Homemade Scalloped Potatoes

Want to make a delicious side dish worthy of the fanciest entree? This easy scalloped potato recipe is the perfect solution. Homemade scalloped potatoes are layers of thin-sliced potatoes and onions baked with the most creamy and cheesy bechamel sauce that look and taste like a million dollars!

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Red potatoes: 2 lbs thinly sliced and peeled. I recommend using a mandolin. It makes slicing potatoes thinly very easy and quick
• Onion: thinly sliced sweet onions are the best for this recipe
• Butter, flour, and milk: these are the basic ingredients for making bechamel sauce
• Paprika, powdered mustard, salt, and freshly ground pepper for seasoning
• Shredded cheddar cheese: for best results, shred your own cheese, it really makes a huge difference in quality. Cheddar will be added to the bechamel sauce
• Parmesan cheese: sprinkled on top for extra cheesy potatoes.

How to make Scalloped Potatoes?

Making homemade scalloped potatoes is very easy and quick!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Make the bechamel sauce: melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook it for about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk making sure there are no lumps in the sauce.
3. Simmer until thick, about 2 minutes. Season the sauce with paprika, powdered mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
4. Place half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish, followed by half the sliced onions and half of the sauce. Repeat the layers and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
5. Bake, covered, for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is brown and the potatoes are tender.

What is the difference between Scalloped Potatoes and Au Gratin Potatoes?

Classic scalloped potatoes don’t have cheese added to the sauce, in between layers, or on top as au gratin potatoes do. In this scalloped potatoes recipe, we are using some cheese. Not as much as in au gratin potatoes, but some. You might say it’s an in-between recipe!

Tips for the perfect Scalloped Potatoes:

If you follow these tips, your homemade scalloped potatoes will turn out perfectly!

• Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes. This way you will be able to easily slice them very thinly and all the slices will have the same width, ensuring even cooking throughout.
• When adding milk to the cooked butter/flour mixture, use a whisk to dissolve any lumps that may form.
• If you feel the bechamel sauce is too thick, add a little more milk.
• Don’t forget to season the sauce and the potatoes.
• Bake scalloped potatoes covered with foil for the first 50 minutes. This gives the potatoes time to cook without browning the top.

Make-Ahead Method:

If you want to make scalloped potatoes ahead of time, you can either prep all the ingredients the day before and bake them prior to serving, or you can refrigerate the baked dish for up to two days and reheat it.

If you are planning to store the uncooked sliced potatoes, place them in a bowl, cover them with water, and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 12 hours. You can easily store the bechamel sauce in an airtight container and in the fridge as well.