If you’ve ever had real home-cooked cheesy scalloped potatoes, you know they’re hard to beat. I’ve taken that classic dish and added a garlic Parmesan flavor, as well as added 3 kinds of cheese. Rigorously tested, these scalloped potatoes are no-fail, and can be made ahead of time or frozen!
Looking for other holiday side dishes? You’ve got to try my Homestyle No-Boil Mashed Potatoes, Cheesy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, and Ultimate Dinner Rolls!
CHEESY SCALLOPED POTATOES
You guys, I have never spent nearly half as long coming up with a recipe title, than I have for this post. I went back and forth on cheesy scalloped potatoes or potatoes au gratin.
Which then led to a spiral of googling to try and figure out what the heck the difference between scalloped potatoes and potatoes au gratin is. My deduction? It’s still not very clear!
Traditionally, scalloped potatoes are baked with no cheese, in a cream sauce, most often made with raw flour in the sauce that thickens up as it bakes… and potatoes au gratin are cheesy potatoes, but traditionally have a breadcrumb topping.
However, so many scalloped potatoes recipes have cheese in them, and not many au gratin recipes have the breadcrumbs. So confusing.
In the end, I went with my past… and called this recipe cheesy scalloped potatoes, since when I was growing up, my Mom made scalloped potatoes, and they always had cheese in them.
HOW TO MAKE SCALLOPED POTATOES
- Make sure you cut the potatoes very thin! Using a mandoline slicer makes this SO much easier (I’ll link to the one I use at the end of the post).
- No need to use heavy cream for the cheese sauce, whole milk works just as well. But if you’d like to use half and half or heavy cream, you can!
- Red and yukon gold potatoes are my favorite for scalloped potatoes, since they hold up well to the baking, and don’t need any peeling (unless you want to). Russet potatoes will work (and are cheaper), but they could potentially fall apart more during the long baking time.
MAKING SCALLOPED POTATOES AHEAD OF TIME
Usually this recipe is made for a holiday, when oven space is at a premium, and your time is precious. For that reason, I did some extra testing and have come up with a great, easy way to make these scalloped potatoes ahead of time!
I’ve found making this recipe ahead works best when you partially cook the potatoes first. Plus, that means you don’t have to bake them that long when reheating!
Baking the dish for 60 minutes gets the potatoes about 75% of the way cooked through. Let the dish cool, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
Reheat at the same baking temperature, for 30-40 minutes.
Can you just imagine how amazing your house will smell while this ultra cheesy dish is baking? You’ll have to find something to do to keep yourself busy, because you’ll definitely be hungry!
FREEZING SCALLOPED POTATOES
As a bonus, this dish can also be frozen, using the same instructions as the make ahead directions. Just freeze the covered, partially cooked dish instead of refrigerating it.
Scalloped potatoes can be frozen for 2-3 weeks. Defrost by setting the dish in the refrigerator overnight.
crockpot scalloped potatoes
If you absolutely cannot or would rather not bake them (which is how I think they taste best), you can layer the scalloped potatoes in a greased slow cooker in the same manner as directed for this recipe. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
Still want to bake the scalloped potatoes the day you make them but want to shave some time off? Microwave the sliced potatoes for about 10 minutes, to cut down on the total baking time (it will take about 45-50 minutes).
ADD-INS FOR SCALLOPED POTATOES
They’re amazing as-is, but if you want to add some extra flavor, here are my favorite options.
- Diced ham
- Sliced mushrooms
- Peas
- Different cheeses
Making this for Easter? Try these with my Copycat HoneyBaked Ham, Cranberry Almond Broccoli Salad, and don’t forget the Carrot Cake or Lemon Pie for dessert!
SHOP THE RECIPE:
- Mandoline Slicer – Once you try using one of these, you’ll wonder how you EVER sliced vegetables without it!
- 2 qt Baking Dish – I used a Le Creuset one for these photos, which I can’t seem to find online, but this is a great one!
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Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs red potatoes, washed, but not peeled
- 1 1/4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, washed, but not peeled
- 1 onion, sliced thinly
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- fresh chives, for garnish
- fresh parsley, for garnish
- additional 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- additional 1/4 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- additional 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish and set aside.
- Slice potatoes in 1/8" thin slices (I use this mandoline slicer), and set aside.
- Add butter to medium saucepan, and heat over MED heat. When butter is melted, add garlic and saute for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add flour, whisk, and cook 1 minute. Slowly add milk, whisking continuously, until no lumps remain. Whisk over MED heat until mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon.
- Turn off heat, add cheeses, dry mustard, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper, and stir until smooth.
