If you need an easy but impressive side for a holiday meal (or something delicious to bring to a potluck), try my recipe for scalloped potatoes. They don’t require much work and come out so creamy and delicious!
I have hardly ever met anyone who doesn’t appreciate a good dose of carbs in a creamy sauce. And I most definitely fall in this camp, too!
Give me a bowl of Mac and Cheese, a plate full of mashed potatoes or risotto and I’ll make a meal of it.
And that’s why we’re talking about the quintessential starchy comfort food today: Scalloped potatoes ? which I’d most definitely eat as a full meal any day of the week.
I dare to say this is the best recipe for these dreamy potatoes you’ll find – most notably because I put in a tiny bit of extra work by sautéing the onions before adding them to the casserole. It’s only a few minutes you’ll need to invest, but the flavor is so much better than adding them raw. If you’re not a fan of onion just leave them out!
Either way, make these for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter… if you want to shine with a delicious side at your holiday dinner. They go perfectly with my Crock Pot Cranberry Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving, or my Crock Pot Pineapple Ham for Easter! Or bring them to your next church potluck, because it never hurts to have millions of people ask you for a recipe ?
How to make scalloped potatoes:
Easy Scalloped Potatoes
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 heaping cups peeled and thinly sliced potatoes about 2 pounds
- 3 tablespoons butter sliced
Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Prep: Heat the oven to 375°F and butter a 2 quart casserole dish.
- Sauté the sliced onions until softened and starting to brown.
- Layer the casserole: Layer half of the sliced potatoes in the casserole dish and top with all of the onions and half of the sliced butter, then arrange the remaining potatoes on top. Whisk together all ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan, then gently heat on the stove just before boiling, then pour evenly over the casserole (it should just cover the potatoes, if there isn’t enough sauce, pour a little extra milk on top).
- Bake: Bake the potatoes for 20 minutes, then loosely cover with aluminum foil and finish baking for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and the sauce is bubbly. Let sit on a rack on the counter for 5-10 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken.
Notes
Step by Step Images:
Sauté the onions until they’re softened and starting to brown and caramelize for the best flavors.
Make sure to slice the butter thinly to be able to spread it across the casserole dish.
Once the potatoes, onions and butter are layered in the casserole dish, carefully pour the warmed sauce over the dish so that the potatoes are just covered. Add some additional milk (cold is fine here) if it seems too dry.
Ingredient Notes:
- potatoes: Use starchy potatoes because they turn out nice and creamy, and they are a vital part of thickening the sauce. Russets work and will turn out extremely creamy, Yukon Gold are so versatile and work perfectly here, too. They hold their shape a little better.
- milk: I use whole milk for the richest and creamiest results, but you can use a lower fat percentage if you prefer. You can also use part cream and part milk, or all cream for a very rich dish.
- butter: don’t skimp on the butter, scalloped potato occasions are not the time and place to go on a diet.
Cooking Tips:
Slicing the potatoes: Slicing the potatoes with a mandolin or a food processor is much easier and faster than doing it by hand. If you don’t have those, use a large, sharp knife and a sturdy chopping board to make the slicing easy and efficient. Why warm the sauce: I warm the sauce ingredients before adding them to the casserole so that the baking process is quick-started. Don’t worry, your sauce doesn’t have to thicken yet on the stove, and it doesn’t need to boil either – just heat it up until it’s steaming hot, then VERY carefully pour it over the potatoes.Nutrition
More recipe information
You’ll Love these Side Dishes, Too:
Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Crispy Roasted Fingerling Potatoes are not only delicious, but they also look so pretty! Try them as a side dish for your next big family dinner or holiday gathering - these are always a big hit with everyone!
Pat Tucker says
Pressed for time, I put the dish into the microwave for 15 minutes, tested the potatoes, then nuked for another 10 minutes. Finished dish was very good.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Pat!