We have made scalloped potatoes time and time again over the years. We still have grandma’s recipe written on a piece of yellow notepad paper in sharpie. Her recipe reads: “add potatoes, cheese (if you like), and milk.” Although our recipe has changed over the years (with a few more ingredients and instructions!) we still look forward to biting into these each year. They are soft, creamy, cheesy, and a little crusty on the edges. They are the perfect holiday table side and a bite you won’t want to miss!
The Best Scalloped Potatoes:
The taste of scalloped potatoes is hard to beat. It is one of those dishes that tastes delicious just about any way you make it. Throw some butter, cheese, and milk on potatoes and we guarantee it will be a show stopper.
Plus, it is a great thing for families to make over the holidays as it is a simple process of cutting and layering the potatoes, topping them with spices and cheese, and pouring over the milk. We have such fond memories making these with our dad each year. He would do all the prep in advance (slicing the potatoes and grating the cheese) and would let us assemble the dish each Christmas.
This is our go to recipe when it comes to potatoes during the holidays, but there is always a good reason to add delicious cheesy potatoes to a meal no matter the season! We love packing these full of thyme, gruyere, cheddar, and a little cayenne for a kick but use your favorite cheese.
See how to make the scalloped potatoes in this video:
Scalloped potatoes ingredients:
- Yukon gold potatoes: Thinly sliced yukon golds are our favorite for a few reasons. First, they do not need to be peeled and second, the texture of yukons when sliced is creamier than other potatoes. Use whichever potatoes you like, but if you are using russets, make sure to peel them.
- Gruyere: Gruyere is one of our favorite cheeses. It adds a unique but not overpowering flavor to the dish. It is a type of Swiss cheese and our favorite to add into the potatoes. If you do not like gruyere or do not have it on hand, simply use this amount of another cheese (e.g. all cheddar).
- Cheddar: Cheddar is a classic when it comes to making stringy, cheesy scalloped potatoes. We like the white, sharp variety in this dish for the best flavor but any sharp cheddar will work.
- Thyme: Thyme adds a fresh herb flavor to the dish. It is subtle but adds depth of flavor without overpowering the dish.
- Salt and pepper: We season each layer of potatoes with salt and pepper. Seasoning after each layer allows the salt and pepper to be evenly distributed. For salt, we use diamond kosher, but halve if using morton. For pepper, we always use freshly cracked not pre ground—this makes a big difference in flavor.
- Cayenne: Cayenne adds heat and warmth to the dish which cuts through the heaviness of the cheese. It will not make the dish spicy but provides a layer of seasoning.
- Whole Milk: Whole milk is used here to make the potatoes creamy and delicious! If you want to make them extra decadent some of the milk can be subbed for half and half.
- Butter: Butter and potatoes are a match made in heaven. To make these extra creamy, we add butter to the top since we use whole milk instead of a half and half or cream. This is a needed addition!
Scroll down for full recipe and details
Making the scalloped potatoes:
To make the scalloped potatoes, start by thinly slicing potatoes. We use a 4mm blade (or about ⅛ inch) but if cutting with a knife just make sure they are even so they bake consistently. If not using the potatoes immediately, place them in an ice water bath to prevent browning.
Grate the gruyere and cheddar and set in a bowl to the side. In another bowl, mix together thyme leaves, salt, pepper and cayenne. Once the cheeses and potatoes are ready, line a 9×13 inch baking pan with butter. Place a layer of sliced potatoes into a dish (about ⅓) and top with ⅓ of the melted butter, cheese and herb/spice mix. Repeat 3 times until all the ingredients are used. Pour over the milk on top of the dish and cover with foil. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes then remove the foil and bake for another 60 minutes until golden and bubbling in the center.
What kind of cheese should I use?
We like using a combination of gruyere and cheddar, but you can use any melting cheese you like! We have made them with all cheddar in the past or all gruyere, you can’t go wrong but we find the combination is best.
Do these require a roux?
No! These are simply potatoes, grated cheese, spices, melted butter, and milk. Although scalloped potatoes can be made with a roux in this version there is no flour so they are gluten free and equally delicious.
Can I double the scalloped potatoes?
Yes– but we would recommend making it in two pans to get the maximum crusty edges when baking these.
Can I freeze scalloped potatoes?
Yes – although there is nothing like when they are fresh out of the oven. Freeze them after baking and simply pour over a little extra milk when reheating in the oven. They will be cheesy and delicious again.
Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 8 large yukon gold potatoes sliced into ⅛ inch rounds
- 2 cups gruyere grated
- 1 cup cheddar grated
- 8 thyme sprigs leaves removed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter cubed (plus butter the line the pan)
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
- Line a 9X13 inch pan with butter
- Cheese mix: Mix together gruyere and cheddar cheese
- Spice mix: Mix together thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne
- Slice potatoes and put a heavy, even layer into the dish. After placing on a third, top with ⅓ of melted butter, a ⅓ of herb salt mix, and a ⅓ of the cheese mixture. Repeat 3 times ending with the cheese. Pour over the milk. Cover with foil
- Bake covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 60 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and brown on top
Entertainer’s Note:
These are a great gluten free side dish since there is no roux in this version– just cheese, milk and potatoes!
[…] Scalloped Potatoes: Scalloped potatoes are another tradition on our Christmas table. We serve these cheesy potatoes every year. There’s not much better than a buttery, cheesy serving of these potatoes with the golden crusted top and soft center. […]