Yield:

14 to 20 Servings

A favorite side dish for all kinds of celebratory meals, scalloped potatoes are simple to make. All you need to do is slice potatoes and cook them in milk, then layer in a casserole dish, top them with milk and cream, and bake. We use starchy potatoes, which help thicken the dish, and cut them on a mandoline to get thin, even slices. Our version omits the onions that some recipes include and adds Gruyère cheese, which melts beautifully, creating a delicious, crispy topping for the soft, creamy potatoes.

scalloped potatoes in baking dish and on a plate — Maxwell Cozzi

Why This Recipe Works So Well

This recipe produces a rich, creamy, and tender potato side dish that's hard to resist. Cooking the sliced potatoes in milk before baking is an extra step, but it's worth it. It helps you avoid a common problem associated with making this classic side dish where not all of the potatoes are cooked evenly or all the way through.

Making Ahead

This scalloped potatoes recipe can be assembled up to a day ahead:

Leave off the cheese, cover the dish with plastic wrap (pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate.
Remove the dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle with the cheese, and bake as instructed in recipe.

Ingredients

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, and sliced paper thin
3 cups milk
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup heavy cream
5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions

ingredients for scalloped potatoes recipe — Maxwell Cozzi

Preheat oven; combine milk and potatoes:

Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack set in the lower third of oven. Combine sliced potatoes and milk in a large saucepan over high heat.

Maxwell Cozzi
Cook potatoes:

Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 3 minutes.

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Drain potatoes, reserving milk:

Place a colander over a large bowl and drain potatoes, reserving milk. You should have 2 cups of thick, starchy milk. If potatoes have absorbed more than 1 cup of milk, add enough milk to bring the reserved milk volume to 2 cups.

Maxwell Cozzi
Prep baking dish and arrange potatoes in it:

Rub a 3 1/2-quart oval baking dish with garlic and butter. Arrange sliced potatoes in the baking dish; season with salt and pepper.

Maxwell Cozzi
Add butter and reserved milk and cream:

Dot with remaining butter and pour over reserved cooking milk and cream.

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Add cheese:

Sprinkle cheese over top.

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Bake:

Transfer baking dish to oven and bake until cheese becomes deep golden brown and milk has reduced and thickened, 80 to 90 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest before serving.

Let the scalloped potatoes rest when they come out of the oven, just as you would for a roast. This allows the dish to set—and makes it easier and less messy to serve.

Maxwell Cozzi

Frequently Asked Questions

Should the sliced potatoes be soaked in water?

No, we don't call for rinsing the sliced potatoes or for soaking them in water in our scalloped potatoes recipes. This is because rinsing or soaking will remove the natural starches contained in the potato, which is used to help thicken the dish as it cooks. Rinsing or soaking also makes potatoes more watery—and you don't want to add water to the creamy dish.

Why are my scalloped potatoes chewy?

If the potatoes aren't cooked properly, they will seem chewy and have an al dente texture. We avoid this issue by cooling the sliced potatoes in milk on the stovetop, prior to assembling and baking the scalloped potatoes. If you are using another recipe, make sure the potatoes cook evenly by rotating the dish in your oven halfway through cooking. Also, test for doneness in more than one place: Your knife should slide in and out with no resistance.

Why are my scalloped potatoes watery?

Watery scalloped potatoes are not good, and is often caused by using the wrong type of potato. This recipe requires starchy potatoes, such as russets or Yukon golds, not waxy potatoes. Another cause is washing or holding the sliced potatoes in water (as outlined in the question above).

5 More Creamy Potato Casserole Recipes to Try:

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, April 1995

Updated by

Victoria Spencer

Scalloped Potatoes

Why This Recipe Works So Well

Making Ahead

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven; combine milk and potatoes:

Cook potatoes:

Drain potatoes, reserving milk:

Prep baking dish and arrange potatoes in it:

Add butter and reserved milk and cream:

Add cheese:

Bake:

Frequently Asked Questions

5 More Creamy Potato Casserole Recipes to Try: