by Diana Rattray
A thickened sauce melts into the layers of the potatoes, creating a creamy, savory, potato scallop with crisp browned edges and amazing flavor. There’s no need to pre-cook the potatoes for this recipe, just make sure to slice them thinly, and they’ll cook to tender perfection. This is a comforting potato dish that is sure to please everyone!
The thickened milk mixture ensures a smooth and creamy sauce that doesn’t separate into lumpy curds. If you end up with a sauce that seems too thick, add more milk or some cream to it.
Classic Scalloped Potatoes
Discover the perfect recipe for creamy and flavorful scalloped potatoes. Thinly sliced potatoes cook to tender perfection in a thickened milk mixture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Potatoes
- Method: Bake
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 tablespoons butter (divided use)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped onion, optional
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Dash ground nutmeg, optional
- 2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives, divided, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Generously butter a 1 1/2 to 2-quart baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 5 tablespoons of butter. Sauté the onion—if using—until softened. Stir in the flour and cook until well incorporated and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened. Stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if using. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Layer half of the potato slices in the prepared baking dish. Spoon half the sauce mixture over the potatoes, then top with the remaining potatoes. Spoon the remaining sauce over all.
- Dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the foil and bake for 20 minutes longer, until the potatoes are tender and the top is lightly browned.
