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Scalloped potatoes feel fancy and festive, but they don’t require many ingredients or a lot of complicated steps. We’ll even teach you a few tricks to speed up the preparation so you can easily wow friends and family with this recipe.
Both potato dishes contain layers of thinly sliced potatoes covered in a cream sauce, but au gratin potatoes have cheese incorporated into the sauce, whereas classic scalloped potatoes do not. “Au gratin” generally means that a dish is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs, which get toasted in the oven to create a crust.
Most scalloped potato recipes call for either yellow or russet potatoes. Both are great options. Yellow potatoes are firmer, so they hold up well through cooking, maintaining the layering and retaining their bite. Russets will give you a softer texture. They are easy to overcook in this dish, so keep a close eye on your potatoes while they bake.
Partially cook your potatoes in the cream sauce (but don’t soak them in water) before they’re placed in the oven to cook the rest of the way. For most potato recipes, soaking the potatoes in water after they’ve been peeled and diced removes excess starch. However, potato starch is important for scalloped potatoes because it helps thicken the cream sauce.
After you’ve sliced the potatoes, add them to the simmering sauce for about 10-15 minutes to start the cooking process. This also helps them release water, which helps avoid a soupy final texture. It shortens the baking time, too!
Also, for scalloped potatoes, you don’t need to use flour to thicken your sauce. In fact, it can make your final dish gummy.
That said, if you’re freezing your scalloped potatoes to eat later, a little flour added to the cream sauce will ensure the reheated potatoes don’t get too watery.
Scalloped potatoes are a beautiful dish that looks like it requires a lot of time and effort to make, but this recipe is easy. Slicing the potatoes takes the most time, but using a mandolin or slicing attachment on a food processor can make that go much faster.
Additionally, the potato slices don’t have to be placed individually into the baking dish and layered with cream. To save time, you can simply dump them in and pour the cream on top. (If you’d like a nice presentation, just arrange the top potatoes by hand.)
Then, bake them at 325°F. A low temperature is essential to ensure the cream doesn’t scorch.
Here are step-by-step instructions to achieve the ultimate rich and creamy scalloped potatoes:
Prep Time
Cook Time
Servings
4 lbs (1.81kg) Yellow or Russet Potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8” thick
1 at (960ml) Heavy Cream
1 Rosemary Sprig (Thyme, Sage, Marjoram, etc. can be subbed)
6 (32g) Garlic Cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp (~1g) Nutmeg, freshly grated
2 1/2 tbsp Sea Salt
1 tbsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 tbsp Fresh Rosemary (Optional)
Medium Pot
Shallow Casserole Dish
Sieve
Peel the potatoes and slice into 1/8-inch-thick disks. Aim for thin, even slices; thick slices won’t hold together well in the final dish.
Use a mandolin or food processor with a slicing attachment to speed up this step.
In a medium pot over medium-low heat, combine the cream, rosemary sprig, garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Heat the mixture for about 5-7 minutes. Be careful NOT to bring it to a boil.
Add prepared potatoes to the cream for 10-15 minutes. Once they start to get tender, strain the potatoes.
Brush the bottom of a shallow casserole dish (approx. 2-3 inches tall) with butter. Shingle the potatoes in an even layer on the bottom of the buttered dish. Spoon an even layer of the cream over the potatoes. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, then another layer of cream until you’ve used all the potatoes and cream.
To save time, the potatoes can be poured into the dish all at once followed by the cream. Arrange the top layer of potatoes for a nice presentation.
Cover the scalloped potatoes with aluminum foil and place into a preheated 325°F oven for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 20-30 minutes or until golden.
While baking, the cream can bubble over. Place a baking sheet under your casserole dish to catch drips.
Remove the dish from the oven and cool it for 10-20 minutes before slicing and serving. This will allow the potatoes to come together to retain their layers when cut.
Yes. Scalloped potatoes can be frozen and reheated later. The best way to freeze scalloped potatoes is in individual portions for easy reheating in the microwave or the oven. If you freeze larger portions, the best method for reheating them is in a low-temperature oven (300-325 °F) for about 60-90 minutes, depending on the size. The low temperature ensures that the cream doesn’t separate.
Add small dices of cooked ham to the seasoned cream so it takes on the ham’s smoky flavor. Note that adding ham to your scalloped potatoes also adds salt, so you may want to reduce the amount of salt. The ham and infused cream get spooned in between the layers of potatoes and the dish bakes as directed above.
Scalloped potatoes are rich and filling, so lean proteins and other veggies pair nicely with them. Try grilled ham, pan-seared fish, roast chicken, broiled lobster, or a filet of beef tenderloin. A side salad with a sharp vinaigrette also makes for a great accompaniment with scalloped potatoes.
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