I slice the potatoes thin and stack them neat, because neat slices cook even and feel good to serve. The sauce starts warm and smooth in the pan. Cream, milk, garlic, and a little nutmeg meet butter and flour. Cheddar waits nearby. I taste, I nod, I pour. The kitchen smells like Sunday. We call this the best scalloped potatoes recipe at my house, and I stand by it. It hits that cozy line between rich and bright. The top turns bronze and the center stays soft. If you search recipe scalloped potatoes or potatoes recipe, you want comfort that shows up fast. This one does. It also plays nice with roast chicken or a simple salad. I learned to make a cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe on a small stove in my first apartment. I messed up plenty. Now I rinse the slices, layer with care, and keep the heat steady. Try it once and see. Sweet potatoes recipe fans can swap half the slices for a fun twist. For an easy potatoes recipe that still feels special, this is the pan I reach for.
Table of Contents
- 1) Key Takeaways
- 2) Easy Creamy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- 3) Ingredients for Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
- 4) How to Make Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
- 5) Tips for Making Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
- 6) Making Creamy Scalloped Potatoes Ahead of Time
- 7) Storing Leftover Scalloped Potatoes
- 8) Try these side dishes next
- 9) Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
- 10) Nutrition
1) Key Takeaways
I bake for people I love and I keep the steps simple. Thin slices lead to even texture. Warm sauce hugs each layer. The top turns golden and crisp.
The flavor leans savory and gentle. Garlic stays soft. Cheddar melts smooth. A little nutmeg lifts the cream. I serve it with roast chicken or a green salad.
On Cook Daily Recipe with Linda I test this pan often. It is steady. It is friendly for weeknights and holidays. If you crave comfort that feels calm this dish shows up ready.
2) Easy Creamy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
I reach for scalloped potatoes when I want ease and warmth. I say scalloped potatoes again since that is what I actually make. The name fits the pan and the mood. My stove hums. My knife moves in even strokes. Life slows a touch.
I keep the rhythm tight. Slice rinse dry. Build a quick roux. Whisk in milk and cream. The sauce goes silk smooth. Cheese slips in and melts without a fuss. The scent feels like Sunday dinner even on a Wednesday.
This easy potatoes recipe works with russet for fluffy layers or yukon for silky layers. If you track a potatoes recipe that feels sturdy yet soft this one lands right in that zone. Friends call it the best scalloped potatoes recipe and I do not argue.
3) Ingredients for Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Potatoes I use russet for light texture or yukon for tender bite. Both hold shape and taste sweet. For a creamy scalloped potatoes feel I often mix the two.
Butter It melts clean in the pan and starts the roux. The nutty scent tells me the base is ready for flour.
Onion Finely minced pieces soften fast and bring mellow sweetness that supports the dairy without a fight.
Garlic Two small cloves give quiet depth. I cook them until they smell kind and stop there.
Flour A spoon or two thickens the sauce so it clings to each slice. No heavy paste. Just a light coat.
Milk and Cream The pair builds a soft body in the sauce. Milk keeps it light. Cream brings comfort.
Cheddar and Gruyere Fresh shreds melt smooth and brown well on top. The mix tastes sharp and nutty and makes a classic scalloped potatoes finish.
Salt and Black Pepper Steady seasoning wakes up the layers. Little pinches go a long way.
Nutmeg and Thyme Just a hint brightens the cream and lifts the cheese. The thyme stays soft and friendly.
Nonstick Spray A light coat keeps the edges neat and helps the scalloped potato casserole release clean from the dish.
4) How to Make Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
step 1 Heat the oven to three hundred seventy five F. Mist a nine by thirteen dish with nonstick spray. Set it on a sheet pan for easy carry.
step 2 Rinse the potato slices under cold water. Pat dry. This simple rinse pulls extra starch and helps the layers bake tender not gummy.
step 3 Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion until soft. Add garlic for one minute. Sprinkle flour and stir until it looks like wet sand.
step 4 Whisk in milk then cream. Keep the whisk moving until the sauce turns smooth and lightly thick. Season with salt pepper nutmeg and thyme.
step 5 Take the pan off the heat. Stir in half the cheddar and half the gruyere. The sauce should look glossy and cozy for classic scalloped potatoes comfort.
step 6 Layer one third of the potatoes in the dish. Spoon on sauce. Repeat two more times. Scatter the rest of the cheese over the top.
step 7 Cover with foil and bake twenty five minutes. Remove the foil and bake twenty to thirty minutes more until the top turns deep gold and the edges bubble.
step 8 Rest the pan ten minutes. The sauce settles. The slices hold. Cut neat squares and serve warm.
5) Tips for Making Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Sharp knives make thin even slices which cook at the same rate. A mandoline works too if that feels safe for you. Even thickness gives steady texture from edge to center.
Shred cheese fresh so it melts like a blanket. Bagged shreds can feel stiff. Fresh cheese turns smooth and pulls into long strings which people love.
If the top browns too fast tent the dish with foil for a bit and keep baking until the middle looks bubbly. For a cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe finish grate a little extra cheddar over the last five minutes.
6) Making Creamy Scalloped Potatoes Ahead of Time
I often prep this on a quiet morning. I slice and rinse. I make the sauce. I layer the dish and stop before the bake. I wrap it snug and chill it.
When dinner time comes I bake it straight from the fridge and add five to ten minutes to the bake. The top still browns and the center still bubbles. The kitchen smells like a hug.
For a creamy scalloped potatoes plan that fits a party schedule try two dishes. Bake one early and hold warm. Bake the second right before guests arrive and serve both hot.
7) Storing Leftover Scalloped Potatoes
Leftovers sit well for three to four days in a sealed container. The slices keep their shape. The sauce stays soft. I like a small splash of milk when I reheat.
Warm in the oven at three hundred twenty five F until hot. For a fast lunch I use the skillet on low and stir once or twice. Little browned bits show up and taste great.
If you enjoy a sweet potatoes recipe twist fold in half sweet potatoes next time. The color shines on day two and the flavor turns rich after a rest.
8) Try these side dishes next
9) Creamy Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes with Creamy Garlic and Cheddar
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 cup shredded gruyere
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves optional
- Nonstick spray for the dish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 F. Lightly coat a 9 by 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Rinse the sliced potatoes under cold water and pat dry. This helps the slices bake tender.
- Warm a saucepan over medium heat. Melt butter. Add onion and cook until soft. Stir in garlic and cook one minute.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir until it looks like wet sand. Slowly whisk in milk then cream. Keep whisking until smooth and lightly thick.
- Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and thyme. Take the pan off the heat and stir in half of the cheddar and half of the gruyere.
- Layer one third of the potatoes in the dish. Spoon on some sauce. Repeat two more times. Finish with the rest of the cheese on top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 to 30 minutes more until the top is golden and the center bubbles.
- Let the pan rest 10 minutes before serving so the layers set and slice clean.
10) Nutrition
Serving size one eighth of the pan. About three hundred sixty five calories. Carbs near thirty five grams. Protein near twelve grams. Fat near twenty grams with much from dairy. Sodium sits in a moderate range when you season with care.
On Cook Daily Recipe I aim for clear choices. Pair a crisp salad and roasted carrots and you get color balance and a steady plate. Water or iced tea fits well and lets the dish shine.
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