Tender sliced potatoes swim in a luscious cream sauce that is flavored with garlic, onions, and thyme. This homemade Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe has layers of melty sharp cheddar cheese that are absolutely divine. Comforting is its best characterization. The recipe is really simple and perfect for any brunch you are planning for this upcoming Spring season.

I think you’ll agree that this recipe is easy, cheesy, and yummy! Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are a classic traditional dish that has been around for generations and served over the years during holidays, like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. They go perfectly with my Baked Glazed Ham. Another side dish that works great for holiday planning is this Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipe.

How to Make the Best Scalloped Potatoes from Scratch

The Main Ingredients you will Need:

Potatoes (obviously). I like red potatoes with the skins on because it makes for a prettier (in my opinion) dish. I love the red outline of each potato slice. Yukon gold is probably the most popular and then russet would be next.

Onions. You can use any type of onion. I’m always drawn to sweet onions and in this recipe, they work particularly well because they soften easily. I sliced mine to a medium thickness because I still wanted the texture layered throughout.

Garlic. Slice thinly or minced, either way, you just want to get that garlicky flavor interwoven between the potatoes.

Grated Cheddar Cheese. 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. You might even throw in some grated parmesan to give it a nutty, salty attribute. 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.

Fresh Thyme. Any herb that meets your fancy is perfectly fine to use. It seems I always have fresh thyme in the fridge so that’s what I grabbed here. But rosemary, sage, or even oregano (or a mixture of all of them) would add nice flavors.

Sauté Onions and Garlic

You can make this dish without onions and garlic, but WHY would you? There is so much flavor dispersed throughout these potatoes because of these two ingredients.

The same skillet will be used for the onions and the cream sauce, therefore choose a deep skillet for both. Start with sautéing the onions over medium heat. You’ll want to stir often. It takes about 8-10 minutes for the onions to become tender and translucent.

If you have different layers of ingredients throughout a dish, plan to season the ingredients separately. You’ll salt and pepper the onions here and then again you’ll season the cream sauce. This gives depth to the dish.

Once the onions are tender, add thinly sliced (or minced) garlic and stir immediately. Cook only for 30-60 seconds so as to not burn the garlic. It doesn’t take long. Once you fully smell its amazing aroma, remove the skillet from the heat and spoon out the onions and set them aside.

Making the Cream Sauce from Scratch

What are scalloped potatoes without a delectable white cream sauce? Well, they’re just a pan of potatoes. The sauce is what gives this dish that cozy, comfy feel reminiscent of your grandma’s kitchen.

Start with making a roux, which is much simpler than it sounds.

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.

In this recipe, I used 4 tablespoons of butter to 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour. Melt the butter before sprinkling in the flour then whisk immediately and constantly until the mixture is smooth. Pour in milk, salt and black pepper and continually stir over medium heat until it begins to thicken. If the mixture begins to boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and continue to cook. This should take anywhere from three to five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Slicing the Potatoes

Each potato slice should be fairly consistent in thickness. You also want them somewhat thin so as to cook through quicker. Also, there is no need to peel these red onions. Their skins are nice and thin and add a beautiful red dimension to the dish.

If you have a choice, go with a mandoline slicer. I promise it will make your job so much easier. I really need to replace my old one and I am looking at this Multi-Blade Mandoline Slicer. Either one of these will forever be my best gadget friend in the kitchen.
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.

How to Layer the Ingredients

Here comes the fun part. Smear a good amount of butter on the bottom and sides of the baking dish. The potato slices begin this adventure with one layer on the bottom of the dish. Then comes half of the sautéd onions, sprinkle half the thyme and pour half the cream sauce over those ingredients. Now comes the cheesy part with half the sharp cheddar cheese grated on top. Do this all over again!

How Long Should the Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes cook in the Oven?

Preheat your oven to 400°F while you are preparing the recipe. Once all the layers are combined, loosely cover the potatoes with foil so the steam building inside will cook them easier. For the first go-round, they should cook for at least 30 minutes. Lift the foil and peek to see if it is bubbly around the edges. If so, remove the foil and continue to cook.

Cook uncovered for another 30 minutes or so until the cheese is nice and browned and the potatoes are tender when poked with a fork. You can garnish with some additional chopped fresh thyme. Next, dish it out and let the nostalgia of holidays past fill your heart with memories of long ago.

What is the difference between Scalloped and Au Gratin Potatoes

Both Scalloped and Au Gratin Potatoes are a “starchy” side dish that involves little time and effort. They are similar in that most people don’t know the difference with the names interchangeable. There are minimal differences between the two that have traditionally made each distinguished though.

Similarities: both are baked and involved a rich creamy sauce. Each of these recipes is considered a holiday dish.
Differences: Au Gratin Potatoes are sliced thinner than Scalloped and use breadcrumbs as a topping. Scalloped potatoes traditionally do not have cheese. (I guess if you want to get technical, these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes would be considered Au Gratin without the breadcrumbs.)

Can You make Scalloped Potatoes ahead of Time?

The answer is yes. Especially if you have precious oven space and limited time on the day of your dinner, you can definitely make them ahead of time and reheat them. The best way is to cook them as directed and let them cool completely on the countertop. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to three days.

When ready to serve, bake the potatoes covered with foil in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes or until they are warmed throughout. The same goes for leftovers.

Can You Make These for A Crowd?

Absolutely, they can be doubled or tripled for a crowd. My recommendation would be to use separate pans though. Otherwise, you are looking at extended cooking times if they all go into one large baking dish.

Check out some more potato recipes:

Crispy Loaded Potato Skins in the Oven

Hasselback Potato Ring

Baked Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

Smoky Grilled Sweet Potatoes

Potatoes and Onions on the Grill

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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