Best Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Rich from heavy cream, whole milk, and shredded cheese, this is the Best Scalloped Potatoes Recipe on earth. Just ask my husband!
With the addition of some Easter leftovers, baked ham, and heavy cream, these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes hit all the marks. You can make a batch with ham after Easter, and freeze some extra ham for a Scalloped Potatoes with Ham when you get your next craving. Both versions are creamy, tender, savory, and undeniably irresistible.
Why You Must Make
- This recipe was inspired by an episode of America’s Test Kitchen.
- We had some leftover Glazed Ham and we were tired of ham sandwiches! This is a tasty way to use Easter leftovers.
- The result was perfectly tender potatoes in a rich, creamy sauce! Perfection.
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Butter, Onion (minced), Fresh Garlic, Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Heavy Cream – Adds richness to the sauce.
- Whole Milk – Also adds richness to the sauce with more fat than skim or 2% milk.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes – They’re moister and more succulent than russet potatoes.
- Cheddar Cheese – Shredded; helps it melt more evenly.
- Gruyere Cheese – Shredded; helps it melt more evenly.
- Fresh Thyme – You may use a third of the amount of dried thyme instead.
- Chopped, cooked Ham – Optional. It’s a perfect way to use Easter leftovers.
How to Make
Expert Tips
These scalloped potatoes are foolproof. If you’ve ever made a potato casserole, and remember going back and forth to the oven, poking the potatoes with a knife to find out if they’re tender, this recipe eliminates that tedious step.
- These potato slices are simmered in a seasoned mixture of cream and whole milk until they’re almost tender. Adding a few sprigs of thyme, salt, and pepper makes for a flavorful sauce. A bay leaf would be nice or even a few gratings of fresh nutmeg.
- Use a waxy potato like Yukon Gold or red potatoes. Russet potatoes will add too much starch to the sauce and get mushy faster.
- PRO-Tip: Cooking the slices first shortens the oven time to 20 minutes, just enough time for the cheese to melt and top to brown.
- Don’t bake this potato casserole at too high of a temperature. Cooking at 325-350° is ideal. Hotter may curdle the sauce. Also using low-fat ingredients isn’t suggested. Just modify your portion size.
- PRO-Tip: Slice your potatoes about ⅛-inch thick. Thinner slices will end up falling apart. Plus, don’t slice too early or they will oxidize.
- Use a benriner slicer to make even slices. A mandoline or a chef’s knife works well, too.
- I used half sharp cheddar cheese and half Gruyere, a Swiss cheese. Feel free to mix things up with just one cheese or a mixture of your favorites.
- Cover with foil and let rest 20-30 minutes before serving if you have the time. That will allow the dish to cool slightly so you don’t scald the roof of your mouth.
- Adding ham is totally optional. These scalloped potatoes are terrific even without it!
Frequently Asked Questions
The word scalloped means having an edge or border marked with semicircles, but in cooking terms, it is a baked dish with a sauce, typically cheese, served in a casserole.
Although the potatoes are cut into circles, not semicircle shapes, their name comes from the Old English word, collop which means to cut very thin. In French, escalop means to prepare a food by layering slices with a creamy sauce in a casserole.
If you want the official culinary definition, scalloped potatoes are typically thicker sliced potatoes baked in cream. No cheese is added. Potatoes Gratin, with au gratin translating to a dish topped with cheese and breadcrumbs in French, are potatoes with those exact toppings. Note that gratin potatoes are often sliced a bit thinner than scalloped potatoes.
But like with these cheesy scalloped potatoes, the rules are broken all the time. Though my “scalloped potatoes” might be more appropriately named potatoes gratin, call them whatever you want! This is one rich and creamy side dish you’ll want on your menu ASAP.
Peeled potatoes turn gray due to oxidation or exposure to air. To minimize this, do not peel and slice your potatoes until the pot is filled with cream, milk, etc. You can also keep whole potatoes in a bowl of cool water after peeling but do not slice as the excess water on the slices will affect the recipe.
When an acidic ingredient added to the recipe like sour cream, excess onions, or garlic, the pH change may prevent the potatoes from getting soft.
Yes, you want to cook just until the potatoes are tender. If you overcook this dish, the potatoes may get mushy and the sauce may curdle.
You May Also Like:
- Easy Potato Casserole
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Grilled Potato Packets
- Hasselback Potatoes
- Potato Gratin
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Side Dish Recipes
Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
A rich, cheesy potato casserole that's perfect for holidays, company or any family dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch-thick slices
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- ½ cup shredded Gruyere
- 1 ½ cups chopped cooked ham, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in a large pot, then saute the onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant and remove from heat so the garlic doesn't burn.
- Add the cream, milk, thyme, salt, pepper, and potatoes, return to heat and bring to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Gently mix in the ham.
- Remove the thyme, then place the potato mixture into a shallow, 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese.
- Bake until the cream has thickened and the top is browned, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 659Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 954mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 19g
15 Comments on “Best Scalloped Potatoes Recipe”
We loc scalloped potatoes in our house. Make this all time!
Wow! This potato dish looks amazingly delicious! The flavorful sauce added boost to its taste and the creamy texture makes it so enticing! Many will definitely gonna love this!
The carb lover in me can’t wait to make this dish!
Liz, this is my favorite recipe for scalloped potatoes! It always comes out perfectly!
I’ve made Martha Stewart’s scalloped potatoes and the method is very similar to this. They are delicious so I know these would be! Everyone loves scalloped potatoes.
I rarely have scalloped potatoes anymore but they are my absolute favorite. I avoid them because I will literally eat the entire pan. These look so tasty, I’m literally salivating just looking at the pan. I’m that bad. Thanks for sharing these – I think!
I tend to use “scalloped” and “gratin” to describe the same dish. Probably illegal, but I like to live dangerously. At least when it comes to culinary matters. 🙂 Anyway, no matter what you call your dish, I call it delish. Good stuff — thanks.
So rich and delicious, Liz! I’d gladly make a meal of just these potatoes and a crunchy green salad!
Yep – these look delicious!!! We love scalloped potatoes and especially with ham in them. I must try your method for this fool proof dish. Mine never seems to turn out quite the same so an actual recipe is a great idea. Yum!
What we especially loved about this recipe is that you can make many different combinations with herbs and cheeses, both in the simmering phase as well as in the baking phase.
Pinned (of course) and definitely gonna try this out dear Liz.
Kudos for another amazing recipe!
PS We hope the winter is over(?) now up there in the great US North:)
Sending you our love,
Mirella and Panos
These are seriously mouth watering . I adore scalloped potatoes and my husband and kids are big fans as well. I need to make these soon
It has been ages since I had a scalloped potato dish! Adding ham to the casserole is a brilliant idea Liz and no doubt delicious! What a happy family casserole 🙂
Rules are made to be broken :-)) These scalloped potatoes look droolworthy with cheesy topping!
Total comfort food! I see your Spicy Corn Salad in the ‘you might also likes’… Saved that for when I can get some fresh corn:@)
That’s another winner, Lynn! I think you’ll love it. xo