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Scalloped Potatoes

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Updated Jul 28, 2024
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With layers of tender, thinly sliced potatoes and a luscious, rich, and creamy white sauce, scalloped potatoes make a cozy, company-worthy baked side dish for holiday gatherings and weeknight dinners alike. Searching for a delicious, crowd-pleasing scalloped potatoes recipe that’s simple to prep and bake? This one’s for you. The buttery white sauce takes just a few minutes to stir up on the stove before it’s poured over the potatoes, and then your oven does most of the heavy lifting!

These easy scalloped potatoes are always a hit at potlucks and parties, and they make great leftovers too. Serve them up alongside a roasted ham or turkey and various vegetable side dishes for a well-rounded dinner spread, or turn your homemade scalloped potatoes into the main event by tossing in some bite-sized pieces of meat and veggies. There’s no limit to the versatility of this delicious dish!

How to Make Scalloped Potatoes

If you’re a fan of simple, easy-to-follow instructions, this is one of the best recipes for scalloped potatoes around. With our tips and tricks, they’re sure to turn out delicious—and there are so many ways to customize the dish. As a bonus, the recipe only requires about 20 minutes of hands-on prep time before your homemade scalloped potatoes are baked to golden perfection in the oven. Here’s how to make them.

Heat Oven and Prep Ingredients

While your oven heats, prep the ingredients you’ll need. We’d recommend slicing up either russet or Idaho potatoes—the dry, light, and fluffy interiors of these potatoes hold their shape well when cooked into scalloped potato dishes. Want to leave the skins on your spuds to make prep even quicker? No problem! Peeling them might look a little neater, but this easy scalloped potatoes recipe leaves the decision up to you. To create uniform slices of potato (about ¼ inch) quickly and easily, try using a mandoline or a food processor fitted with a blade for thin slices. Don't forget to prep your pan with grease, shortening, or your preferred cooking spray—this will prevent the sauce from browning and sticking to the pan.

Cook Sauce

Time to make the rich, creamy white sauce! Melt a few tablespoons of butter over medium heat in your saucepan. Add in your chopped onion to cook for about 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper, then let the sauce cook until smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly. Remove it from the heat before stirring in the milk. Heat the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly, then let it boil while stirring for 1 minute.

Assemble Scalloped Potatoes

Spread your thin potato slices all at once or in neat layers in the casserole dish, then pour the white sauce over the potatoes. Cut up the remaining butter into small pieces before sprinkling it over the dish.

Bake

Cover the casserole dish and let your scalloped potatoes bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover the dish and put it back in the oven to bake for about another hour, or until the potatoes are nice and tender. After you take out your scalloped potato dish, let it sit on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. The sauce thickens as it sits, so don’t skip this step!

What Goes with Scalloped Potatoes?

Homemade scalloped potatoes play a delicious supporting role in holiday potluck dinners and casual family meals alike. Here are some tasty sides and mains we love pairing with this rich, tender potato dish for a well-rounded meal.

Ham or Turkey: Want to serve up a hearty, delicious protein alongside this creamy scalloped potato dish? Try making a juicy baked ham with a sweet glaze, or go for a moist, savory roasted turkey rubbed with aromatic herbs and spices. You really can’t go wrong with meat and potatoes—and these pairings are no exception!

Roasted Veggies: You’ll want to get some veggie-forward side dishes on the table, too. Roasted rainbow carrots, maple-glazed brussels sprouts, and creamed corn are some of our favorites. Any of your preferred fresh, flavorful veggie sides will perfectly complement the richness of these easy scalloped potatoes.

Hearty Casseroles: Nothing says Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner quite like a casserole! From savory squash and green bean casseroles to subtly sweet yam casseroles topped with brown sugar and marshmallows, there are so many types to choose from—and together, they’ll ensure that everyone leaves the table satisfied.

Mac and Cheese: The ticket to a comforting, kid-friendly meal? Ooey, gooey mac and cheese. Choose a classic mac and cheese recipe to make from scratch, and bake it until the top is golden and crispy. Just like scalloped potatoes, this irresistible side dish basically goes with everything!

Storing and Reheating Scalloped Potatoes

You’ll want to bake this scalloped potato dish the same day you assemble it, as the sauce will continue to thicken and soak into the potatoes during storage. Once your potatoes are out of the oven, serve them up while they’re still warm—you might have to fight for seconds! If you somehow end up with leftover scalloped potatoes, here’s how to store and reheat them.

How to Store Leftovers: Leftover cooked scalloped potatoes can be refrigerated once they’ve cooled completely. Tightly cover the dish and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. We wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish, as the potatoes might turn mealy, and the texture of the sauce can become overly thick.

How to Reheat Multiple Servings: To reheat several servings of scalloped potatoes in the same casserole dish used to bake them in, cover the dish with foil before baking at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

How to Reheat One Serving: If you only need to reheat enough for one, we’d recommend using the microwave. Just place your individual serving on a microwaveable plate, cover it loosely and microwave it on medium-high (70%) for about 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. The reheated dish may not be as saucy this time around, as the potatoes will have soaked up all the tasty sauce—but it’ll be just as flavorful!

