The best cheesy and creamy scalloped potatoes made simple with sliced Russet potatoes, cream, Gouda Cheese, and Gruyere Cheese. The perfect addition to any family-style or holiday meal!
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
After years of experimenting on a mission to find the best creamy scalloped potatoes recipe and trying various methods, I can assure you — this is the way to evenly cooked potatoes in the creamiest, dreamiest sauce.
Crowd-Pleaser | I've served these potatoes at countless family functions and they are always (and I do mean always) a hit. They're easy enough for Sunday supper, yet decadent and special enough for Christmas dinner.
Foolproof | If you do not have a mandoline or your knife skills are far from stellar, you can still slam out a perfect rendition of creamy scalloped potatoes. The key? Begin cooking the potatoes in cream on the stovetop, then move to the oven to finish baking.
Easy | While a roux is often the culinary solution to a bechamel or mornay sauce that won't break, you'll be happy to learn you can skip the butter and flour starter for this potato dish. I've tried scalloped potatoes with a roux, with milk, and even half and half, and I've learned the easiest route to the best potatoes is simple: heavy cream. The fat content in the cream helps to prevent curdling and creates a luscious sauce that makes scalloped potatoes the decadent treat that it is.
If you love a hearty scalloped potato dish, add scalloped potatoes and ham, chicken and potatoes, and potatoes Dauphinoise to your must-make list.
What You'll Need
- Russet Potatoes | High starch potato, these potatoes help to thicken the cream as the potatoes cook. It creates an extra lush sauce that clings to every slice. Do not substitute a different type of potato for this recipe.
- Heavy Cream | heavy cream is high in fat, which gives the sauce rich body and keeps it from curdling. Do not sub in milk or half-and-half for this recipe.
- Cheese | A combination of freshly grated Gruyere and Gouda cheese adds nutty, buttery flavor to scalloped potatoes. Both of these cheeses are excellent melting cheeses, and that's key! For outdoor hangs/BBQ, I smoked Gouda adds a subtle, smoky note.
- Seasoning | the seasoning is simple: kosher salt and black pepper.
- Herbs + Garlic (optional) | If you'd like to add some savory depth to your scalloped potatoes, add a few cloves of fresh chopped, a bay leaf, and 1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme to the simmering cream.
Pro Tips for Foolproof Scalloped Potatoes
- Do your best to slice in thin, uniform thickness so they cook evenly. If you have a food processor, use the slicer attachment for flawless results.
- Take the time to grate the cheese. Bagged pre-shredded cheeses are coated with anti-caking starches, but keep the cheese from melting smoothly which can make your sauce pasty.
- Use only heavy cream for the dairy. The high fat makes for a rich sauce and keeps it from separating and curdling.
- Don't throw out the cream! The cooking cream from the stove top doubles as the sauce for your creamy scalloped potatoes.
- Allow the potatoes to rest for 15 to 25 minutes before serving to give the sauce a chance to set.
Best Cheeses for Scalloped Potatoes
This recipe was developed over time, tested over and over again until the formula was just right. The cheeses play in important role in the flavor of the potatoes -- the mixture of Gouda and Gruyere give the sauce a beautiful complexity and a whole lot of stretchy cheesy goodness.
Feel free to sub in any semi-firm, good melting cheese. Mild cheddar, Fontina, Monterey Jack and even Colby Jack will work. We've done a rendition of these potatoes with a combination of sauteed, diced jalapeno and onion along with Cheddar and Pepper Jack for a Tex-Mex take on scalloped potatoes. One word: amazing.
Avoid pre-shredded cheeses; they do not melt as smoothly and will affect the texture of your sauce.
How to Make the Best Scalloped Potatoes
Step 1: Prep Potatoes
Scrub the potatoes and peel them. Using a sharp knife, slice the potatoes into rounds, about an ⅛-inch thick. If you have a food processor, half the potatoes crosswise, attach the slicer attachment, and run the potatoes through the feed tube.
Step 2: Simmer in Cream
Transfer the potatoes to a saucepan and add the cream, along with any fresh herbs and garlic, if using. Simmer for about 12-15 minutes, until softened.
Pro Tip: Make sure the potatoes are submerged in cream, stirring every 4-5 minutes. Allowing the sliced potatoes to simmer, submerged in cream on the stovetop before transferring to an au gratin dish, allows each potato to cook evenly in the oven.
Step 3: Assemble in Layers
Add half of the sliced potatoes, seasoning, and cheese. Then, finish with the remaining sliced potatoes and seasoning. Top off with the cooking cream, and add the remaining cheese.
