Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes baked in a creamy garlic and thyme sauce with no cheese, the traditional way. Tender Yukon Gold layers under a golden brown top.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
Scalloped potatoes are the side dish that quietly steals every holiday table I’ve ever set. Thin slices of Yukon Gold bake down in a creamy garlic and thyme sauce until the bottom layers go silky and the top turns golden with crisp edges. There’s no cheese in here at all, which is exactly how the traditional version is built.
Slice thickness matters more than anything else in this recipe. An eighth of an inch is the target, and a mandoline gets you there faster and far more evenly than a knife. Uneven slices are the reason scalloped potatoes come out with crunchy spots in an otherwise tender pan, since the thin pieces turn soft long before the thick ones catch up.
The cheese question comes up every time I make these. Scalloped potatoes are traditionally baked in a seasoned cream sauce with nothing melted into it, and potatoes au gratin are the ones layered with cheese and often finished with breadcrumbs. Plenty of modern recipes have blurred that line. This one keeps it classic, and the roux plus the starch coming off the potatoes does all the thickening you need.
Why You’ll Love This Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- A cream sauce built from scratch. Butter, flour, whole milk, and heavy cream make a sauce that clings to every layer.
- The traditional no-cheese version. This is the classic scalloped potato, which lets the garlic, thyme, and potato flavor come through.
- Mostly hands-off. Once the pan goes in the oven the work is done, which frees you up for whatever else is on the stove.
- Make it a day ahead. Assemble it the night before, refrigerate, and add 15 minutes to the covered bake.
Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients
Yukon Gold potatoes are the right pick here. They hold their shape through a long bake and have enough natural starch to help set the sauce, while russets tend to fall apart into mush and waxy red potatoes never soften properly.
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Recipe Variations
- Layer in 8 oz of diced ham between the potatoes to turn this from a side dish into a full supper.
- Add a bay leaf to the sauce while it simmers and fish it out before layering for a deeper, more savory background.
- Swap half the potatoes for peeled, thinly sliced sweet potatoes for a sweeter pan that plays well with roast pork.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
- Heat the oven and prep the dish: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub a 9×13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter, getting up the sides.
- Slice the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick, ideally on a mandoline. Drop the slices into a bowl of cold water as you go so they don’t brown, then drain and pat them dry right before layering.
- Start the sauce: Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent, then stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Cook the roux and add the dairy: Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, then the cream, and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg.
- Layer the pan: Shingle half the potato slices into the dish in overlapping rows. Pour half the sauce over them and spread it to the edges. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and sauce, pressing the top layer down gently so the slices sit in the sauce.
- Bake covered: Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes. The foil traps steam, which is what cooks the potatoes through before the top ever browns.
- Bake uncovered: Remove the foil and bake another 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the sauce is bubbling at the edges, and a knife slides into the center with no resistance at all.
- Rest and garnish: Let the dish rest for 15 minutes so the sauce sets up, then scatter the parsley over the top and serve.
Recipe FAQs
What’s the Difference Between Scalloped Potatoes and Au Gratin Potatoes?
Scalloped potatoes are baked in a seasoned cream sauce with no cheese in it. Potatoes au gratin have cheese layered through them and usually a browned breadcrumb or cheese topping. Most modern recipes mix the two, so labels online can be misleading.
Why Are My Potatoes Still Hard in the Middle?
Either the slices were too thick or the foil came off too early. Keep them at 1/8 inch and leave the pan covered for the full 50 minutes so the trapped steam can do its job.
Why Did My Sauce Curdle?
Sauce made with milk alone tends to split under a long bake. The heavy cream in this recipe is there specifically to keep it stable, so don’t swap it out for more milk.
Can I Make Scalloped Potatoes Ahead of Time?
Yes. Assemble the whole dish, cover it, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake it straight from the fridge and add about 15 minutes to the covered stage.
Do I Have to Peel the Potatoes?
For the classic silky texture, yes. Yukon Gold skins are thin enough to leave on if you’re in a hurry, though they curl at the edges and change the mouthfeel of every bite.
Cooking Tips
- Pat the potato slices dry after their cold water soak. Water left on the slices thins the sauce and leaves a watery layer in the bottom of the pan.
- Warm the milk and cream slightly before whisking them into the roux. Cold dairy hitting hot flour is the fastest way to get lumps.
- Overlap the slices like shingles instead of dumping them in loose. Even layers cook at the same rate and slice into neat squares later.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Freezing isn’t recommended. The cream sauce separates and the potato slices go grainy and watery once thawed.
To reheat: Cover with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or microwave individual portions with a splash of milk stirred in to loosen the sauce.
How to Serve Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes belong next to something roasted. Baked ham is the classic pairing, and they’re just as good with roast chicken, a pork loin, or a holiday beef roast. Add a sharp green salad or roasted green beans to cut through all that cream. This is one of the recipes in our August casserole collection, and more make-ahead sides like it are on the way.
Loved This Recipe?
Scalloped potatoes are the dish people go back for seconds of before they’ve finished the plate in front of them.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prep the dish: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub a 9×13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter, getting up the sides.
- Slice the potatoes: Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick, ideally on a mandoline. Drop the slices into a bowl of cold water as you go so they don’t brown, then drain and pat them dry right before layering.
- Start the sauce: Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent, then stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
- Cook the roux and add the dairy: Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, then the cream, and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the salt, pepper, thyme, and nutmeg.
- Layer the pan: Shingle half the potato slices into the dish in overlapping rows. Pour half the sauce over them and spread it to the edges. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and sauce, pressing the top layer down gently so the slices sit in the sauce.
- Bake covered: Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 50 minutes. The foil traps steam, which is what cooks the potatoes through before the top ever browns.
- Bake uncovered: Remove the foil and bake another 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown, the sauce is bubbling at the edges, and a knife slides into the center with no resistance at all.
- Rest and garnish: Let the dish rest for 15 minutes so the sauce sets up, then scatter the parsley over the top and serve.
