Extra Creamy Scalloped Potatoes (Cheesy, From-Scratch Comfort Food Recipe!)

By Rebecca St.Clair

Looking for rich and creamy scalloped potatoes from scratch? Perfectly tender potatoes in a luscious homemade garlic cream sauce with a signature silky texture. It’s a crowd-pleasing cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe for holidays, potlucks, or family dinners that pairs beautifully with ham, roast chicken, or beef.

Bubbly and golden on top and a dreamy creamy inside, these cheesy scalloped potatoes are a must-make comfort food classic. The combination of tender sliced potatoes and a rich sauce makes this one of the best baked scalloped potatoes recipes for holiday dinners is always on the table for our Easter dinner. Easy to prep and guaranteed to impress, it’s the ultimate creamy potato casserole.

These extra creamy scalloped potatoes are the ultimate comfort food side dish. Made with a béchamel sauce, fresh garlic, and plenty of melted cheese, this easy scalloped potatoes recipe bakes up velvety smooth with perfectly tender layers. This potato casserole is everything you love about traditional scalloped potatoes, only creamier, cheesier, and more indulgent.

How to Store Leftover Scalloped Potatoes

Fridge

• Let the scalloped potatoes cool to room temperature (but don’t leave them out longer than 2 hours
• Transfer to an airtight container or cover completely with plastic wrap or foil.
• Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To Reheat
Scalloped potatoes can dry out, so reheat them covered in the oven at 325°F (165°C) until warmed through.

• You can add a splash of milk or cream before reheating to bring back that creamy texture.
• You can microwave individual portions, but cover them and heat in short intervals.

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Freezer

• Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
• Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Stir gently and add a little cream when reheating to help restore texture.

How to Prepare Make Ahead Extra Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Freeze Before Baking

Cream sauces freeze much better before they’re fully baked.

• Layer your sliced potatoes with the béchamel sauce and cheese in a freezer-safe baking dish
• If your béchamel is warm, let the assembled dish cool before freezing. This prevents excess condensation and ice crystals.
• Cover completly with plastic wrap. Then wrap again with foil or use an airtight lid.
• Label with date and baking instructions.
• Freeze for up to 2 months

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How to Bake Extra Creamy Scalloped Potatoes from Frozen

Thaw Overnight (Best Texture)

• Thaw in the fridge 24 hours.
• Let sit at room temp 30 minutes before baking.
• Bake covered at 350°F (180°C) until bubbly and tender (about 60–75 minutes).
• Uncover and continue to bake 30 minutes to brown the top.

Bake from Frozen

• Bake covered at 350°F (180°C) for about 90 minutes or until warmed through the centre.
• Uncover and bake another 30 minutes or until golden.

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What Potatoes to use for Extra Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Yukon Gold

• Medium starch
• They will help thicken the creamy sauce but still hold their shape
• Buttery flavour.

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Russet Potatoes

• Starchy potatoes will thicken the sauce with extra creamy layers
• Absorb sauce well
• Softer potatoes

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Red Potatoes

• Firmer potatoes for defined, neat layers
• Less “melt-in-your-mouth” texture
• A slightly firmer bite
• They won’t thicken the sauce as much.

How to make Extra Creamy Scalloped Potatoes

Sauce

1. In a sauce pot over medium heat, add 1/3 cup butter and stir to melt.
2. Add in 4 cloves of minced garlic and fry in the butter until just starting to colour.
3. Remove from the heat and whisk in 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour.
4. Whisk to a smooth paste.
5. Return to medium heat and whisk until you see a few bubbles for from it starting to simmer.

6. Whisk in 5 cups of warm milk.

7. Continue to whisk until the mixture starts to thicken and just starts to simmer.

8. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
2. Wash and thinly slice 3 pounds of potatoes. (I used a mandolin set at 1/8 inch thickness.)

3. Spread a third of the sliced potatoes into the bottom of a large rectangular casserole dish.

4. Sprinkle a third of the cheese on top.

5. Pour 1/3 of the sauce evenly on top.

6. Repeat for the next two layers, ending in a layer of sauce.

7. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

8. Remove the foil and return to the oven to bake for another 35 minutes or until browned on top and the potatoes are tender.

9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set 8 to 10 minutes before serving.

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