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Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes baked in a creamy garlic sauce, layered with thin potato slices for tender, fork-ready layers. Finished with Parmesan and a golden browned top.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
resting 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

russet potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
onion
  • 1 onion small, thinly sliced
butter
  • 4 tbsp butter
garlic
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
all-purpose flour
  • 1 4 cup all-purpose flour
whole milk
  • 3 cup whole milk
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
salt
  • 2 tsp salt
black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Parmesan
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan grated

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it aside for layering.
Make the creamy sauce
  1. Melt the butter, then cook the garlic for 30 seconds. Keep it just fragrant without browning.
  2. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir until the mixture looks smooth and lightly thickened.
  3. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream. Simmer until slightly thickened, then season with salt, black pepper, and thyme.
Layer and bake
  1. Layer half the potatoes and onion in the baking dish. Pour sauce over this layer until it’s well coated.
  2. Layer the remaining potatoes and onion in two more layers. Pour sauce over each layer to help the potatoes cook evenly.
  3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour at 375F. Look for bubbling around the edges when you check partway through.
  4. Uncover, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 375F. Bake until the top is golden and the potatoes are fork-tender.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the scalloped potatoes for 15 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken as it cools, helping the layers hold together.

Notes

Slice potatoes to about 1/8 inch for consistent doneness, and simmer the sauce just until slightly thickened so it coats rather than becomes stiff. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat covered at 325F until hot through. Freezing is not recommended because creamy texture can break. For a lighter option, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream while keeping the whole milk to preserve the creamy finish.