Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Printable)

Thinly sliced potatoes baked with melted cheddar and mozzarella for a creamy, golden side.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

→ Dairy

03 - 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
04 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 2 cups whole milk
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
11 - 1/4 teaspoon paprika

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute until combined.
03 - Gradually pour milk into the roux while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking until sauce thickens slightly, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and half of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses until completely melted and smooth.
05 - Spread half the sliced potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Layer with half the onion slices and half the cheese sauce. Repeat with remaining potatoes, onions, and sauce.
06 - Sprinkle remaining shredded cheeses and paprika evenly over the top layer.
07 - Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes in preheated oven.
08 - Remove foil and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender and the top achieves a golden brown color.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes to allow flavors to set before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce is so silky and cheese-forward that you'll actually want to eat the potatoes, not just tolerate them as a side.
  • You can prep everything hours ahead and bake it when you're ready, which means less stress when you're already juggling five other dishes.
  • It feeds a crowd without making you feel like you've done anything fancy or complicated.
02 -
  • If your potatoes are cut too thick, they won't cook through in time and you'll end up with a creamy sauce surrounding hard potato chunks—use the mandoline and aim for about an eighth of an inch thick.
  • Don't skip the resting time at the end; those 10 minutes make the difference between a cohesive dish and one that falls apart when you serve it.
03 -
  • Slice your potatoes as uniformly as possible so they cook evenly; a mandoline makes this effortless and is worth the small investment if you cook potatoes often.
  • Taste the cheese sauce before it goes into the dish—this is your only chance to adjust salt and seasoning, and doing it now means you won't end up with an under-seasoned final dish.
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