Cheesy, thinly sliced scalloped potatoes, also called potatoes au gratin, made from scratch are one of the most delicious potato side dishes around. This recipe uses Yukon gold potatoes, grated gruyere and parmesan cheese, thyme, and a bit of rosemary too for rich, herby flavor.
Okay, not to like “toot my own horn”, but these potatoes are one of the best things I’ve ever made. As soon as I was done taking these photos, I stood over my stove eating them straight from the dish with a fork. That’s when you know you have a winner.
On the other hand, how could these scalloped potatoes be bad when they’re loaded with heavy cream, gruyere cheese, and fall herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage? The answer is: they can’t.
While I was eating these like I hadn’t eaten anything all day, I was thinking how good they’d be with my Sous Vide Turkey Breast or one of the many other sous vide roast recipes I’ve created. They’re definitely holiday table worthy.
If you’re looking for other side dish recipes or maybe you’re feeling some Crispy Roasted Potatoes, I’ve got you!
What are the best potatoes for scalloped potatoes?
The best potatoes for scalloped potatoes are Yukon gold potatoes because of their slightly waxy, moist texture and their bright color for presentation. They keep their shape when baked, unlike Russets which are starchy and great for mashed potatoes. They also have a slightly sweet flavor that pairs so well with the creamy cheesiness of potatoes au gratin.
What’s the best cheese for au gratin potatoes?
Gruyere is one of the best cheeses for au gratin (scalloped) potatoes because it melts well and has a rich, creamy, nutty flavor as well as being plenty savory. Paired with slightly sweet Yukon gold potatoes, heavy cream, and roasting herbs like thyme, sage, and rosemary, you’ve got an incredible side dish.
Other cheeses that work well for scalloped potatoes include gouda, cheddar, fontina, and jack.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Don’t overthink this recipe – it’s really quite easy to prepare! But here are a few tips to make sure you nail it.
- Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes. A mandolin will help you ensure they’re all the same thickness and produce nice, thin slices! You want your slices to be 1/8 of an inch thick. Not to mention, a mandolin makes this so much easier.
- As tempting as it is, this mac and cheese will be way better if you shred the cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheese often has add ins that help the shreds not stick to one another but make it less likely to melt well. I use the grater attachment for my KitchenAid but you can just use a box grater.
- Don’t skip greasing the baking dish with butter – it helps everything not stick and adds a little extra richness.
- If the top isn’t well browned after the hour long cook, turn your oven to broil for a few minutes. Some crispy cheese on the top is essential to making this dish extra delicious!
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes
Check out the Google web story for step by step instructions for making these scalloped potatoes.
Start by using a mandolin or very sharp knife to slice your potatoes nice and thin – about 1/8 inch thick.
Then you’ll make the roux: melt lots o’ butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, then add torn sage leaves and fry them in the butter. Once they’re crispy, add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and whisk until thickened, then add the cream and milk. This description so far should easily be convincing you to make this dish. Turn off the heat and add the cheese and some thyme and rosemary.
Grease a baking dish (I love my Staub baking dish) really well with butter and start layering:
- Half the potatoes
- Half the roux
- Half the shredded gruyere
- Repeat!
- Top with parmesan and extra chopped thyme
Then cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown and crispy.
Now, you may commence in standing over your stove and diving in fork first. Maybe give them 10 minutes to cool first, actually.
If you’re looking for some amazing mains to serve with these scalloped potatoes, make sure to check out my sous vide roast recipes, including Sous Vide Whole Chicken, Sous Vide Pork Loin Roast with Garlic Herb Rub, and Sous Vide Leg of Lamb.
Common Questions
Absolutely! If I were you, I would do everything except bake them in advance. Just wrap with foil, pop in the fridge, then bake before serving.
Eat your scalloped potatoes within 5 days after cooking them.
You’ll want to your potatoes to be pretty thin, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes. A mandolin will help you ensure they’re all the same thickness and produce nice, thin slices!
You can also view this recipe as a step-by-step web story here.
Get the Recipe:
Scalloped (Sliced) Potatoes with Gruyere and Thyme
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
- 2 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing the dish
- 1 small white onion, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 sage leaves, torn
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup milk, 1% or 2%
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp minced fresh thyme, divided
- 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 2 cups grated gruyere cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Equipment
- Mandolin
- Baking Dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Peel the potatoes and use a mandolin to slice into 1/8 inch thick rounds. You can also use a very sharp knife.
- In a large skillet with high walls or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the sage leaves and cook until they've crisped, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook until thickened, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the milk, cream, salt, pepper, 1/2 of the thyme, and the rosemary.
- Grease a 10.5"x7.5" baking dish with butter. Layer half the potatoes in the baking dish. Pour half the cream mixture over the potatoes and top with half the shredded gruyere. Repeat with remaining potatoes, cream mixture, and cheese. Top with parmesan and remaining thyme.
- Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Removed the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender and the top is browned.
- Let cool for 10 minutes and serve.
This recipe has s easy to fix and for RAVE reviews from all who had the pleasure of eating it.
I give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So glad you liked it!! 🙂
Loved it!
So glad, Douglas!
I am going to try this recipe for Christmas dinner. Can you prepare this ahead and cook the next day?
You certainly can! I even think it’s a little richer that way 🙂
If preparing a day ahead, should I fully cook and then reheat or at what stage of the recipe do I stop?
I would completely assemble, wrap with foil, and cook whenever you’re ready. Don’t cook in advance.
Thanks. Merry Christmas!
has anyone actually made this dish ahead? reheated it, how long? or should one make and then reheat and if so how did it come out?
I am looking to cook for 12 people in a 13.5 x 10.5 pan, do you recommend me to double the recipe or 1 1/2 the recipe, struggling to do the math …. lol. thank you!!
Loved! I halved the dish because I’m only cooking for two. I definitely agreed with the tip to grease the dish with butter. My only issue was with the baking time. Like most potato recipes, I had to add more time…double what the recipe stated. Otherwise this is a keeper.
Thanks so much!! I used this recipe to make potato scalloped parcels 👍👍👍delicious!