Scalloped Potatoes

At dinners and parties throughout the Midwest, Scalloped Potatoes are always the first thing to disappear. This recipe uses a quick, made-from-scratch cheese sauce that’s layered with plenty of potatoes.

Recipe ingredients

Ingredient notes

• Potatoes: Starchy russets are the best potatoes for scalloped potatoes.
• Cheese: A block of cheddar, shredded, seems to work best. Pre-shredded cheese can contain ingredients that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly. However, if you have a brand of shredded cheese that you rely on, go ahead and use it.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a casserole dish with nonstick spray. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and keep whisking until the flour is cooked, about a minute or so. Whisk in the milk, stirring until smooth. Bring this to a boil and cook until thickened, then turn the heat down. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and if you like, a dash of cayenne.

2. Arrange half the potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Pour half the cheese sauce over the potatoes, then top with the rest of the potatoes.

3. Cover everything with the rest of the cheese sauce, then top with shredded cheese and a little paprika, and slide into the oven to bake.

4. Bake scalloped potatoes uncovered at 350 degrees for an hour, until piping hot and golden on top.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This recipe makes 6 servings of scalloped potatoes.
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: This recipe can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated (unbaked) up to 3 days in advance. Bake as directed in the recipe. To pre-bake the casserole, bake according to the recipe, then cool completely to room temperature. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. Reheat the casserole (covered with foil) at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
• Slow cooker: If you need valuable oven space and have the extra time, this recipe is easy to make in a crock pot or slow cooker. Just prepare the liner of the pot as you would the casserole, then build the dish following the same instructions. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. They don’t get as toasty or crispy on the top, but they’ll still taste fabulous.
• Mix up your mix-ins: For a heartier side dish that verges on main course, layer in thinly sliced ham between the potatoes or crumble cooked bacon over the top of the casserole. Thinly sliced onion or leeks can be added to the layers of potatoes for a little extra flavor. Garden herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or chives are always welcome too.

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Scalloped Potatoes

At dinners and parties throughout the Midwest, Scalloped Potatoes are always the first thing to disappear. This recipe uses a quick, made-from-scratch cheese sauce that's layered with plenty of potatoes.

5 from 7 votes

ReviewPrint

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 5 mins

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

Servings 6 servings

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Calories 327

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 pounds potatoes thinly sliced (see note 1)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups milk
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 dash cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated, divided (see note 2)
• ▢ paprika for garnish

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a one-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter until foaming. Whisk in flour until cooked through, about 1 minute. 
• Whisk in milk until smooth. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and cook until thickened. Stir in 1 cup cheese season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper) and add a dash of cayenne, if using.
• Layer half the sliced potatoes in bottom of prepared casserole dish. Top with half the cheese sauce. Layer the second half of potatoes on top and top with remaining cheese sauce.
• Sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese on top. Sprinkle with paprika for color. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Potatoes: Starchy russets are the best potatoes for scalloped potatoes.
2. Cheese: A block of cheddar, shredded, seems to work best. Pre-shredded cheese can contain ingredients that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly. However, if you have a brand of shredded cheese that you rely on, go ahead and use it.
3. Yield: This recipe makes 6 servings of scalloped potatoes.
4. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
5. Make ahead: This recipe can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated (unbaked) up to 3 days in advance. Bake as directed in the recipe. To pre-bake the casserole, bake according to the recipe, then cool completely to room temperature. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. Reheat the casserole (covered with foil) at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
6. Slow cooker: If you need valuable oven space and have the extra time, this recipe is easy to make in a crock pot or slow cooker. Just prepare the liner of the pot as you would the casserole, then build the dish following the same instructions. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours. They don’t get as toasty or crispy on the top, but they’ll still taste fabulous.
7. Mix up your mix-ins: For a heartier side dish that verges on main course, layer in thinly sliced ham between the potatoes or crumble cooked bacon over the top of the casserole. Thinly sliced onion or leeks can be added to the layers of potatoes for a little extra flavor. Garden herbs such as thyme, rosemary, or chives are always welcome too.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 12gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 277mgPotassium: 745mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 632IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 293mgIron: 1mg

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