These easy, homemade scalloped potatoes are the ultimate side dish for special occasions—rich, comforting, and impossible to resist.
Scalloped potatoes are the kind of cozy, creamy side dish that steals the show at any holiday table. Elegant enough for special occasions, yet easy enough for weeknight comfort food, this recipe is always a crowd-pleaser and earns glowing reviews every time.
While traditional scalloped potatoes are baked in a classic béchamel sauce, this simplified version skips the roux and lets the natural starch from the potatoes thicken a luscious blend of milk and cream. The result? A velvety, melt-in-your-mouth texture that feels indulgent without being heavy. A crunchy topping of crushed potato chips and melted cheese adds the perfect crispy finish. Pair this with a Fig Glazed Baked Ham and it will be an incredible combination.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Skip the Roux – No need for flour or a separate white sauce—this recipe lets the natural starch in the potatoes thicken the cream and milk for a rich, silky finish.
Faster Cook Time – Pre-cooking the potato slices in the cream mixture before baking cuts down the oven time significantly. That means less waiting and more eating.
Make-Ahead Friendly – This dish can be assembled in advance, making holiday prep that much easier.
Pairs With Everything – From glazed ham to roast chicken or even a crisp green salad, this dish is the ultimate versatile side.
Ingredients
- Potatoes: Of course, you can use any type of potato for this recipe, but I highly recommend using gold potatoes. They have a medium starch content, so they keep their shape really well and have a delicious buttery flavor. Russet/baking potatoes tend to get mushy and fall apart a lot more.
- Onion & garlic: The addition of sauteed onion and garlic in this recipe really elevates the flavor of this dish. The sauce has so much savory, rich flavor that you just can't achieve with onion powder and garlic powder alone.
- Milk & heavy cream: This combo creates the perfect creamy base without needing a flour-based sauce.
- Grated cheese: Use any cheese that melts well, such as mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, Muenster, Swiss, Gruyere, etc.
- Crushed potato chips: This is the secret ingredient that takes the dish to the next level. Sprinkling crushed chips on top adds a salty crunch that contrasts beautifully with the creamy layers underneath—and it ties in the potato flavor in a fun, unexpected way.
The complete list of ingredients and their exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Scalloped Potatoes
- Prep all the ingredients: Peel and slice the potatoes into thin slices. Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic. Grate the cheese.
- Saute the onions and garlic: In a large heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter and saute the onions and garlic on medium heat, seasoning with salt and pepper, until tender and slightly golden.
- Cook the potatoes: Add the potatoes, milk, heavy cream, dry herbs and bay leaf. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes are about ¾ way cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Make sure to stir frequently, so nothing burns or sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Transfer the potatoes to a 13 X 9 inch baking pan: Discard the bay leaves. Spread everything out evenly, then sprinkle with the grated cheese and crushed potato chips on top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, in a preheated oven (350 degrees Fahrenheit) until bubbly and cheese is melted and golden. After 15 minutes, I like to increase the temperature to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes, so the cheese gets more color.
- Serve: Cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
What to Serve With Scalloped Potatoes?
Since this dish is so rich and creamy, I like to serve something fresh and light to go along with this dinner, like Garlic Green Beans, Tomato Avocado Salad or a Spinach Strawberry Salad. For a more Slavic touch, these Garlic Dill Cucumbers are a perfect pairing.
For a main entree pairing, ham is a perfect option. Learn how to bake a spiral ham with a delicious fig glaze - I share all my tips there. We also love Grilled Lamb Chops with a chimichurri sauce or a cast iron roast chicken with this creamy potato side dish.
Meal Prep
One of my favorite things about this recipe—especially around the holidays—is how easy it is to make ahead. When you’re juggling multiple dishes (and guests!), having one less thing to worry about is a total game-changer.
Here’s how to prep it in advance:
- Cook the potatoes on the stovetop in the cream mixture as directed.
- Transfer to a baking dish, then top with shredded cheese and crushed potato chips.
- Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
When you’re ready to bake, let the dish sit at room temperature for at least 15–20 minutes before putting it in the oven. Since it’s starting out colder, you’ll want to add an extra 5–10 minutes to the bake time to ensure everything is heated through and bubbly.
Since this dish is so rich and creamy, I like to serve something fresh and light to go along with this dinner, like Garlic Green Beans, Tomato Avocado Salad or a Spinach Strawberry Salad. For a more Slavic touch, these Garlic Dill Cucumbers are a perfect pairing.
Recipe FAQs
Scalloped potatoes are thinly sliced potatoes cooked in a creamy sauce, topped with cheese.
These two recipes are very similar. Both are really rich and creamy, with thin slices of potato that gets baked in the oven until bubbly and tender, with a golden crisp topping. Au gratin potatoes often have cheese insterpered among the layers of potatoes while scalloped potatoes usually have the cheese only on top. Sometimes au gratin potatoes also have a breadcrumb topping. I made my crunchy topping be potato chips instead, which I tried in a restaurant many years ago and loved.
Add some chopped ham, or cooked bacon to the potatoes to add some additional protein and make it even more hearty and satisfying. You can also add some sauteed mushrooms, peppers, broccoli for more flavor variations.
Substitute some of the heavy cream for chicken broth. I have made it with 1 ½ cups chicken broth, 1 ½ cups cream, 1 cup milk and it was really delicious too. It won't be as creamy and rich, but will still taste amazing. Add less cheese, or a cheese that has less calories.
