Kristin Maxwell
Last updated on
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Au Gratin)
These Easy, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are smothered in a creamy cheese sauce and baked to perfection. With a quick shortcut, this classic side dish takes less than an hour from start to finish. They are sure to be a hit at your holiday feast.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are our favorite way to make potatoes. My cheesy potato recipe is a perfect side dish to pair with any meal, especially Easy Baked Glazed Ham and the Best Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe. While they are technically au gratin potatoes, you’ll love this recipe no matter what you call it!
EASY, CHEESY SCALLOPED POTATOES RECIPE
My grandma was known for her comfort food cooking. From authentic German Spaetzle and Hungarian dishes to American classics like these Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, each recipe she cooked was her pride and joy.
In our family she was known for certain dishes, like her Shortcut German Potato Salad and her Zucchini Bread, among others. She never had to follow a recipe – she knew each one like the back of her hand. Which of course leaves us trying to recreate the flavors she made. Thankfully we cooked with her enough that we are usually successful.
I remember the first time I cooked this Scalloped Potatoes recipe on my own. It was for a Christmas party that I was hosting at my home, and it was the first Christmas since my grandma had passed away. My boss was bringing the ham, so I knew I had to make my grandma’s cheesy potatoes recipe. I did and they tasted just like hers…which of course made me cry as I ate them!
How to Make Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
I love this recipe because it’s super easy and tastes better than any cheesy potato casserole I’ve ever had. That could be due to the massive amounts of fresh Cheddar cheese in the rich, creamy sauce, but who knows?
- BOIL THE POTATOES. Most potato casserole recipes I’ve seen (au gratin or scalloped) use raw potatoes and bake the casserole for over an hour, up to an hour and a half or more! The potatoes take quite a while to cook so that lengthy time was necessary. My grandma boiled the potatoes whole and unpeeled for about 20-25 minutes, to cook them most of the way through. Then she would peel them when they were cool enough to handle and slice them with a paring knife.
- MAKE THE CHEESY SAUCE. Make the cheese sauce – a basic bechamel sauce with grated cheddar added – while the potatoes are boiling. Start with a roux (melted butter and flour, cooked until golden), add milk and simmer until thick. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until it melts. Since this is a cheesy potato recipe, the cheese is important! Make sure you are using fresh shredded off the block sharp cheddar cheese.
- LAYER AND BAKE. Layer the sliced potatoes and cheese sauce in a large casserole dish and top with more grated cheddar and some ground Hungarian paprika for color. I like to add fresh minced parsley as a finishing touch, but either of these garnishes can be left off. Bake as directed until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the cheesy potato casserole is hot throughout.
Recipe Tips and Questions
Since first posting this recipe back in 2016, we get lots of questions and reviews. I tried to address some of the most frequent questions and comments.
Why do you boil the potatoes first?
The par-boiling of the potatoes ensures that the potatoes will be creamy and soft and cooked all the way through in under 30 minutes of baking time. Unevenly cooked potatoes is the most common complaint about casseroles that start with raw sliced potatoes. You won’t have that problem with my Grandma’s Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes!
What type of potato is best?
Russet potatoes or Yukon Golds will work best for this recipe. Both will hold their shape well during cooking and will be easy to slice. I recommend peeling, especially if you’re using russets because the skin is tough, but if you’re using yukons, leaving the peel on would be fine.
Make Ahead and Freezer Instructions for Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Freezing the cooked casserole: Cool the potatoes completely and place in an airtight container. You could also freeze them in the pan, then pop them out and wrap them in foil. This applies to a full pan or leftovers. To reheat, thaw in a pan in the fridge overnight. Place into the baking dish and cover with foil to keep them from drying out. Bake as the recipe directs.
- Freeze without baking: Prep the entire recipe right up to the baking, but instead cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and place the whole potato casserole into the freezer for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, then bake as directed.
- Make Ahead instructions: If you’d like to prep this Scalloped Potatoes recipe a day ahead of time you can certainly do that. Layer the casserole as directed, cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate overnight. Bake as directed.
These potatoes will last several days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can reheat a large portion in the oven at the same temperature until hot, or in the microwave for individual portions.
Keep in mind that any time you are baking a casserole straight out of the fridge, it may be necessary to add baking time. To avoid this, let the casserole sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking.
Hey! These Are Au Gratin Potatoes
Technically, that is correct. Scalloped Potatoes are made with a creamy sauce while au gratin potatoes are covered with cheese. However, since we kind of combine these two methods, I feel confident calling them Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes. Plus, that’s what Grandma always called them, and we don’t mess with Grandma!
This Easy Scalloped Potatoes recipe was a hit at my dinner party, and they’re sure to be a hit at yours. They are delicious with ham, turkey or even as a fancy side for your favorite steak. They also pair well with a beautiful London Broil.
Here are some more delicious potato recipes to check out:
- Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic & Herb Butter Baby Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Perfect Baked Potatoes
- Roasted Red Potatoes
And for more amazing side dishes, try these:
- Slow Cooker Creamy Corn
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Parmesan Rosemary Rolls
- Sour Cream Salad
- Creamy Scalloped Corn Casserole
If you’ve made this recipe, please come back and leave us a star rating or a comment below. Or, tag us on social media @yellowblissroad or #yellowblissroad for a chance to be featured.
Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect side dish! Par-boiled instead of baked raw, these cheesy potatoes will always be cooked to creamy perfection.
