potatoes recipe.
Rich
The best scalloped potatoes. I love to serve them with grilled chicken and roated pork loin. Thanks for sharing, Beth!
Marianne Spencer
Looks amazing! Always wanted to make scalloped potatoes but I don’t have a mandolin.
Beth Pierce
Just try to slice them thin and uniform.
SONIA SEIVWRIGHT
Oh my goodness, these Classic Scalloped Potatoes are absolutely amazing! They are so creamy and flavorful with just enough herbs and seasoning. I can’t believe how easy they were to make too! This will be one of my go-to side dishes for any occasion. I also love that they reheat well so that I can enjoy them repeatedly. Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine Sonia!
april
This was so yummy! I love any kind of potato dish! Can’t wait to make this again.
Lesa
Love the simplicity of this recipe. You can make it on any day because you’re likely to always have all the ingredients.
Beth Pierce
Agreed 100%
Ivan Carlo Jose
That looks so delicious! I love potatoes and the combination of butter, milk, and herbs sounds so good. I’m wondering if this will also work with sweet potatoes.
Beth Pierce
Yes it will work for sweet potatoes.
Rose
These scalloped potatoes are so good. My grandma used to make them a couple of times a week. I rarely make them but everyone loves when I do.
Marysa
Homemade scalloped potatoes are the best! I have to be honest, I use the box stuff sometimes because mine don’t come out that great. Your recipe sounds wonderful.
Maria Azanha
Oh my goodness! I´m gonna make it tomorrow. Friday is our baked potato day so I´m making these beauties in the article! Great one!
Crystal
Great scalloped potato recipe. I love taking these to picnics and potato lucks. Everyone rants and raves about them.
Luna S
One of my favorite dishes! Love making this as a way to spice up from having other types of potato dishes.
Stephanie
These were so creamy and delicious! Thanks for sharing – the family loved them.