Food & Cooking Recipes Main Dish Recipes Casserole Recipes Creamy Scalloped Potatoes 5.0 (13) This comforting potato side is a must-make dish for every holiday. Prep Time: 35 mins Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins Servings: 10 Jump to recipe This is our favorite scalloped potatoes recipe. It's a must-make dish for holiday meals—from Easter to Thanksgiving to Christmas—and any celebration in between. Not only is this rich potato side a crowd-pleaser, but it's also a winner for the cook as it can be assembled ahead of time and baked when it's time to eat—you'd expect no less from a decorvow scalloped potato recipe. This comforting, nostalgic dish starts with thinly sliced potatoes simmered with milk and cream. The potatoes and creamy mixture are then layered with Gruyère cheese in a casserole dish and baked. They're finished under the broiler, ensuring a delicious, crispy top. Credit: Jacob Fox What Are Scalloped Potatoes? Sometimes called a potato bake, scalloped potatoes are a type of potato casserole similar to au gratin potatoes and potatoes dauphinoise. All three are rich, creamy dishes made with thinly sliced potatoes layered in a combination of milk and cream. Some scalloped potatoes recipes call for making a cream sauce, but we think that’s overcomplicating the dish. It’s much better when made by cooking the sliced potatoes in the cream and milk on the stovetop, then layering them in the casserole dish, alternating with the cheese, before baking. Cheese in Scalloped Potatoes Not all scalloped potato recipes call for cheese, but ours does. We think the addition of Gruyère cheese, which is one of the best cheeses for melting, takes the simple combination of potatoes and cream to the next level. Sometimes scalloped potato recipes use cheddar, but Gruyère is better. 3 Tips for Making Scalloped Potatoes Use the right potatoes: We call for Yukon Golds in this recipe, and they are key to scalloped potato success. They don’t soak up too much of the cream mixture and hold their shape well. Slice the potatoes thinly and evenly: Uniform thin slices are the key to a delicious scalloped potato dish. If the slices are not the same thickness, they won’t cook evenly. You can use a mandoline, the slicer attachment on your food processor, or a sharp chef’s knife. Use a glass or ceramic shallow baking dish: The 3-quart dish should be large enough to hold all the potato slices and liquid, but not too deep that the potatoes won’t cook through, and the ratio of creamy potatoes to crispy topping is off. Many 3-quart dishes are 9 x 13 inches, but some measure 9 x 15. Make Ahead Our creamy scalloped potatoes can be largely assembled ahead: Leave off the last portion of cheese, cover the dish with plastic wrap (pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate it for up to one day.Remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, and bake as instructed. Directions Credit: Jacob Fox Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat oven to 375°F. Rub the bottom and sides of a 3-quart baking dish with garlic; reserve garlic. Brush pan generously with butter. Credit: Jacob Fox Prep potatoes: Peel potatoes, then cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. Credit: Jacob Fox Combine potatoes with cream and milk: Transfer potatoes and garlic to a large pot with cream, milk, thyme, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg. Credit: Jacob Fox Cook potatoes: Bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 1 minute. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Credit: Jacob Fox Transfer a third of mixture to baking dish: Spoon one third potato mixture into prepared dish. Credit: Jacob Fox Add cheese: Sprinkle with one third of cheese. Credit: Jacob Fox Layer remaining potato mixture and cheese: Repeat layering twice more. Loosely cover dish with parchment paper and then foil. Credit: Jacob Fox Credit: Jacob Fox Credit: Jacob Fox Bake: Bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Credit: Jacob Fox Broil: Remove foil; turn oven to broil. Broil until potatoes are bubbly and browned in places, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. Letting the scalloped potatoes cool for 15 minutes is important: The dish is too hot to serve straight from the broiler and needs time to set. If you cut into it before it cools slightly, the creamy mixture will be liquid, the potatoes too delicate, and the dish will be difficult to serve. Credit: Jacob Fox Frequently Asked Questions Should the sliced potatoes be soaked in water? No, the sliced potatoes should not be soaked in water. We also do not rinse the sliced potatoes for our scalloped potatoes recipes. Rinsing or soaking will remove the natural starches contained in the potato, and these are used to help thicken the dish as it cooks. Rinsing or soaking also makes potatoes more watery—and you don’t want to add water to the creamy dish. Should scalloped potatoes be covered? Yes, scalloped potatoes should be covered when the dish is baking in the oven. We cover the dish so that as the potatoes cook, the top doesn’t brown before the potatoes are cooked through and tender. Then we remove the parchment-lined foil and finish the dish under the broiler to achieve a delicious crispy topping. Why did my scalloped potatoes turn grey? Scalloped potatoes will turn grey if they are exposed to air before they are cooked. This happens with any raw potato—exposure to the air causes them to oxidize. They are still safe to eat, they just do not look as appetizing. The best way to prevent potatoes from oxidizing is not to slice them ahead of time and have everything ready for the dish before you slice the potatoes. Other Scallop Potato and Potato Gratin Recipes to Try White-Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes Scalloped Potatoes With Leeks Asparagus-and-Potato Gratin Twice-Baked Potato-and-Raclette Casserole Potato, Cauliflower, and Cheddar Bake Potato, Zucchini, and Tomato Gratin Muffin Pan Potato Gratins Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the decorvow recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.