If you’re planning on whipping up a batch of scalloped potatoes for your next family dinner or Thanksgiving feast, you’re in for a treat. This dish, made with thinly sliced potatoes, is a comfort food classic. It’s creamy, cheesy, and packed with flavor. What’s best is that it’s super easy to make too!
Scalloped potatoes are a classic that can be a bit time-consuming to make. But this recipe features a delicious five-ingredient cream sauce that you can make directly in your blender. No chopping necessary!
Each bite is a delightful mix of tender red potato slices, tangy cheddar cheese, and a hint of salt and pepper. Baked until golden and bubbly, these scalloped potatoes have a creamy texture that’s hard to resist. It’s a dish that’s as comforting as it is delicious and works beautifully with just about any main dish, including delicious cuts of venison like this smoked tenderloin.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
I really like a side dish I can whip together ahead of time like my favorite Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole. This recipe is in the same category of great flavor but it’s made with all from scratch ingredients.
Super Easy: This scalloped potato recipe is incredibly simple. With skin-on red potatoes and a five-ingredient cream sauce created entirely in your blender, you just slice potatoes, pour, and bake! No fuss, no mess.
Family Favorite: With ingredients like cheddar cheese, sour cream, and heavy whipping cream, this dish is a hit with kids and adults alike. The creamy, cheesy flavor will have everyone asking for seconds.
Versatile: This recipe is incredibly versatile. You can easily switch out the cheddar for parmesan cheese or add in some ham or chicken for extra protein. It is a great way to use up leftover ingredients in your fridge.
Crowd Pleaser: Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, or a family gathering, this dish is sure to please. It’s a classic comfort food that’s perfect for any occasion.
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Key Ingredients
Red Potatoes: These are the stars of our scalloped potatoes dish. They are kept skin-on for added texture and flavor, and they cook to a perfect tender consistency. The skin also adds a nice rustic touch to the dish.
Chicken Broth: This ingredient adds a depth of flavor to the cream sauce and helps to keep the potatoes moist during baking. It is a healthier alternative to using just cream, cutting down on calories without sacrificing taste.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Here’s where the richness and tangy flavor come in. Sharp cheddar cheese gives the dish its characteristic creamy, cheesy goodness. It is divided in the recipe to ensure that every bite is packed with cheesy flavor.
Sour Cream: This contributes to the creamy texture of the sauce and adds a slight tang to balance the richness of the cheese and heavy cream.
Heavy Whipping Cream: This ingredient adds a creamy, indulgent element to the sauce. It blends beautifully with the sour cream and cheese, creating a rich and velvety cream sauce.
Salt: An essential ingredient in almost every recipe, salt enhances the flavor of all the other ingredients and helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the potatoes.
Flour: This addition to the recipe helps to thicken up the sauce as it cools to give you that creamy delicious texture with your baked potatoes.
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper: This adds a touch of heat and complexity to the dish, complementing the creaminess of the sauce and the earthy flavor of the potatoes.
Equipment
13 x 9 Baking Dish – This is the perfect size for layering and baking your sliced potatoes. It allows for even heat distribution, guaranteeing that your potatoes are perfectly cooked.
Blender – This is used to combine the remaining ingredients into a creamy sauce. It helps to blend all the flavors together, creating a smooth and delicious cream sauce.
Cheese Grater – This is handy for grating your cheddar cheese. Freshly grated cheese melts better and gives a richer flavor to your dish.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
Preparations
Start by preheating your oven to a temperature of 450˚ F. In the meantime, take a large, preferably a 13×9 baking dish, and lightly grease it with some olive oil. Then, take your red potatoes (keeping the skin on for some extra texture and flavor), slice them up using a sharp knife or mandolin slicer, and arrange them in an accordion style in the dish.
Step 1 – Season and Bake the Potatoes
Once your potatoes are nicely arranged in the baking dish, it’s time to add some flavor. Sprinkle them with a pinch (about a quarter teaspoon) of both salt and pepper. Now, pop the dish in your preheated oven and let the potatoes bake uncovered for around fifteen minutes.
Step 2 – Prepare the Cream Sauce
While your potatoes are baking in the oven, you can start with the cream sauce. Gather all your remaining ingredients and toss them into a blender. This includes the rest of your salt (another quarter teaspoon) and a third cup of your cheddar cheese. Remember to keep aside two-thirds of the cheese for later. Now, blend everything until you have a smooth, creamy puree.
Step 3 – Pour the Sauce and Continue Baking
When your oven timer beeps, it is time to pour that delicious cream sauce all over your semi-baked potatoes. Pop them back into the oven and let them bake for another ten minutes. This will allow the potatoes to soak up all that creamy goodness.
Step 4 – Add the Cheese Topping and Final Bake
After the ten minutes are up, take out your potatoes and sprinkle them with the remaining two-thirds cup of cheddar cheese. This will give your scalloped potatoes that irresistible, bubbly, golden-brown cheese topping. Put them back in the oven for a final five minutes.
Step 5 – Cool and Serve
Once your cheesy, creamy scalloped potatoes are baked to perfection, garnish them with some optional fresh cut chives for a pop of color and added flavor. Let them cool for about ten minutes before serving, which allows the sauce to thicken up a bit more. Now, they’re ready to be served and savored. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
Olive oil on hands: Place a little olive oil on your hands when layering your potatoes. This help the potatoes to not get dry as they do their first bake.
Choose the right potatoes: For the best scalloped potatoes, use red potatoes. They hold their shape well during baking and have a delicious flavor.