You can use any type of potato for this recipe, but I highly recommend using gold/yellow potatoes. They have a medium starch content, so they keep their shape really well and have a delicious buttery flavor. Russet/baking potatoes tend to get mushy and fall apart a lot more.
More Holiday Sides
If you tried this Easy Scalloped Potatoes recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating or a comment below. I love hearing from you!
Easy Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 pounds potatoes gold/yellow, sliced into ⅛ inches
- 1 medium/large onion finely chopped
- 3-6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon dry herbs & spices granulated onion/garlic, dry chives, green onions, parsley, thyme, etc.
- 1-2 dry bay leaves
- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups heavy cream
- salt, ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup grated cheese Mozzarella, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gruyere, Parmesan, Provolone, etc.
- 1 cup potato chips crushed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prep the ingredients. Peel and slice the potatoes into ⅛ inch thin slices. If you have a mandoline or a slicing option on your food processor, now is the time to use it, or just use a knife. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Grate the cheese.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large pot. Add the minced onion and cook until tender and slightly golden, seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the potatoes, milk, heavy cream, dry herbs & spices, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper, about 2-2 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Cover the pot and cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes are about ¾ way cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Make sure to stir the potatoes frequently, so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
- Discard the bay leaves. Pour everything into a 13 X 9 inch baking dish and spread it out evenly. Top with crushed grated cheese and crushed potato chips.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, in the preheated oven, until bubbly and cheese is melted and golden. After 15 minutes, I like to increase the heat to 425 F and continue baking for an additional 5-8 minutes so the cheese gets more golden and crisp.
- Serve hot, waiting 10-15 minutes for it to cool off. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, tightly covered.
Notes
This is an updated version of the Scalloped Potatoes recipe that was published originally on April 30, 2012. The recipe is the same; I updated the photos, added a video and clarified the instructions.
i made this dish this sat evening and finished baking on sunday when guest came over and it turned out so so good! 🙂
everybody like those potatoes!
thanks! 🙂
Great idea! I like to make it ahead of time and bake right before serving too:).
hey olga, your recipe of scalloped potatoes are so good. thankyou so much for your delicious recipe!!!!
Thank you, Julia. Our family really enjoys them as well.
I make this potatoes all the time 🙂 so yummy. One thing though how and when can I add meat to here like chicken or ham to make it just one meal cuz my hubby has to have meat with everything. Thank you!:)
Mariya,
I usually serve this as a side dish with another meat dish.
However, if you want to make it one meal in one dish, you can chop up some ham or cooked chicken or sausage and add it right to the potatoes when you're cooking them with the dairy.
I seriously love your website.. Very nice colors & theme.
Did you build this web site yourself? Please reply back
as I'm wanting to create my own personal website and want to learn where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called. Thanks!
I'm glad you like it Brandi. I sent you an email with all the details.
Olga, these potatoes turned out absolutely delicious!!! I was wondering if it would be ok to add bacon bits on top? Or would it change the potatoes too much? This recipie is absolutely awesome!!!
Sure you can! It would probably taste awesome.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! Used it this morning and brought it to church for a luncheon. It is so simple yet so yummy!
I'm so happy to hear that!
i often make this when we cook for events:).
Hi Olga, just made this dish and it came out absolutely delish! I'm coming back for more recipes in the near future:) Good job!
I use yellow potatoes , but than I cut them as wedges instead of chips, this way popatoes don't mash, cz yellow potatoes are more tender than russets. My husband likes scalooped potatoes better than any other potatoes. 🙂 I do it just a little bit different , without cheese, but the idea is the same. 🙂
Have you tried using half and half for this recipe? Also does it have to be russett potatoes? I only have yellow. Thanks.
Yelena,
Yep, I've tried it with half and half. The potatoes turn out a little watery and not as creamy and luscious as when you use cream. You can use yellow potatoes too. I usually have yellow potatoes in my house, so I've used them before. Russets work better for this recipe, but yellow will be just fine.
What would you recommend serving with scalloped potatoes to complete a meal?
Good question! The great thing about scalloped potatoes is that you can serve them with just about anything. Here are some really good options: Tender Chicken Patties, Chicken Saltimbocca, Easy Baked Chicken Wings, Cheesy Chicken Meatballs, Honey-Garlic Glazed Meatballs, Broiled Salmon or BBQ Ribs. I really like serving green beans with Scalloped Potatoes, Tomato Salad or Crunchy Cabbage Cucumber Salad. Hope that helps:).
What a wonderful recipe! This is going on my Christmas Eve menu. Need to shake up the old “mashed potatoes.”
Thank you for this recipe. I made it for a family gathering (I actually put it together the night and added the chips and the cheese right before baking it the next day) and it was amazing! Even those siblings who eat ONLY mashed potatoes, tried it, loved it, and then had some more of it!
This looks amazing! I think I'm going to try making this for dinner tonight! Thanks for such amazing recipes! I'm starving just looking at this one 🙂
Olga, I just made this potato dish and it is delish !!!!!! Thank you again 🙂
Hi Olga! So glad you posted this. I used to make scalloped potatoes from a box; ewwww! Your's looks just perfect and I think I'll be making it for my next dinner get-together.
Olga, thank you so much for such an easy version of scalloped potatoes. I love it but the recipe that I have has too many ingredients and too much work. Thanks again, I will definitely try it 🙂