Scalloped Potatoes

The best scalloped potatoes are everything we love about comfort food in one rich, warm, bubbly, crusty, creamy casserole. A must-have for holiday meals, scalloped potatoes make the perfect side dish for baked ham, roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, and more. This top-rated scalloped potatoes recipe is an Allrecipes favorite, earning hundreds of ratings and reviews praising its simplicity and nostalgic appeal. Read on to learn how to make easy scalloped potatoes, with loads of tips for recipe success.

What Are Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes are thinly sliced potatoes layered in a casserole dish and baked in milk or cream until they're tender. Other ingredients like flour, butter, onions, salt, and pepper are layered with the potatoes to help flavor and thicken the creamy sauce. Scalloped potato recipe variations can include tasty add-ins like diced ham, an array of cheeses, and fresh or dried herbs like rosemary and thyme.

More: Our Best Scalloped Potato Recipes

How to Make Scalloped Potatoes

Most of the prep work that goes into this easy recipe for scalloped potatoes is slicing potatoes and onions as thinly as you can. The thinner the slices, the better the final dish. After that, you'll simply layer the ingredients, and bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the creamy sauce is bubbling with a golden brown crust over the top.

Tip: Scalloped potatoes will shrink a bit as they cook, but the sauce may bubble up over the sides of the baking dish. You can place a lined baking sheet underneath to catch any drips.

Ingredients for Scalloped Potatoes

• Potatoes: Use your choice of potatoes for this recipe. Some home cooks use starchy russet potatoes and others prefer all-purpose Yukon Gold potatoes – either kind works well but there are differences in the outcome. Russet potatoes will add their starchiness to the dish as they cook, helping the sauce thicken. Yukon Gold potatoes aren't as starchy, and will hold their shape better as they cook.
• Onion: Choose a medium sized yellow or white onion to add savory flavor to the scalloped potatoes.
• Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken the sauce as the scalloped potatoes bake. You'll sprinkle flour over each layer of potatoes so the sauce thickens evenly.
• Butter: A generous amount of butter distributed on each layer of potatoes adds richness.
• Seasonings: Salt and pepper enhance the flavor of the dish. Be sure to season each layer as you build up the casserole.
• Milk: This recipe recommends using whole milk, but you can also use half-and-half or cream for a richer flavor and texture. Whichever you choose to use, be sure to warm the liquid before pouring it over the potatoes, otherwise the scalloped potatoes will take longer to bake. The recipe calls for three cups, "or as needed." Translation: Pour in as much warm milk as you need to come up just even with the final layer of potatoes. That milk will develop a caramelized brown crust as the scalloped potatoes bake in the oven. Some home cooks like to sprinkle an optional layer of breadcrumbs or grated cheese over the top as well to enhance the golden brown crust.

More: How to Make Scalloped Potatoes

What's the Difference Between Scalloped and Au Gratin Potatoes?

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but in general, scalloped potatoes are baked with milk or cream, and au gratin potatoes have cheese added to the mix.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

Allrecipes home cook RickoA offers this tip: "I make a roux (using the butter and flour), add it to the warmed milk, and season the cream sauce with the salt and pepper. I layer the potatoes and onions to nearly the top, slowly add the cream sauce till just even with the top row, and bake for an hour. Same ingredients, but a with a consistent cream sauce and great taste every time."

"We rarely peel potatoes, and they are most often 'organic,' so sliced, well-scrubbed, unpeeled works," says reviewer Vera Holman. "To get to au gratin, just cover the dish for the last 20–25 minutes of cooking with your favorite grated cheese mixture."

"I grew up eating scalloped potatoes this way and I've tried lots and lots of other recipes for scalloped potatoes and always come back to this," says Mariann T. "If I have ham I put ham in also for a complete meal and just add a vegetable. This is the way scalloped potatoes are meant to be."

Editorial contributions by Vanessa Greaves