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Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes baked in a creamy garlic sauce with thin 1/8-inch layers, finished with Parmesan for a golden, fork-tender top. This classic American side dish is built in layers and simmered into a thickened sauce before baking.
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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: 460
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 cloves, minced
All-purpose flour
  • 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
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 cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan grated

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and heat the oven
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F, then butter a 9x13-inch baking dish for easy release and browning.
Make the creamy sauce
  1. Melt the butter, then cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
  3. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream, then simmer until slightly thickened.
  4. Season the sauce with salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme leaves, stirring so the herbs disperse.
Layer and bake
  1. Layer the sliced potatoes and onion in the dish in three layers, then pour sauce over each layer so everything is moistened.
  2. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 375F to cook the potatoes through.
  3. Uncover, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake 25-30 minutes at 375F until the top is golden and a fork slides through easily.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the scalloped potatoes for 15 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens and layers set.

Notes

For the neatest layers and even cooking, slice the potatoes to about 1/8 inch and keep them submerged in cool water only if you need to pause before layering. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; reheat in a 325F oven until hot throughout. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce will be slightly less thick).