Cheesy Scalloped Potato Recipe
Tender sliced potatoes swim in a luscious cream sauce that is flavored with garlic, onions, and thyme. These homemade Scalloped Potatoes have layers of melted sharp cheddar cheese that are absolutely divine. Comforting is its best characterization.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 side dish servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
Ingredients
Scale
For Sautéd Onions and Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 1/2 large Sweet Onions, Sliced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 6 large Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced or minced
For Cream Sauce
- 4 tablespoons Butter
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 3 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
For Scalloped Potatoes
- 3 pounds Red Potatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme, chopped (extra for garnish)
- 2 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated
- Butter, for greasing the baking dish
Instructions
For Sautéd Onions and Garlic
- Heat a deep skillet over medium heat until hot. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet, swirl, and heat.
- Add 1 1/2 large thinly sliced sweet onions to the skillet and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the onions until they are tender and translucent, 8-10 minutes.
- Add 6 thinly sliced or minced garlic cloves and sauté for 30-60 seconds being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
For the Cream Sauce
- In the same deep skillet used for the onions, heat the skillet over medium heat and add 4 tablespoons of butter.
- Once the butter is melted, sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour and whisk until smooth.
- Pour in 3 1/2 cups of whole milk, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Continue to whisk until the sauce begins to thicken, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the Scalloped Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Generously butter a 3-quart baking dish. Layer half of the thinly sliced potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), half of the sautéd onions, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme, half of the cream sauce and 1 1/4 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese.
- Finish with one more layer of potatoes, onions, thyme, cream sauce, and top with the cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the edges are bubbly.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the cheese is nice and browned and the potatoes are tender when stuck with a fork.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional chopped thyme for garnishing.
- Serve warm and ENJOY!
Notes
- I chose red potatoes with the skins on because it makes for a prettier (in my opinion) dish. Yukon gold is probably the most popular and then russet would be next.
- You can use any cheese that is good melty cheese. I prefer one that is more pungent like a sharp cheddar. Gouda, Fontina, Gruyere, all three of these are good for Scalloped Potatoes.
- Don't choose the pre-grated cheese, because it has a coating that keeps the cheese separated in the package but prevents it from melting well.
- Any fresh herbs will work in this recipe. Rosemary, sage, or even oregano (or a mixture of all of them) would add nice flavors.
- A roux is a thickening agent consisting of 1 part fat to 1 part flour cooked over medium heat and forms the foundation of many gravies and sauces.
- Each potato slice should be fairly consistent in thickness. You also want them somewhat thin so as to cook through quicker.
- If you have a choice, go with a mandoline slicer. I promise it will make your job so much easier. I used a thickness between 1/8 and 3/16th of an inch on my dial.
- But if you only have a knife, then you are still in luck. Just try to get the thickness of each potato slice as even as possible and thin.
- As you are slicing the potatoes, place them in a large bowl of cold water to prevent them from turning brown while you continue to slice. When ready to assemble the layers, drain the water and dry the slices with paper towels.
- You can make these scalloped potatoes ahead of time and reheat them. The best way is to cook them as directed and let them cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to one month.
- When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap, cover with more foil and bake the potatoes in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes or until they are warm throughout. Remove the foil and let the cheese on top brown. The same goes for leftovers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10 of Recipe
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 646 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
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