Nothing says comfort food better than a big old helping of homemade Scalloped Potatoes (Dauphinoise Potatoes). This simple dish can be made ahead of time and is actually very easy to whip up into the most creamy, cheesy and decadent side dish you have ever had.
Yes, a pretty ambitious statement, but it is true.
These Scalloped Potatoes are the sort of comfort food that grandmas all across the world would have whipped up in a jiffy for various meals like the regular Sunday Roast family gatherings, Easter, Thanksgiving, potlucks, Christmas and more. Especially since the leftovers taste soooo much better the next day.
Peeps, this is the best scalloped potatoes recipe you will ever find and they are simply lovely thin slices of potatoes, baked in layers of a spiced cream and cheese sauce.
Ain’t nothing better.
Are you ready to whip up this Easy Scalloped Potatoes recipe?? Then go grab all the lovely ingredients from your pantry / fridge and come back so I can show you…
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes (Dauphinoise Potatoes) In the Oven
Want to make Instant Pot scalloped potatoes? Just hop on down to the ‘How to Make Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes’ section.
Step 1. Cook the butter and corn flour for a min until they form a paste.
Step 2. Add the warm milk and whisk until smooth and then keep cooking for a further 2-3 mins until thick.
Step 3. Quickly add in spices, seasoning and most of the cheeses, mix and switch off the heat.
Step 4. Layer half the potatoes slices in an oven dish and pour on half the cheese sauce.
Step 5. Add the remaining potato slices and top with the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
Step 6. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hr.
Step 7. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 mins until cooked through and golden.
Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
You can make Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes instead of the oven baked version. The plus point in this is that it takes about half the time of the oven version and it frees up your oven space.
I give two slight variations of the cooking recipe here. The first version uses the exact same white sauce as the oven version. This is the version I use all the time. The second version is a ‘mix all the sauce ingredients together and add to the potatoes,’ aka no cooking the béchamel sauce first. So it cuts down even further on the prep and cooking time. Perfect for weeknight suppers, right?
How To Make Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
Step 1. If making the quicker version, mix together the melted butter, cornflour, milk, double cream, spices, seasoning and most of the cheeses and set aside.
Then continue to step 4… OR:
Step 1. Cook the butter and corn flour for a min until they form a paste.
Step 2. Add the warm milk and whisk until smooth and then keep cooking for a further 2-3 mins until thick.
Step 3. Quickly add in spices, seasoning and most of the cheeses, mix and switch off the heat.
Step 4. Layer half the potatoes slices in your Instant Pot-ready dish and pour on half the cheese sauce.
Step 5. Add the remaining potato slices and top with the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
Step 6. Cover the potatoes with foil and place on a trivet.
Step 7. Add the water to the Instant pot insert, place the dish on the trivet in the Instant Pot, close pot, set valve to sealing, manual, high pressure and timer to 25 mins. You will need up to 35 mins if you use thicker slices.)
Step 7. Let cook till done and then do a quick pressure release.
Step 8. Remove the potatoes in the dish from the Instant Pot, discard the foil and place the potatoes under the grill / broiler for 3-5 mins until the top is golden and crispy.
Tips for Making Easy Scalloped Potatoes
How about a few tips for making Scalloped Potatoes, because we all love tips that make cooking much easier right?
This recipe called for peeled sliced potatoes. My preference is unpeeled potatoes because of the contrast of the lovely potato skin to the soft, creamy, tender potatoes. Try it both ways and see what you prefer.
To cut down the cheese sauce cooking time, make sure to use warm milk. Simply microwave the milk for about 1-2 mins before cooking with it.
You should not get any lumps in your cheese sauce, but if you do, then simply finish cooking the milk part of the sauce, strain through a sieve, put back in the pot before adding in the spices and the cheeses.
If you can, try and cut your potato to similar thickness so that they cook at similar rates. Using a mandolin to cut the potato slices will help.
Which Potato Is Best For Homemade Scalloped Potatoes?
Great question. Russet potatoes have more starch and so they make a thicker and creamier sauce.
Can Scalloped Potatoes Be made Ahead of Time?
The answer is yes, just assemble them with the cheese sauce in the dish, and then refrigerate them unbaked. You can keep them 2-3 days this way.
Can Scalloped Potatoes Be made In The Crockpot?
Yes, just layer them in the crockpot and cook for 4-5 hours on high and 8-10 hours on low.
Can Scalloped Potatoes Be Frozen?
Yes, this is one dish that can be frozen. All you need to do is take the potatoes out of the oven a little bit before they are done. This helps protect their texture so they don’t fall to mush. You can then bake from frozen or thaw them in the fridge before baking.
Scalloped Potatoes With Ham
If you want to make homemade Scalloped Potatoes with ham, simple add in about 100g (2/3 cup) of cubed ham along with the cheese sauce.
