Let's face it: potatoes are always the best side dish, and these Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are going to become your new favorite. Thinly sliced potatoes are arranged in a casserole pan along with caramelized onions, drenched in a cheesy white sauce, and topped off with more cheese. This recipe is delicious but definitely for the faint of heart!
These scalloped potatoes turn out more cheesy than saucy - but worry not. If you want them to be more saucy, you can increase the amount of milk in the white sauce until it reaches your desired consistency. The amount of cheese added is also up to your preferences. This is an easy, customizable recipe sure to be a crowd pleaser.
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INGREDIENTS NEEDED
For this recipe you will need the following ingredients (exact quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post):
- Unsalted butter
- All purpose flour
- Minced garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chili flakes
- Paprika or cayenne
- Whole milk
- Mix of cheese you like - I use cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan. Cheese is added to the white sauce and then also added on top of the potatoes at the end for a crispy top!
- Caramelized onions
- Potatoes - you can use Yukon Gold or Russet
- Parsley to serve
HOW TO MAKE EASY CHEESY SCALLOPED POTATOES
Watch this short video in which I demonstrate this recipe:
Now let's go over the steps:
1. Make the cheesy white sauce
Start by melting the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Then add the garlic, salt, pepper, chili flakes and paprika, and stir for another minute.
After this, add the milk and stir to combine. We don't need to wait for this mixture to thicken up as the cheese will help it thicken, and it will thicken further while baking. Stir in the cheeses and stir just until they melt.
At this point, it is important to check the consistency of the sauce! It should be a runny sauce, not a thick sauce (and remember, it will thicken up more as it cools). If it feels thick, add more milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
2. Caramelize the onions
Yes, you can skip the onions, but then we can't be friends. I'm joking, but onions are yummy!! Thinly slice an onion and cook it over medium low heat in some olive oil until it is soft and golden. This can be done along with the sauce.
3. Slice up the potatoes
I recommend waiting until after the sauce is done to slice the potatoes, otherwise they will start to brown. I used this mandolin from Amazon and was amazed at how good it is! The potatoes should be about 3 mm or ⅛" thick.
4. Assemble
Brush a casserole dish with butter, and spread about 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom. Now, there are two ways you can arrange the potatoes:
- Option 1: Layer them horizontally, just like lasagna, with the cheesy white sauce spread between the layers. The top layer should be the sauce
- Option 2: Layer them vertically in stacks, and then top with all the sauce. I did this method, but I did feel that it wasn't worth the effort as the potatoes were covered by the sauce and cheese anyway! This works better when you're making non-cheesy scalloped potatoes
Top off with the onions and more sauce, and you're ready to bake!
5. Bake!
Bake in a pre-heated oven until the potatoes are tender. The time will vary depending on the type of potato you're using and how wide your casserole pan is, and you can test with a fork. It took me about 55 minutes.
When the potatoes are done, remove from the oven and top off with more cheese. Return to the oven on the broil setting for just 3-5 minutes until the cheese melts.
6. Serve and enjoy!
And that's it! It is time to enjoy your hard work. These potatoes should be eaten warm, but they keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and can be reheated in the microwave before eating.
RELATED RECIPES
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out my other easy savory bakes:
EASY CHEESY SCALLOPED POTATOES RECIPE
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 min
- Yield: 8-10 servings
Description
Thinly sliced potatoes baked with a cheesy white sauce and topped off with more cheese - this is the perfect side dish for any dinner!
Ingredients
- 2 lb russet or yukon gold potatoes (about 4-6 potatoes)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (56g)
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (28g)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt (less if you're adding parmesan cheese)
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 ½ cups whole milk (more can be added if you want a more saucy outcome)
- 1 cup mixed shredded cheese - I used equal parts of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan
- 1 small onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Cheese topping: 1 cup mixed shredded cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350F (conventional) and brush butter in a casserole pan or baking dish of choice (I used a 7x11" oval pan)
- Prepare the white sauce: Melt the butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium low heat. Add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Then add the minced garlic and spices and stir for another minute. Add the milk and stir to combine, and then mix in the cheeses until they melt. Do not cook too long or thicken the sauce as it will thicken during baking. If the sauce is too thick, adjust the consistency by adding more milk. Taste and adjust the seasoning
- Alongside, thinly slice the onion and caramelize it in the olive oil until it is soft and golden
- Wash and thinly slice the potatoes into 3mm or ⅛" thick slices, preferably using a mandolin
- To assemble, add 1 cup of the sauce to the bottom of the dish and spread it out. Then either layer the potatoes horizontally with sauce between each layer, or stack them vertically and pour the sauce on top. Add the caramelized onions and cover them with the remaining sauce
- Bake until the potatoes are tender. This can take between 45-60 minutes depending on the type of potatoes you're using and how wide your baking pan is. Check with a fork for doneness
- Once the potatoes are tender, sprinkle over more cheese and place back in the oven on the broil setting for 3-5 minutes until the cheese has melted
- Garnish with chopped parsley
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you want saucy potatoes instead of cheesy potatoes, you can reduce the amount of cheese and increase the amount of milk in the cheesy white sauce
- These potatoes can be covered with cling wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave before eating
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 60 min
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
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