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Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes baked in a creamy milk-and-cream sauce with thin 1/8-inch russet layers and a golden Parmesan top. Simmered sauce, layered assembly, then baked covered and uncovered for fork-tender results.
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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: 365
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick
Onion
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
Butter
  • 4 tbsp butter
Garlic
  • 3 garlic minced
All-purpose flour
  • 1 4 tbsp all-purpose flour measure and use to thicken the sauce
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 build the baking dish
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish for easy release and clean edges (visual cue: glossy butter coating the bottom and sides).
  2. Melt the butter, then cook the minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant (visual cue: garlic looks lightly sizzling but not browned).
  3. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste (visual cue: mixture turns smooth and slightly paste-like).
Make the creamy sauce
  1. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream, then simmer until slightly thickened (visual cue: sauce coats the back of a spoon and looks pourable yet thicker).
  2. Season with salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves, stirring until evenly distributed (visual cue: visible specks of thyme and consistent seasoning throughout).
Layer, bake, and brown
  1. Layer the sliced russet potatoes and thinly sliced onion in the dish in three layers, pouring sauce over each layer (visual cue: each potato layer is visibly slick with sauce).
  2. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 1 hour (visual cue: potatoes soften and sauce bubbles under the foil).
  3. Uncover, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and bake 25-30 minutes at 375F until golden and fork-tender (visual cue: browned top and a fork slides into potato layers with little resistance).
Rest and serve
  1. Rest for 15 minutes before serving to let the sauce set slightly (visual cue: bubbling slows and the layers hold together when you scoop).

Notes

For the best creamy texture, slice potatoes to a consistent 1/8-inch thickness so they finish at the same time. Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat in a 325F oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the dairy can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, replace the heavy cream with an equal amount of evaporated milk for a similar richness with less fat.