More About This Recipe

  • Potatoes are a great veggie to keep on hand for delicious main or side dish recipes. Did you know there are many types and sizes of potatoes to choose from? From our Betty Crocker Cookbook, 13th edition, here’s the spud talk on the most common types of potatoes available. Store potatoes away from other vegetables as they can absorb flavors, keeping them in a cool (45°F to 60°F), dry, dark, well-ventilated place for time indicated for the varieties below. Potatoes that turn completely green should not be used, but any small spots of green can be trimmed off. Cut off and discard any sprouts before cooking.
    All-Purpose Potatoes: Purple: Small with dense texture like russets. Most of the purple fades from the skin during cooking. Yellow (Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold): Skin and flesh range from buttery yellow to golden. Mild butter like flavor, which fades slightly during cooking. Store 1 month. Baking/Frying Potatoes: Both Russet and Idaho have dry, light and fluffy interiors when cooked. Store for 2 weeks. Roasting/Boiling Fingerling, New and Red: have waxy, creamy-moist interiors that hold their shape in salads or when roasted or boiled. Store for up to 2 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Should I Bake Scalloped Potatoes?

These easy scalloped potatoes need to bake for 30 minutes while covered, then for about another 1 hour uncovered. Not sure when exactly to take them out? Set your kitchen timer for the minimum time, then test the tenderness of the potatoes with a fork in several places to see if the fork tines slide in easily. If they don’t, bake the dish for a few additional minutes and test the tenderness again.

What Are Some Variations of Scalloped Potatoes?

It’s so easy to customize this scalloped potatoes recipe and make it your own! From simple ingredient swaps to inventive toppings, here are some ways to switch it up.

Herbs: Jazz up the savory flavor of these easy scalloped potatoes by adding in some chopped fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, or parsley.

Crumb Topping: Top off the dish with a buttery crumb topping, made using a mixture of plain or seasoned breadcrumbs with some melted butter.

Veggies: Take the look and taste up a notch by substituting some thinly sliced green onions or leeks for the regular onions. If you’d like something even more veggie-forward, opt for a scalloped potatoes recipe that uses vegetables like spinach, broccoli, or mushrooms between the potato layers. We’re also big fans of making Scalloped Potatoes with Roasted Tomatoes—roasting cherry tomatoes makes them extra juicy and intensifies the sweetness. Yum!

Meat: Want to turn this classic side dish into a hearty main? Just add some protein by stirring in bite-sized pieces of cooked Italian sausage, chicken, or pork!

A Quick Alternative: For super busy weeknights, we love having Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes on hand—they’re made with 100% real potatoes and cheese, and they’re ready to cook in minutes for a delicious side dish that’s seasoned to savory perfection. Talk about a major kitchen hack!

What is the Difference Between au Gratin and Scalloped Potatoes?

Ever heard of scalloped potatoes being compared to au gratin potatoes? They’re very similar dishes, but with slight differences in the ingredients and preparation. Scalloped potatoes are typically made with thinly sliced potatoes covered in a cream sauce (usually with onions) and baked until tender. Au gratin potatoes, on the other hand, include cheese—either within the sauce or layered with the potatoes—and they’re topped with breadcrumbs for a crispy crust. The inclusion of cheese is the main distinguishing feature of au gratin potatoes.

Can’t choose which of these side dishes to make? This scalloped potato recipe is a great choice when your main dish is rich or highly flavored, like barbecued ribs or salmon. Try making our Cheesy au Gratin Potatoes to complement main dishes that are less rich or more subtly seasoned, like mild fish or roast chicken. Either way, dinner is sure to be delicious!

Scalloped Potatoes

  • Prep Time 20 min
  • Total 2 hr 5 min
  • Servings 6
  • Ingredients 7
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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
  • 3 tablespoons Gold Medal™ All Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 6 medium peeled or unpeeled potatoes, thinly sliced (6 cups)
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 2-quart casserole with shortening or cooking spray.
  • Step 
    2
    In 2-quart saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
  • Step 
    3
    Spread potatoes in casserole. Pour sauce over potatoes. Cut remaining 1 tablespoon butter into small pieces; sprinkle over potatoes.
  • Step 
    4
    Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving (sauce thickens as it stands).

Nutrition

310 Calories
10g Total Fat
8g Protein
46g Total Carbohydrate
8g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
310
Calories from Fat
90
Total Fat
10g
15%
Saturated Fat
6g
31%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
30mg
9%
Sodium
520mg
22%
Potassium
1090mg
31%
Total Carbohydrate
46g
15%
Dietary Fiber
4g
16%
Sugars
8g
Protein
8g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
8%
8%
Vitamin C
15%
15%
Calcium
15%
15%
Iron
10%
10%
Exchanges:
2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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