These cheesy scalloped potatoes are creamy on the inside and crispy on the top. You mandolin the potatoes nice and thin and cover them with a cheese sauce. You are left with creamy scalloped potatoes with a golden brown potato top.
If we were in charge of the holiday table, potatoes would be the main dish for every holiday. Our recipe developer and cheesemonger wanted to develop a scalloped potato recipe that was pain-free and easy to make. And she did it!
The cheese sauce for these scalloped potatoes is ready in under 10 minutes and creates an ooey-gooey scalloped potato dish.
What You Need for Scalloped Potatoes
- Russet potatoes: russet potatoes work well for scalloped potatoes because they are high in starch and help create a thick and creamy cheese sauce. A few other types of potatoes can be used. Just be sure the potatoes are sliced to the same thickness.
- Butter: the base of the cheese sauce is a bit of butter.
- Flour: the flour helps to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Whipping cream: the whipping cream makes a rich sauce. You can also use whole milk or 2% milk.
- Hot sauce: a bit of hot sauce adds just the right bite to the cheese sauce.
- Cheddar cheese: you can use mild cheddar cheese or sharp cheddar cheese. Freshly shredded cheese is best.
Substitutions & Variations
We used russet potatoes for this scalloped potato dish, but you can also use Idaho potatoes or red potatoes.
We made the delicious cheese sauce with yellow cheddar cheese, but you can use white cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or even a gruyere.
Get More
Cheddar Cheese Recipes
Looking for more recipes with cheddar cheese? Check out our cheesy collection of cheddar cheese recipes.
Top Tips for Perfect Scalloped Potatoes
The easiest way to get uniform slices of potato is to use a mandolin. Our favorite mandoline is this Kyocera mandoline.
The spice level is determined by the type of hot sauce you use.
Feel free to change up what type of cheese you use. Pepper jack cheese, white cheddar, or a mixture of a few kinds of cheese would be delicious.
Allow the top of the scalloped potatoes to become crispy and brown, it makes the dish.
FAQ
What is the difference between cheesy scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes?
Scalloped potatoes are made with thinly sliced potatoes and a cheesy cream sauce. Au gratin potatoes are made with layers of potatoes and cheese.
Do scalloped potatoes cook faster covered or uncovered?
Potatoes will cook faster if they are covered. Cover the scalloped potatoes for most of the bake and uncover the potatoes to get the top nice and golden brown.
How do you keep milk from curdling in scalloped potatoes?
Using fresh cream or milk always helps. We also used russet potatoes that are high in starch so they help to thicken the sauce of the scalloped potatoes rather than a lower starch potato which doesn’t aid in thickening the dairy, which can cause curdling.
Storage
Let the scalloped potatoes cool completely and then store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Transfer the scalloped potatoes to an oven-safe container and then bake them at 350ºF until warm and gooey.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these scalloped potatoes with stuffed turkey breast during the holidays or with these tasty parmesan-crusted chicken nuggets for a weeknight meal.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes peeled and sliced about ⅛ inch thick (~ 5-6 cups)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon Frank’s red hot sauce
- 16 oz. shredded cheddar cheese ~4 cups
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spray an 8×8-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are soaking, start the sauce. Heat a pan over medium/high heat and add the butter and flour. Whisk together to form a paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to the pan and whisking vigorously to combine and stop any lumps from forming. Cook for up to 2 minutes while the cream thickens.
- Remove thickened cream from heat and add the salt, pepper, paprika, hot sauce, and cheddar cheese. Stir together until the cheese is melted and a silky sauce has formed.
- Drain the potatoes and place stacked and staggered (like falling dominos) in the casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and cover with foil.
- Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil from the top of the dish and bake for another 30 minutes. Allow the potatoes to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes
- The hot sauce can be eliminated if you do not want a spicy kick.
- We used russet potatoes. Other potatoes can be subbed, but size and type can vary cooking times
