Decadent Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are the ultimate side dish for any holiday. Thinly slice potatoes, cover them in a homemade cheese sauce, and bake until golden brown and bubbling.
Weeknight-easy
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: How to make a smooth cheese sauce
Worth It: It’s a satisfying comfort food perfect for a crowd
Bonus: Customizable options
There is nothing better than cheesy potatoes
I think the only way to make potatoes even better is to add some cheese. And these cheesy scalloped potatoes are a fantastic way to do that.
The thinly sliced russet potatoes bake until soft in a velvety cheese sauce. Then, the top layer is cooked until browned, bubbling and slightly crispy.
These scalloped potatoes with cheese are decadent yet elegant. They are the perfect side dish for holidays and dinner parties alike.
Kitchen tools
- Sharp knife and cutting board or mandolin
- Casserole dish or baking dish
- Measuring spoons and measuring cups
- Small sauce pan
- Spatula for serving
Serving Suggestions
Cheesy scalloped potatoes are the ultimate holiday side dish. You can serve them with beef or turkey around Thanksgiving and Christmas or with a honey baked ham for Easter. If you make these for Easter, be sure to make this easy bunny cake recipe for dessert!
I love to make an oven roasted turkey breast, turkey tenderloins or spatchcock chicken and serve this potato recipe along with some maple bacon brussels sprouts.
For a cozy winter meal I like to make either my air fryer meatloaf or air fryer flank steak and serve it up with these cheesy potatoes.
Scalloped Potatoes vs. Au Gratin potatoes
Traditionally scalloped potatoes are made with a simple cream sauce, while au gratin potatoes are baked in a cheese sauce. I combined the two here and made cheesy scalloped potatoes that are baked in a cheesy cream sauce. Potatoes in a cream sauce always taste amazing, but adding gooey cheese really ups the deliciousness.
Looking for something a little healthier? Try out these brussels sprouts au gratin.
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes
- Yellow onion
- Salted butter
- All purpose flour
- Whole milk
- Salt and pepper
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Finely grated parmesan cheese
Ingredient Substitutions
If you are not a fan of onion you can omit it completely. On the other hand, if you love onion you can add extra onion slices to the casserole dish. You can also add some finely minced garlic when you are sauteeing the butter for the cheese sauce.
I usually use russet potatoes to make this, but you can also use yukon gold potatoes. It will taste even more rich thanks to their tender and buttery texture.
Sharp cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese in my favorite flavor combination for the cheese sauce, but you can use many other types of cheese. Shredded gruyere cheese, Swiss cheese or even pepper jack cheese are also good options.
I keep the seasonings simple for this recipe, but you can really up the flavor by adding smoked paprika, crushed red pepper or a little hot sauce to the cheese sauce. You can also add flavor by garnishing the finished dish with fresh herbs. I like to garnish mine with thinly sliced chives.
Have some leftover ham? You can add a little protein to this classic side dish by adding some cubed ham to the dish before baking.
How to make cheesy scalloped potatoes
Step 1: Preheat oven and prep potatoes
To begin, preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10×10 casserole dish.
Then, peel and thinly slice the russet potatoes into slices about ⅛” thick. It may help to carefully use a mandolin on the thicker setting. Slice onion into thin rounds.
Then, arrange potatoes and onions in the casserole dish in rows with a slice of onion spaced in after every few potato slices. Set casserole dish aside.
Step 2: make cheese sauce
Next, in a small sauce pan melt butter over medium-low heat until melted and bubbling. Mix in the all purpose flour with a whisk and let cook for another minute.
Slowly whisk in the milk in small increments until it is all smoothly mixed in. Whisk in the salt and pepper.
Then, reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the cheese into the sauce pan. Continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted.
Step 3: Pour cheese over potatoes and bake
Pour the cheese mixture over the potatoes and onions in the casserole dish. Pour the finely grate cheese over top and cover the dish with tinfoil.
Finally, bake covered at 350F for 70 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes for the top to get golden brown.
storage, reheating and freezing
Once fully cooled, cover the casserole dish and place in the refrigerator. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Reheat all together in the casserole dish or scoop out individual portions. Reheat in the oven at 275F until just warmed through – about 15 minutes.
If you want to freeze this scalloped potato casserole, I recommend freezing it prior to baking. Assemble them as instructed, cover tightly and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen at 325F for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and broil the top.
Check out these other comforting side dishes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lb russet potatoes
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 10×10 casserole dish.
- Peel and thinly slice the russet potatoes into slices about ⅛” thick – it may help to carefully use a mandolin on the thicker setting. Slice onion into thin rounds.
- Arrange potatoes and onions in the casserole dish in rows with a slice of onion spaced in after every few potato slices. Set casserole dish aside.
- In a small sauce pan heat butter over medium-low heat until melted and bubbling. Mix in the all purpose flour with a whisk and let cook for another minute.
- Slowly whisk in the milk in small increments until it is all smoothly mixed in. Whisk in the salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to low and pour the cheese into the sauce pan. Continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted. Pour the cheese mixture over the potatoes and onions in the casserole dish. Pour the finely grate cheese over top and cover the dish with tinfoil.
- Bake covered at 350F for 70 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes for the top to get golden brown.
Recipe Notes
- You can use golden potatoes instead of russet
- To save time you can leave the potato skin on if the texture doesn’t bother you
- You can use gruyere cheese or a blend of cheeses in place of the sharp cheddar
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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