Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

This easy scalloped potatoes recipe layers tender potatoes, sweet onion, a thyme cream sauce, and Gruyère for an incredibly delicious holiday side.

I’m convinced these scalloped potatoes make any dinner better. They’re rich, creamy, and so flavorful thanks to the sweet onion and thyme cream sauce. Classic scalloped potatoes don’t always include cheese, but we go all in and stir a generous amount of melty Gruyère into the sauce.

They aren’t as cheesy as our potatoes au gratin, but still perfectly creamy and comforting. I think of them as a slightly fancier version of au gratin potatoes, thanks to the sweet onion and thyme.

Key Ingredients

• Potatoes: We love Yukon Golds for scalloped potatoes. They hold up really well in the sauce and won’t break down into a mash. We did not peel the potatoes in the photos, but you can peel them if you’d prefer. We like them both ways, especially with thinner skinned potatoes like Yukon Golds.
• Butter and Flour: These make the roux, which thickens the creamy sauce. You don’t need much, since the potatoes release starch as they cook, helping thicken the sauce naturally.
• Milk and Cream: These combine to make our sauce. We use mostly milk, but love making it a bit richer with some cream.
• Cheese: To make these a little cheesy, we add a generous amount of grated Gruyère, which melts well and has a lovely nutty, buttery flavor. You can experiment with other cheeses, too, like medium or mild cheddar, fontina, or Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you are vegetarian, check the package to make sure the cheese you choose is vegetarian-friendly.
• Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder: These season the sauce and potatoes. The garlic powder adds a subtle garlic flavor, and granulated garlic works just as well.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Scalloped Potatoes

Tip 1: Make the cheese sauce. This sauce is really easy. Start by cooking chopped onions in butter until they are soft and smell sweet (these will perfume the sauce). Then, whisk in the flour, and pour in the milk and cream. Once it’s bubbling and thickened, stir in the Gruyère and a little extra butter. The extra butter adds the perfect sheen to the sauce.

Tip 2: Prepare the potatoes. I go back and forth with peeling the potatoes for this dish. I love how the top looks when the peel is left on, but peeled potatoes turn out a little more tender. It’s totally up to you! Once you decide, slice the potatoes thinly with a chef’s knife or a mandoline. A mandoline is fast and keeps every slice the same thickness (just watch your fingers).

Tip 3: Assemble. Layer everything into the baking dish: a little sauce, a layer of potatoes, some more Gruyère, then more sauce. Repeat, then finish with a final layer of the sauce and more cheese on top.

Tip 4: Bake until bubbly. We bake scalloped potatoes uncovered at 375°F until the top begins to turn golden and the edges are bubbly. You can check if the potatoes are done with a skewer. It should slide through them easily. In our oven, this takes about 45 minutes.

Make Ahead Tips

These scalloped potatoes are perfect for making ahead of time (a trick I use when making this recipe for the holidays or Thanksgiving).

• You can assemble the dish the day before. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When you’re ready to cook, bake the potatoes uncovered the next day.
• You can also fully bake these ahead of time. Let them cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover the baking dish with foil and bake until hot and bubbly.
• You can also prep the potatoes ahead of time. Peel and slice them, then submerge them in a bowl of cold water. They’ll keep well for up to 12 hours, and possibly a little longer, but not longer than 24 hours. Do not store sliced potatoes without water, or they will turn gray.

Serving Suggestions

These creamy, cheesy potatoes make a wonderful side, especially during the holiday season. I love them with Thanksgiving turkey, roasted turkey breast, homemade brisket, and holiday glazed ham. They also work beautifully with more classic mains like turkey meatloaf, roasted spatchcock chicken, or baked salmon.

As for side dishes, these are perfect next to green bean casserole, roasted green beans and sautéed spinach, and I love them with roasted carrots (because the creamy sauce tastes amazing with the carrots, too).

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