Southern Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are melt-in-your-mouth tender potatoes baked in an ultra-decadent and cheesy bechamel sauce. These easy-to-make creamy scalloped potatoes make an incredible side dish for holidays and special occasions; even your pickiest eaters will love them.
What is bechamel sauce?
No need to be worried about bechamel sauce. It’s just a fancy term for a roux or white sauce, which is simply butter and flour cooked together with milk to make a sauce.
What’s the difference in scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes?
You might be wondering what the difference is between creamy scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes? Usually, in addition to a cheesy filling, au gratin potatoes are cooked in a shallow dish and topped with a toasty breadcrumb topping. Simple scalloped potatoes, on the other hand, are usually only made with cream and not cheese.
However, over the years, cheese lovers have blurred the lines and probably half of the recipes you see for scalloped potatoes also include cheese! I’ve even seen the term: scalloped potatoes cooked au gratin style! No matter what you call them, easy cheesy scalloped potatoes are a kid-friendly family favorite and the ultimate incredible side dish.
What goes well with Southern cheesy scalloped potatoes?
Southern cheesy scalloped potatoes pair well with just about any entrée. Because they are so rich, I like to serve them with simple main dishes such as Baked Chicken Thighs, Broiled Chicken Thighs, Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs, Grilled Spatchcock Chicken, Grilled Half Chicken, or Grilled Ham Steak.
What potatoes are best for scalloped potatoes?
I prefer russet or Idaho potatoes because I think the extra starch in russets makes the sauce a little creamier and more luxurious. You can also use Yukon Gold, but the potatoes won’t be quite as creamy. I also almost always leave the peel on, but most recipes call for peeled potatoes.
Best potato side dishes:
Whether you like them fried, baked, smashed, mashed or roasted, I’ve got everyone’s favorite side dish covered. Check out these easy and fantastic potato recipes: Easy Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin, Baked Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, and Parmesan Smashed Potatoes.
But wait, I have more: Easy Homemade French Fries, Ultimate Blue Cheese Potatoes Au Gratin, Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Hasselback Potatoes, and one of the most popular recipes on my blog, Southern Potato Salad.
Need more ideas for incredible side dishes? Check out all of my side dish recipes here.
And, if you are looking for an excellent main dish using potatoes, you will love Easy Au Gratin Potatoes and Ham.
How to make Southern Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes from scratch:
Gather your ingredients, slice the potatoes, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Melt butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Then, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for about one minute, whisking constantly.
Continue whisking and slowly add the milk. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Add the salt, red pepper and nutmeg. When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, reduce the heat to low and add one and one-half cups of cheese. Once the cheese has melted, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Spray a two-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add about one cup of the sauce and spread out evenly on the bottom of the dish. Place half of the sliced potatoes on top of the sauce and spread them out evenly.
Pour half of the remaining cheese sauce over the potatoes and distribute evenly.
Repeat with the remaining potato slices and the rest of the cheese sauce.
Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese evenly over the top and add the parmesan cheese.
Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Test the potatoes for doneness by piercing them with a fork, which should slide in easily. If the potatoes are not tender, bake them for a few more minutes.
Optional, add a pinch of paprika to the top and serve immediately.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
For the best results, uniformly slice the potatoes approximately ⅛-1/4 inch thick using a mandolin, food processor, or sharp knife. If the potato slices are thicker, you will need to increase the cooking time.
If you are in a hurry, parboil the sliced potatoes for 5-6 minutes before layering them in the baking dish. This reduces the baking time by about half. After parboiling, prepare as directed, and bake for 30-35 minutes total or until the potatoes are done.
To peel or not to peel? I almost always leave the peel on in my scalloped potatoes, but the choice is yours.
No cheddar cheese? You can substitute gruyere, Monterey jack, a Mexican or Italian cheese blend cheese or any other cheese or combination of cheeses that melt well. It will change the taste, but it will still be delicious.
Russet potatoes work best in this recipe. You can substitute Yukon gold, but don’t use waxy potatoes such as new potatoes.
If you want to make scalloped potatoes ahead, parboil the sliced potatoes for five minutes and prepare the dish as directed. Do not bake. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Take the dish out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to bake to allow the potatoes to come to room temperature. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the potatoes are fork-tender.
**If you make these scalloped potatoes, please leave a star rating and a comment to let me know how you liked them. I hope you love them as much as we do.**
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
📋 Recipe:
Easy Southern Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups thinly sliced potatoes peeled or unpeeled (about 4 medium-size russet or Idaho potatoes)
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced finely or grated
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1-½ cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch ground red pepper
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated and divided
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika optional
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients, slice the potatoes, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Then, add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for about one minute, whisking constantly.
- Continue whisking and slowly add the milk. Keep whisking until the mixture is smooth and lump-free. Add the salt, red pepper and nutmeg.
- When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, reduce the heat to low and add one and one-half cups of cheese. Once the cheese has melted, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Spray a two-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add one cup of the sauce and spread out evenly on the bottom of the dish. Place half of the sliced potatoes on top of the sauce and spread them out evenly.
- Pour half of the remaining cheese sauce over the potatoes and distribute evenly.
- Repeat with the remaining potato slices and the rest of the cheese sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese evenly over the top and add the parmesan cheese.
- Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Test the potatoes for doneness by piercing them with a fork, which should slide in easily. If the potatoes are not tender, bake them for a few more minutes.
- Optional, top with a small pinch of paprika for color. Serve immediately.
Notes
SHARON’S EXPERT TIPS:
For the best results, uniformly slice the potatoes approximately ⅛-1/4 inch thick using a mandolin, food processor, or sharp knife. If the potato slices are thicker, you will need to increase the cooking time. If you are in a hurry, parboil the sliced potatoes for 5-6 minutes before layering them in the baking dish. This reduces the baking time by about half. After parboiling, prepare as directed, and bake for 30-35 minutes total or until the potatoes are done. To peel or not to peel? I almost always leave the peel on in my scalloped potatoes, but the choice is yours. No cheddar cheese? You can substitute gruyere, Monterey jack, a Mexican or Italian cheese blend cheese or any other cheese or combination of cheeses that melt well. It will change the taste, but it will still be delicious. Russet potatoes work best in this recipe. You can substitute Yukon gold, but don’t use waxy potatoes such as new potatoes. If you want to make scalloped potatoes ahead, parboil the sliced potatoes for five minutes and prepare the dish as directed. Do not bake. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Take the dish out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you plan to bake to allow the potatoes to come to room temperature. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the potatoes are fork-tender.Nutrition
**This recipe updated on September 6, 2019, with new photos, expanded directions, and a list of tips to ensure that this dish turns out perfect every time. No change to the actual recipe.
Simply delicious. I always appreciate a recipe that only requires ingredients that I am likely to have on hand. With ham and pole beans, it was the perfect southern meal!
Hey Susan, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of my favorites too!
All my best!
Sharon
I made this for Easter and it was delicious! This was the first time I made scalloped potatoes (not out the box lol) and it was so easy and they turned out great! I even had the pleasure of making this for the blogger herself. Thanks Sharon for having a great and easy recipe for me to make!
Hey LeighAnn, you did a great job and they were absolutely delicious as was the entire dinner! Thank you so much for having us!
Love, Sharon