Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

I think we can all agree that Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are a hearty side dish that everyone loves! Why eat plain old potatoes when you can jazz them up to taste like this? With cheese being the other main ingredient, you know that this recipe is going to be good! 

I'll show you how to make easy scalloped potatoes with simple step-by-step instructions and photos. Plus I'll give you some great ideas for delicious add-ins and toppings for scalloped potatoes. 

I'm a potato addict. I love how they taste, no matter what kind of recipe it is. During the colder months of the year, I'm all about loading my potatoes up with cheese. Because as you can see from the picture above, every single bite is mouth-watering good! 

Making these scalloped potatoes in a casserole dish is great for scooping an extra size portion, too. So get your stretchy pants ready!

Related recipe: Instant Pot Potato Salad

You're going to love this simple potato recipe if you:

• Love cheese (the more cheese, the better!) 
• Are looking for a dish that can feed a crowd (or yourself during the weekend) 
• Love hands-off recipes (these potatoes spend some time in the oven so you can do other things!)
• Have gotten tired of your same old potato recipe and are needing a change

Whether you call this cheesy scalloped potatoes or potatoes au gratin, this is a potato side dish you're going to love!

Related recipe: Sauteed Potatoes with Mushrooms

Here's what you'll need to make scalloped potatoes:

• 8 cups (4 lbs) of peeled and thinly sliced potatoes (red potatoes or russet potatoes will work)
• 1 stick of butter (holy moly butter heaven) 
• ⅓ cup of flour
• 3 - 4 cups of half and half
• 1 tablespoon of coarse ground garlic salt with parsley (this stuff is the best!)
• 1 dash of Tabasco sauce (optional, but it really adds flavor without being spicy!)
• 1 package of Colby Jack shredded cheese - 12 ounces (or your favorite meltable cheese)
• 1 package of Parmesan cheese - freshly shredded - 12 ounces
• Finely minced fresh parsley

A few notes about the ingredients:

Here are just a few things about the ingredients to keep in mind. 

Colby Jack cheese: You can change out the cheeses for whatever type of cheese that you want. If you want to add a bit of heat, you can use a pepper Jack or habanero blend as well. 

Parmesan cheese: Use freshly-grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, the kind you grate yourself or the kind in the refrigerated cheese section of the grocery store. The shelf-stable powdered Parmesan cheese will not melt well for this recipe! You can us shredded provolone if you don't want the strong flavor of Parmesan, but still want something flavorful in addition to Colby Jack.

Tabasco Sauce: I add this because I like my scalloped potatoes to have a little "zing" to them but it's totally optional if you're unsure about spice. Or, you can always add more if that's your thing!

Related recipe: Mashed Potato Fritters

How to make scalloped potatoes

Step 1: Grease a 9 x 13 dish with butter, and set aside. 

Step 2: Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottom saucepan.  Add the flour, stirring or whisking immediately, until it's completely incorporated and smooth.

Add the half and half, and whisk until smooth.  Add the garlic salt, and the dash of Tabasco sauce, and stir well.  Bring sauce to a boil, and turn heat to low, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. 

Stir in the shredded cheese, reserving about ¼ cup of each cheese to sprinkle on top of the dish. The sauce won't be totally smooth, but it should be nice and cheesy.

Step 3: Place about half of the sliced potatoes into the greased casserole dish, and spoon about half the sauce over the potatoes. 

Add the remainder of the potatoes in the dish, and spoon the remainder of the sauce over the second layer of potatoes. 

Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top layer of potatoes and place the dish into the oven. 

Step 4: Bake at 350 for about an hour.  Keep watch on the potatoes, making sure the cheese on top doesn't burn.  If the cheese gets too dark, cover loosely with foil and continue baking until the potatoes are fully cooked. 

Cool slightly before serving.  Top with minced parsley. Enjoy!

Super easy!!

Related recipe: Spanish Style Potato Calamari Salad

Tips for making scalloped potatoes

1. Use a mandoline to slice the potatoes evenly and thinly without any effort. And if you use a mandoline, please PLEASE wear cut-resistant safety gloves. I've had some really bad cuts from using a mandoline without gloves and I ALWAYS wear gloves now. This mandoline is great because it comes with gloves and has a dial to adjust the width of your slices.
2. Butter up that casserole dish really well to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the dish. Not only does that butter then melt into the potatoes on the bottom layer but it will also save you a TON of clean up work when all the potatoes are eaten and done. 
3. Make sure the potatoes are fully cooked before removing the casserole from the oven. Test a few spots with a fork and make sure it slides in easily. There is nothing worse than biting into a potatoes au gratin dish and finding crunchy potatoes!! As mentioned in the instructions, if the cheese starts turning a dark golden brown but the potatoes are not fully cooked yet, carefully cover the dish with foil and continue baking.

Scalloped potato variations

Since I'm a big fan of toppings and recipe variations, I also have to add SOMETHING different to change up the flavor and look every time I make this dish. Some of my favorite suggestions are:

• Chives or scallions, or even finely chopped fresh onion
• Sprinkle with breadcrumbs on top during the last 15 minutes of baking
• Add finely diced sage, thyme, or rosemary to the sauce
• Stir in some salsa to the sauce for a fun twist
• MORE cheese (try a three-cheese combo!)
• Feta and wilted baby spinach
• Bacon bits (yasss!)
• Diced ham
• More hot sauce
• Fresh tomatoes baked right into the dish for a burst of flavor and nutrients (small grape or cherry tomatoes work great, as well as thinly sliced large tomatoes)

And literally anything else that you're craving or that you think would taste good with potatoes. 

Or you can try this dish with sweet potatoes instead!

These scalloped potatoes are fantastic as a Thanksgiving side dish with some dry-brined roasted turkey breast.

If you end up making these scalloped potatoes, I would LOVE to see a picture of them! Please tag me on INSTAGRAM or FACEBOOK. You can find me at @babaganoshblog on both. I love seeing your creations!

Other fun potato recipes you'll love: 

• Roasted baby potatoes with crispy skins
• Truffle parmesan potato wedges
• No-mayo potato salad with feta and olives

Or if sweet potatoes are more your thing, check out this list of easy sweet potato recipes.

If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later! And make sure to FOLLOW @babaganoshblog on Instagram for more delicious recipes!!