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups nonfat milk or half & half
- Salt & pepper
- 2 1/2 cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- Paprika for garnish
- Fresh chopped chives or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F and grease a 13"x9" baking pan with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Scrub potatoes and place them, whole, into the boiling water for 20-25 minutes. They don't need to be fully cooked, but should be easily pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from the water and let sit until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour is golden brown; about 2 minutes. Stir in milk and cook, stirring often, until thickened; about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
- Gently peel potatoes and slice into ⅛ inch rounds.
- Place ⅓ of the potatoes overlapping in a single layer in the baking dish, seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon about ⅓ of the cheese sauce on top of the potatoes. Repeat for two more layers. Pour all of the remaining cheese sauce over the top layer of potatoes. Spread to ensure all of the potatoes are covered.
- Sprinkle with ½ cup shredded cheddar (if desired) and paprika (about ⅛ teaspoon, just for color).
- Bake in the 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh chopped chives or parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
If the cheese sauce seems too thick, add more milk, just a little bit at a time, whisking it each time until you like the consistency. It should be thick, but still somewhat pourable.Â
Potatoes should be able to be pierced through with a sharp knife, but not falling apart.Â
Nutrition
Calories: 285kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 252mgPotassium: 572mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 555IUVitamin C: 6.4mgCalcium: 277mgIron: 1.4mg
For all side dishes go HERE and for the Recipe Index go HERE
If I were to bake this in a cast iron pan do you think that would affect the cook time?
Possibly – I haven’t tried that but I think it’s a great idea. It would certainly look pretty. I don’t think you’d need to adjust by much, maybe just check it periodically to make sure it’s not getting too brown.
Can I slice the peeled raw potatoes in the food processor first, then parboil them for 10 minutes, instead of what the recipe says?
Hi Nancy, sure. Its not a method I prefer because it takes a little more time and uses a whole other appliance.
I really liked this recipe but did add ham
This recipe is GREAT with ham!
When you say 2 1/2 cups of cheese do you mean 20oz or literally place the shredded cheese into cup measures? This will make a difference. Thank you! Looks so yummy!
When cheese is listed in cups, it means to shred it into cups. 8 ounces of cheese will give you about 2 cups.
Looking forward to making this recipe for Easter dinner!
Nice! Let us know how well it turned out in the comments Cathy. Thanks for stopping by.
I haven’t tried this yet, my comment is about trying to print the recipe from a PC laptop computer. I’m just on my home network and other printing works. But the “”print recipe” button simply takes me back to the top of the page. I was successful in printing from my iphone so I look forward to trying the recipe! Just wanted you to know.
Hi Chris, I’m glad you were able to print from your phone. I’m not sure why it wouldn’t let you print. It’s working for me. Maybe try clearing your cache?
Recipe looks delicious but am I missing how long to boil the potatoes in step 2?
Hi Vanessa. I’m so sorry – this recipe was recently updated and somehow the time for boiling was deleted. You need to boil them for about 20 minutes, but at least until they can easily be pierced with a knife.
I wanted this to be the answer to having cheesy potatoes in less time. I am one person, so I used one potato, I followed the directions exactly. At one hour, the potatoes were still hard. Very disappointed.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you, but if the potato was boiled first, and then thinly sliced and baked, there’s no way it would take over an hour to cook.
This looks like the perfect recipe. I am wanting to make it for New Year’s day as something different as a side dish. Can heavy cream be used instead?
You can use heavy cream, but might want to use a combo of cream and milk or cut back a little on the flour as the cream will make the sauce thicker.
absolutely delicious!!! My new go to recipe for potato dishes
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Amy.
Do you think this can be made with shredded potatoes?
Hi Jenn, I haven’t tried this recipe with shredded potatoes. But if you’re wanting something similar, try our Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole (aks Funeral Potatoes).
This recipe was absolutely delicious.
Thank you Nancy!
It’s thanksgiving in Canada so time to make these delicious potatoes again!! I adore this recipe. Do you think I can prep it all the day before and then just bake right before serving? I’m wondering how the sauce will hold up in the fridge overnight.
Yes, you can make it the night before. Just take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking, then bake as directed. It should be just fine. Enjoy!
These were great! I added tarragon to the cheese sauce and then topped with shredded provolone just to change it up a bit and it was great. It would have been great with the original recipe as well. Great directions and such a great idea to par boil the potatoes – that’s a new one for me and will do it each time now. Thank you!!
Hello Jody, Thank you so much for sharing your positive feedback.
Wow, lovely recipe, looks great, tastes great, and even more I have very happy children, definitely one of our favourites
Thank you
You are so welcome Sharon! Thank you for the awesome feedback.
I made this recipe for my family and they loved it. For a more creamy sauce I used half and half and heavy cream. It was absolutely delicious.
That’s awesome Jim! Thanks for stopping by.
Easy and Yummy!
Thank you for this recipe! My dad used to make it, and I never learned the recipe before he passed away. I didn’t know it was a German recipe but that makes sense, my dad’s ancestry is German. I’m making this today!!!
Love that it provided a good memory for you, Amy!
Such good memories! Also, I can’t seem to stop making it! ? As soon as I make a batch, it gets eaten. So I have to make more. Thank you for bringing back a recipe I thought was gone forever, and for helping me pass it along to my children.
Made these tonight for our family Christmas to go along with my ham. They were easy to make and were amazing. I added some spices that I like such as garlic and some green onion on top. Very easy to customize and I loved the pre boiling potatoes so I didn’t need to worry that they were cooked through. Just waited for the cheese to start lightly browning on top. I made and assembled placed in fridge and cooked few hours later and they were great!
That’s awesome Jennifer! Thanks for sharing.
Can you use regular milk instead of the nonfat or half and half?
Yes, you can use any combination of milk products you like.