These Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are a gorgeous side dish perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other special occasions. They are crispy, creamy, and cheesy and pair well with chicken, red meat, and fish. Serve this stunning dish as a side.
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You will love these cheesy scalloped potatoes! The potatoes are sliced thinly and layered in a baking dish with a creamy and cheesy sauce. Then they are baked in the oven until golden and bubbly, with a crispy crust on top. Garnish them with some fresh herbs, such as parsley or dill, for a pop of color and flavor.
These cheesy scalloped potatoes pair well with any main course, such as Easy Marry Me Chicken, Salmon Stuffed with Ricotta and Spinach , Simple Beef Brisket Joint , and more. They are ideal for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or any other festive occasion where you want to impress your guests with a mouthwatering side dish.
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- These cheesy scalloped potatoes are a delicious and stunning side dish.
- You don't need many ingredients to make it.
- cheesy scalloped potatoes are easy to customize. Add less or more cheese to suit your preference. You can also add parmesan, mushrooms, or broccoli.
- These cheesy scalloped potatoes are budget-friendly and filling, as potatoes are an affordable and widely available staple food that can feed a large crowd.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Potatoes: Select baking potatoes for the best results. Cut thinly with a knife or mandolin. You can also use a food processor with a slicing blade to make the process faster and easier.
- Mozzarella: Use shredded mozzarella for ease of mixing. You can also use fresh mozzarella, but make sure to drain it well and pat it dry with paper towels to avoid excess moisture.
- Cheddar: Add shredded cheddar or grate a block of cheese. You can also add red cheese too. You can combine different cheeses, such as gruyere, parmesan, or fontina for a more complex and sharp flavor.
- Half and half/heavy cream: Use full-fat cream for the best results. Low-fat cream may split. You can also substitute half and half with whole milk or evaporated milk to reduce the fat content.
- Milk: Select full-fat to make the creamy sauce. You can also use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, but the sauce may be less rich and thick.
- Butter: Use unsalted or salted butter to make the roux. If you use salted butter, you may need to adjust the salt you add to the sauce.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour to make the roux. Don’t use self-raising flour because it includes leavening agents. You can also use gluten-free flour if you have a gluten intolerance or allergy.
- Onion powder: this will add a savory flavor to the sauce. You can also add thinly sliced onions instead. To enhance the onion flavor, sauté the onions in butter until soft and golden before adding them to the sauce.
- Garlic powder: Add for additional flavor. You can also use fresh grated garlic cloves instead. For a more intense garlic flavor, roast the garlic cloves in the oven until soft and caramelized, then mash them and add them to the sauce.
- Salt: To taste. For different flavors and textures, you can also use kosher salt, sea salt, or Himalayan pink salt.
- Black pepper: To taste. For different levels of heat and spice, you can also use white pepper, cayenne pepper, or nutmeg.
- Parsley: or dill can be used to garnish and add color. Other fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, or sage, can also be used for more aroma and flavor.
Tips and Substitutions
- Potato slices: The thinner the potatoes, the faster they cook and the crispier they will be. You can use a knife, a mandolin, or a food processor to slice the potatoes thinly and evenly. You can also soak the potato slices in cold water for about 15 minutes to remove some starch and prevent them from sticking together. You may also enjoy these classic French-inspired Dauphinoise Potatoes with Cheese.
- Arrangement: I arranged these cheesy scalloped potatoes standing up, but you can arrange them flat or in any way you like.
- Cheese: Feel free to add less or more cheese, depending on your preference. You can also use different types of cheese, such as gruyere, parmesan, or fontina, to create a more complex and rich cheese sauce. Add cayenne pepper or mustard powder to the cheese sauce for spice and warmth. You can also sprinkle some cheese between the layers for extra cheesiness.
How to Make Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas mark 5. Lightly grease a baking dish with butter and set aside.
2. Wash the potatoes (peel if you like), then cut them into thin slices using a knife or a mandolin.
3. Arrange them in an even layer on the prepared baking dish.
4. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly. Gradually whisk in the milk and cream, making sure there are no lumps—season with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickening.
5. Stir in the cheese and mix well until melted and smooth.
6. Grab the prepped potatoes.
7. Then, spread half of the sauce over the potatoes evenly. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Remove the foil and pour the remaining sauce over the potatoes. Bake for another hour or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden and crispy.
9. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the cheesy scalloped potatoes and serve hot or warm with Baked Salmon with Lemon and Pepper.
Recipe FAQs
Dauphinoise potatoes and scalloped potatoes are not the same, although they are both baked potato dishes served as a side dish. The main differences between them are the thickness, sauce, origin, and name.
Scalloped potatoes can taste bland if they are not seasoned enough. For more flavor, add garlic, onions, and mustard powder.
Scalloped comes from an old English word collops that means “to slice thinly”.
Add leftovers to an airtight container or wrap the potatoes tightly with plastic wrap in the oven dish and refridgerate for 4-5 days. Reheat the scalloped potatoes in the microwave or oven.
More Delicious Potato Recipes
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
- Baking dish
- knife or mandolin
Ingredients
- 1 kg of potatoes or enough to fill the dish
- 1 cup mozzarella
- ¾ cup cheddar
- 1 cup of cream
- 1.5 cups of milk
- 2 tablespoon of melted butter
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Parsley or dill to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C/gas mark 5 and butter a baking dish.
- Peel and slice the potatoes thinly, then layer them on the baking dish.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Gradually add the milk and cream, whisking to avoid lumps. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cheese and stir until melted. Pour half of the sauce over the potatoes and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and pour the rest of the sauce over the potatoes. Bake for another hour or until golden and tender.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot or warm. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Potatoes: To make the potatoes cook faster and crispier, slice them thinly and evenly using a knife, a mandolin, or a food processor. You can also soak the potato slices in cold water for about 15 minutes to remove some starch and prevent them from sticking together.
- Arrangement: You can arrange the potato slices in any way you like on the baking dish. I arranged them standing up, but you can also lay them flat or overlap them. You can also layer the potato slices with other ingredients, such as bacon, ham, mushrooms, or broccoli, to add more flavor and texture.
- Cheese: You can adjust the amount and type of cheese according to your preference. You can use different types of cheese, such as gruyere, parmesan, or fontina, to create a more complex and rich cheese sauce. You can also add cayenne pepper, or mustard powder to the cheese sauce for some spice and warmth. You can also sprinkle some cheese between the layers for extra cheesiness.
David Flashner
Looks amazing!
How many pounds of potatoes would you suggest for a 9x13 serving size. I was gonna use Yukon Gold Potatoes...
Jen Sim
Hi David, I would suggest using about 4 pounds of Yukon Gold potatoes for a 9x13 serving size. Yukon potatoes are a good choice!
Ash
What kind of cream?
Jordan
Can you prep it the night before? If so any changes that needs to be done?
Rachel M
This recipe was amazing! I used it for Christmas Eve dinner with my family and got compliments on end. I highly recommend it.