Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredient Notes

potatoes – I use Russet potatoes for this dish and have never made it with another kind of potato. That being said, I think most potatoes would work, so Yukon Gold potatoes or red potatoes can be used. 

cheese – we use block cheese and shred it ourselves, it takes about 4 ounces. I have made this with pre-shredded cheese and it works just fine. 

onion – yellow onion or white onion works great, we just use it to give our potatoes a little extra flavor. 

butter – I use unsalted real butter but any type of butter should work just fine.

milk – this is the base to our creamy sauce, we use whole milk, you can use 2% or low-fat milk.

flour – all purpose flour is used to thicken the sauce.

seasonings – we season the cheesy sauce simply with salt and black pepper. 

How to make this easy scalloped potatoes recipe

1. Peel and slice potatoes; set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 2 quart casserole dish or large pie pan with cooking spray.
3. In a medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper; cook for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk and heat to a boil, stirring constantly, cook for one minute or until thick and bubbly. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese. 
4. Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with about 1/4 of the sauce, then about 1/3 of the potatoes, repeat layers ending with the sauce. 
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncover and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake another 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the cheese starts to turn golden brown in spots.
6. Let stand 5-10 minutes (sauce will thicken as it cools).

Tips

• The potatoes can be sliced up to 24 hours ahead of time, just place the potato slices in a large bowl of cold water. Allow to drain well and pat them dry when you are ready to use them.
• I use a mandolin to slice the potatoes, but you have to be careful because it is very sharp. Lee is no longer allowed to use the mandolin because he just doesn’t have the patience, and somehow blood would appear every time he used it. You can also use a food processor to slice the potatoes, if you have one. I am very careful and I will stop slicing before the potato is really small, even if it means wasting more than usual. I have also been known to use a fork or spoon to push the last of the veggie through. Those things are scary!

Variations and additions

We prefer to use simple ingredients we always have on hand when making this recipe. There are a few changes that can be made, below are a few ideas. 

1. You can peel the potatoes or not, I make it both ways. 
2. I make this with whatever cheese I have on hand, both mild cheddar cheese and sharp cheddar cheese are good options. To make this dish a little different try topping it with Parmesan cheese. 
3. This would be a great potato side dish for Mexican food, to give it a little kick you could use all or part pepper jack cheese and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Or even some chopped jalapenos.
4. Add in some herbs, dried or fresh thyme or rosemary would be great additions. 

Storage and reheating

Store leftover homemade scalloped potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or the entire dish in the oven covered in foil.