Classic Scalloped Potatoes (2024)

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.

The Best Scalloped Potatoes

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.

Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients

How to make Scalloped Potatoes

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 3 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.

Recipe tips

• Yukon gold or Russet Potatoes work well with this recipe.
• Slice the potatoes between 1/8-1/4 inch thick. A mandoline works well for this recipe.
• For optimal flavor, use fresh herbs. But dried herbs can be used in a pinch.
• Add fresh herbs, salt, and black pepper to each layer if you like a lot of seasoning. Or 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 under the broiler. Broilers can be so unpredictable, especially in older ovens. I always set a 1-2 minute timer to avoid getting distracted.

What is the difference between Au Gratin Potatoes and Scalloped Potatoes?

True 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 cheese, gruyere, and Parmesan Cheese. It 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.

Can you freeze 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 from the fridge 30-40 before baking to bring 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.

What Goes with Scalloped Potatoes

• 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.

More potato recipes

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