Scalloped Potatoes With Bacon
If you want to make Scalloped Potatoes with bacon, simple add in about 100g (2/3 cup) of fried bacon along with the cheese sauce.
Quick Scalloped Potatoes
To make quick Scalloped Potatoes, I suggest that you make them in the Instant Pot. I have given a recipe in the recipe card below. You can also microwave the potato slices before cooking and this will reduce the baking times to about 45 mins.
Weight Watchers Points in Scalloped Potatoes
There are 10 Freestyle Points in a serving of Scalloped Potatoes.
What to serve with Scalloped Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes go well with sooo many foods. Some suggestions:
Pomegranate Grilled Lamb Steaks
Thank you for reading my Scalloped Potatoes recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, UK food blog.
GET THE SCALLOPED POTATOES RECIPE:
Easy Scalloped Potatoes (Dauphinoise Potatoes)
Ingredients
Oven version
- 900 g (2 lbs) Potatoes peeled and sliced into 1/8’’ slices
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp corn flour or plain flour if not gluten free
- 550 ml (2.25 cups) warm milk
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
- 0.25 tsp paprika
- 0.5 tsp ground white or black pepper
- Salt
- 225 g (2 cups) grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan divided
- Herbs for garnish
Instant Pot version
- 900 g (2 lbs) Potatoes peeled and sliced into 1/8’’ slices
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp corn flour or plain flour if not gluten free
- 300 ml (1.25 cups) double cream (heavy cream)
- 250 ml 1 cup warm milk
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
- 0.25 tsp paprika
- 0.5 tsp ground white or black pepper
- Salt
- 225 g (2 cups) grated cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan divided
- Herbs for garnish
Instructions
Oven version
- Preheat oven to fan assisted 160C / 180C / 350F / gas 4 and lightly oil an oven dish.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and quickly add in the flour and cook for up to a min until it forms a smooth paste.
- Slowly add in the milk and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Keep whisking the milk until thickened and quickly add in the nutmeg, paprika, peppers, salt, 190g (1.5 cups) of cheddar and 2 tbsp. of Parmesan and switch off the heat.
- Layer half the potatoes slices in the prepared oven dish and pour on half the cheese sauce.
- Then add the remaining potato slices and top with the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the cheeses.
- Cover the potatoes with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hr.
- Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for a further 25 mins until the potatoes are cooked through and the cheese is golden.
- Top with some herbs and serve.
Instant Pot version
- Add the butter, cornflour, double cream, milk, nutmeg, paprika, pepper and salt into a bowl and whisk until well combined.
- Then mix in 190g (1.5 cups) of cheddar and 2 tbsp of Parmesan and switch off the heat.
- Layer half the potatoes slices in the Instant Pot-ready dish and pour on half the cheese sauce.
- Then add the remaining potato slices and top with the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the cheeses.
- Cover the potatoes with foil and place on a trivet.
- Add 350 ml (1.5 cups) of water to the Instant Pot and place the dish on the trivet in the Instant Pot.
- Close pot, set valve to sealing, manual, high pressure and timer to 25 mins. (You will need up to 35 mins if you use thicker slices.)
- Let cook till done and then do a quick pressure release.
- Remove the potatoes from the Instant Pot, discard the foil and place the potatoes under the grill / broiler for 3-5 mins until the top is golden and crispy.
- Top with some herbs and serve.
Oh YUM!! That looks so decadent and delicious!! I love everything with potatoes. I am pretty I would devour this dish. I have to make this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I don’t think I’ve ever had scalloped potatoes that were made in an instant pot before. These look so creamy – the ultimate comfort food!
I am just loving that these can be made in the instant pot. I totally have to try it!
Ooh I LOVE dauphinoise potatoes – I’m still pining after an Instant Pot, but can’t believe how quick and easy it is to make just about anything in one. Definitely one for the Christmas list! X
Scalloped potatoes are seriously such a great comfort food! My best friend loves them like no other. These pics are gorgeous and totally have me drooling!
That looks like cheesy goodness!
It looks yummy! Thanks for sharing! This classic recipe for scalloped potatoes demonstrates the flavors of potatoes and onion baked in a special creamy sauce.
I like potato dishes! This is my favorite. And thanks to this article I can do it myself
Thank you for sharing the clamshell recipe.
It seems to me that I can smell potatoes through my computer monitor! Thanks for the original recipe – I will make my husband happy today.
What if I triple the recipe? How long will the cook time be? Do you have an idea? Need to make it for 20-something people in a couple of days. Also, have you ever cooked the day before and reheated the next? Are they just as good?
I noticed the recipe card instructions don’t match the above instructions for the instant pot. I think step one should say mix in a pot over medium heat then step two is correct for switch off the heat. I can’t wait to try these in my instant pot. I’ll give a review after that, thanks for sharing.