- Layer half the potatoes and onion slices in prepared casserole dish, pour approximately half of the cheese sauce over potatoes and let sit for a minute. Repeat with remaining potatoes, onions, and cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle top of potatoes with gruyere, cheddar and Parmesan. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray, then cover the casserole dish (sprayed side down). Place casserole on a baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake uncovered an additional 25-30 minutes. Potatoes should be tender and cheese melted. Broil on HIGH for a minute or two for extra browning and crispiness.
- Sprinkle top with chives and parsley and serve.
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Gina says
Wow this looks amazing!!! My hubby is allergic to dry mustard. Would leaving it out change the taste significantly or do you know of an alternative that would be good?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Gina 🙂 Thank you! I don’t think it would alter it too much, but if he’s not allergic to mustard itself, you could add a small squirt of your favorite mustard in it’s place.
Deepika says
It’s like dream comes true; Potato with lots of cheese. What else would be yummier than this..! :* Thanks for satisfying every potato and cheese lover soul with this bowl of heaven. 😀
Melinda says
Hi,
So the potatoes are not boiled before?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Melinda 🙂 No, for this recipe they’re not boiled, which is why the long bake time. You can microwave the sliced potatoes about 10 minutes, which would cut the bake time down to about 45-50 minutes.
Tara says
I made these last week and they were perfect! I didn’t have red potatoes on hand, but I had some smaller russets and Yukon golds. Everyone loved them and asked that we have these on a regular basis! The only thing I’ll do next time is add a pinch or two of salt to the layers of potatoes. They looked gorgeous with the chives sprinkled on top of the deliciously golden brown cheese and everyone loved the crunchy bits! Thank you for this great recipe!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Tara 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear that you all loved these potatoes!
Cindy says
I took these to a Good Friday potluck last night and they were devoured! I was hoping to have some leftovers, but no luck. Thanks for the yummy recipe, I will definitely make them again!
Mimi says
Would I be able to substitute regular flour for gluten free flour in this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Mimi 🙂 Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with gluten-free flour (as we don’t have any gluten allergies here), so I can’t say for sure.
charlotte says
You can definitely use Gluten free flour. My husband and I just use rice flour with a 1 to 1ratio. Planning on making it tomorrow with rice flour. 🙂
Kelsey says
Just doubled this recipe and made it ahead for Easter. Freezing after all potatoes and cheese sauce are layered but before adding the shredded cheese on top. Planning on thawing the night before and then baking as instructed…. will let you know how it turns out! Smells amazing and the cheese sauce tasted SO good!
Amber says
Hi I don’t see in the instructions where or when to add the garlic. I bought all of the ingredients to make this tomorrow
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Amber 🙂 Oh gosh, I completely forgot that part… I’ve updated the recipe (you add the garlic to the melted butter and saute it for a minute, before adding the flour). I hope you love it!!
Donna Northcott says
How many potatoes whats the # I don’t know lbs ? thanks so much !!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Donna 🙂 I can’t give an exact number, because potatoes can be all different sizes and therefore weigh different amounts. If you don’t have a scale, then if you buy a 3 lb bag of potatoes, just use about half to get that 1 1/2 lb amount 🙂 In general, 9-10 small potatoes is about 1 1/2 lbs, but that’s going to vary based on size, like I mentioned.
Evelyn says
Everytime I see recipes in your blog, I feel hungry because all most of recipes are my favorite.
Amy Engberson says
These potatoes just went on my Easter dinner menu! They look fantastic!
Jennifer says
The dish makes me feel hungry. I will make it at this weekend for my family. Thanks for sharing!
Cookin Canuck says
Whatever you call it, it looks absolutely delicious! This would be perfect as a side for Easter ham.
Kat says
This is a must for Easter with ham an later on you can add ham gives awesome dish as well
Heidi says
Have you tried making these the night before and just cooking them at mealtime? I’d like to try them for Easter, but I try to have everything ready the night before, since things get kind of crazy between church, easter baskets, and dinner.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Heidi 🙂 I haven’t done exactly that… but I’ve partially baked them (through the covered bake time), then cooled them to room temp, and refrigerated them overnight. Then the next day, baked them about 30-40 minutes, and they’ll taste freshly made 🙂
Catalina @ Peas & Peonies says
This Garlic Parmesan Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes is perfect for my family. We adore patatoes and I am always looking for new ways to prepare.
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
I don’t know why I never make scalloped potatoes. These look amazing! I’ll have to try your recipe!
Molly says
Because they are extra work 🙂 but worth it…the boxed stuff makes it incredibly easy, but nothing ever is the same as homemade!! Making this for Sunday dinner today. It’s a good reason to use the mandoline!
Des @ Life's Ambrosia says
These are an Easter must have!
Krista says
What a great side dish! It will go good with any dinner!
Erren says
I do love my cheese and I adore anything potato so this is my dream come true, and three cheeses? Wow! I must have this dish!