Step 4: Bake for 30 Minutes
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake 10 minutes. Because this method of cooking scalloped potatoes first begins on the stove-top, the time spent in the oven is much less than traditional cooking methods and requires no more than 30 minutes total in the oven.
What to Serve with Them
I serve these creamy scalloped potatoes with cheese every year at Christmas dinner, next to steakhouse mains, and even Thanksgiving dinner. They also work beautifully with chicken, pork, simple greens, and crusty bread to sop up any yummy sauce left behind.
Proteins:
- Roasted Prime Rib or Beef Tenderloin
- Ribeyes or Cast Iron Filets
- Roasted Chicken
- Pork Loin or Pork Tenderloin
Salad + Veggies:
FAQs
Cooking should be done before serving, but there are a few prep items you can get out of the way in advance. Slice the potatoes up to 1 hour in advance and submerge them in the cream in a saucepan to keep them from discoloring. Grate the cheese up to 3 days in advance and keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This helps with even cooking and thick, luscious sauce. As the potatoes simmer, they release starches into the cream as the pot simmers, creating a silky sauce that sets cleanly in the oven.
You can sub in any semi firm, good melting cheese. Mild cheddar, fontina, monterey jack and even colby jack will work.
because these creamy scallop potatoes which she is are beyond rich, you will find servings go a little further. Expect a 9 x 13" casserole dish to serve 12 people.
5 More Potato Recipes You'll Love
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole features buttery mashed potatoes with cream cheese, crispy thick-cut, bacon, freshly grated Cheddar, and chopped green onions. The perfect make-ahead side dish casserole!
- The Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe is easier than you think! These classic mashed potatoes are made extra smooth and creamy thanks to a couple of simple ingredients, and the trick to the lightest, fluffiest potatoes ever!
- Garlic-Parmesan Smashed Potatoes feature baby gold potatoes (or red potatoes) smashed and smeared with a garlic-Parmesan butter, then roasted to crispy perfection.
- Twice-Baked Potatoes with Havarti and Dill features a new take on twice-baked potatoes, with big flavor thanks to Havarti and Dill.
- Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes require no dressing and no packet! Just a little seasoning and you’ve got a perfect batch of crispy, oven-baked Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potatoes.
Cheesy Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes about 3 medium-sized potatoes
- 4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups freshly grated Gouda (or Smoked Gouda) cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° and have ready a large, greased au gratin pan.
- Rinse and peel the potatoes. Using either a sharp knife or a mandoline, cut the potatoes in slices no thicker than an ⅛". Transfer to a medium-sized saucepan and pour over cream, salt and pepper. Stir and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to maintain a constant simmer, placing lid slightly ajar. Watch pot so that it does not boil over. Stir occasionally, and remove from the heat once the potatoes are fork tender, about 12 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the two cheeses and mix together. Set aside until ready to use.
- Using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer half of the potatoes to the prepared pan, and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Do not discard of the cooking liquid. Add the remaining potatoes and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese. Pour the cream evenly over the potatoes and cover with aluminum foil.
- If possible, transfer the prepared pan to a heavy duty baking sheet to keep any drippings from hitting the floor of your oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more, until golden and bubbly. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes, serve and enjoy.
Nutrition
lenetta mccampbell says
Can these potatoes be made in advance and refrigerated? If so, are there any modifications to the instructions?
Thank you.
Kelly Anthony says
Because of the potatoes par-cook on the stovetop in dairy, I would not suggest making them ahead. Dairy sometimes has a tendency to separate once chilled and reheated, especially when there's no binder (like flour or cornstarch) to keep it all together would be negatively effected. I'm sure the flavor would still be delicious, but my ultimate concern is the consistency of the dish and overall texture. I wish I had better news for you, Lenetta! I'll have to do some experimenting with a make-ahead recipe for you 😉
Laura Gelderd says
I made these and they were wonderful....except...I had a huge amount of fat, I guess from the cheese, floating on top. Is there a specific cheese brand that you used? I would love to make them again, but hesitate because of the fat floating on top.
Kelly Anthony says
Hi Laura! Because of the cream and the cheese, there is going to be fat across the top regardless of the cheese you use. I usually lay a few paper towels across the top as soon as they come out of the oven and then lift them up after a second or two. This will absorb pretty much all of the grease 🙂 Hope this helps!
Janna says
Can these be made in a slow cooker ??
Kelly Anthony says
I would think so but would have to do a little experimenting before I could hand out cook times. You definitely would need to par boil the potatoes beforehand though!