Layer your potatoes: Slice your potatoes and layer them accordion style in your baking dish. This arrangement allows for an even distribution of the cream sauce and cheese.
Blend your cream sauce: Instead of manually mixing your ingredients for the cream sauce, use a blender. This gives out a smooth and evenly combined sauce that will pour easily over your potatoes. Plus, it saves a ton of time!
Allow to cool: Let your scalloped potatoes cool for about ten minutes after baking. This allows the cream sauce to thicken up, making for a richer and creamier dish. We love to serve this with asparagus or broccoli and spooning some of that creamy cheese sauce on top.
Recipe Variations
Double the Garlic: If you’re a garlic lover, this variation is for you. Double the amount of garlic in the cream sauce. This will give your scalloped potatoes a strong, aromatic garlic flavor that is simply irresistible.
Make it Vegetarian: If you want a vegetarian version of this delicious classic, swap out the chicken broth for some vegetable broth instead. It’ll still be irresistibly delicious!
Add Some Herbs: For an aromatic twist, add some dried herbs to the cream sauce. Thyme, rosemary, or oregano would work well. The herbs add depth to the flavor of the dish and make it even more delicious.
Switch up the Potatoes: Instead of red potatoes, try using some Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes. Yukons have a buttery flavor, while russets have a higher starch content, making for a creamier dish.
What to Serve With
- If you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, these scalloped potatoes will be a hit! They’re a fantastic side dish to your roasted turkey and cranberry sauce.
- Pair these scrumptious scalloped potatoes with some crock pot ham for a delicious and filling dinner. The sweetness of the ham pairs perfectly with the creamy and cheesy potatoes.
- Looking for a comforting meal? Serve these scalloped potatoes alongside a juicy roasted chicken. The flavors of the potatoes and chicken will complement each other beautifully.
- If you’re a game-eating family like us, then try these potatoes alongside some delicious cuts of venison like this smoked tenderloin that work great for a weeknight dinner.
Recipe FAQs
For this recipe, we’re using skin-on red potatoes. However, you can also use russets or Yukon gold potatoes as they also hold their shape well when baked and have a great flavor.
Absolutely! This recipe is quite versatile. You can add ham or onions for more flavor, or even switch up the cheeses. Try using parmesan cheese or a flavorful cheddar cheese.
No problem at all. You can simply whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream, chicken broth, salt, and a portion of the cheddar cheese in a bowl. The key is to make sure everything is well combined before you pour it over the potatoes.
Yes, you can prepare the scalloped potatoes a day ahead. Just cover your baking dish with foil and store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, just allow it to come to room temperature first.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerate: Once your scalloped potatoes have cooled down, transfer them into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They should keep well for up to five days.
Reheat Instructions: To reheat, place the potatoes in a casserole dish and warm in the oven at medium heat until they are heated through. Stir occasionally to guarantee even heating.
Freeze: Unfortunately, scalloped potatoes don’t freeze well due to the cream sauce. The texture and flavor may change when thawed and reheated. It is best to enjoy them fresh or refrigerated.
More Potato Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Serving Size
What to Expect: This recipe makes one 13×9” pan of scalloped potatoes, which is enough for eight servings.
How to Scale: If you want to make more than eight servings, you can easily double the recipe and use an 11×17” pan for your doubled recipe. Follow the rest of the instructions as directed.
Easy Scalloped Potatoes (Homemade 5-Ingredient Sauce!)
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb. red potatoes
- 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
- fresh cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 Cup chicken broth
- 2/3 Cup sour cream
- 2/3 Cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/3 Cups sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a 13×9 pan lightly greased with olive oil, thinly slice up your red potatoes (skin-on) and layer them accordion style. Sprinkle the potatoes with ¼ tsp. salt and pepper and bake the potatoes (uncovered) in a preheated 450˚ F oven for 25-30 minutes.
- While the potatoes are baking, combine the chicken broth, sour cream, whipping cream, pepper to taste and the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and only 2/3 cup of cheese. Blend it all until pureed.
- When the timer goes off, pour the cream sauce over the potatoes and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Top the potatoes with the reserved 2/3 cup cheese and bake for a final 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh cut chives (optional) and allow the potatoes to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken up as it cools.
Comments & Reviews
Halley says
My Pyrex dish exploded when I added the wet mixture. Maybe should have warmed it first. Needless to say, it was epic fail.
Meredith Edwards says
Hi Halley!
I’m sorry that your dish exploded! I have never had that happen. Lots of recipes call for sauce to be added mid-way, so I’m not sure what went wrong.
Lourdes says
Hello! The dish turned out delicious, but the sauce curdled a little. Is there a way to prevent this?
Meredith says
Hi Lourdes!
I’m not sure why it curdled other than maybe the cream got too hot? You could try cooking your potatoes longer next time and adding the sauce a little later so the sauce is cooked for for less time. I hope that helps!
Bob L Fowler says
My sauce didn’t thicken – what did I do wrong? Cook too long?
Lynette Rice says
You’ll need to let the sauce cool a bit to thicken. I’ve adjusted the recipe a little bit after feedback adding a little flour to the recipe to help it thicken up. Hope that helps!
J viney says
I thought this recipie was delicious!! I didn’t have half & hal$ but whole milk worked fine. I added a little Parm cheese. The family loved it. Thank you
Lynette says
Thank you for sharing!
catherine says
Can I do first baking of potatoes and have ready for the next daya to finish and return to oven for rest of cooking
Sarah says
I broke my Pyrex pan! Please note to not add the sauce directly to the hot pan!
Meredith says
I’m sorry these didn’t turn out for you, Doris! Maybe your potatoes slices were too thick?