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Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin are a combination of two classic potato casseroles – Potatoes Au Gratin and Scalloped Potatoes. This is an easy and classic recipe that is perfect to share with family and friends over Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter.
Looking for more holiday side dishes? You’ll love my Sweet Potato Casserole, my Baked Homemade Mac and Cheese, and my Cheesy Corn Casserole.
Why You’ll Love Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
In this Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin side dish, we combine thinly sliced potatoes with layers of onions and smother them in a creamy cheese sauce. It’s seasoned to perfection and then baked until tender, bubbly and golden brown.
Lusciously creamy and decadently cheesy thin gold potatoes, this is one side dish that’s a must on your holiday table. If I had to choose between mashed potatoes and gravy and scalloped potatoes au gratin, I’d choose these every time!
Not only are these a crowd-favorite, they look stunning and impressive on the table and they are surely worthy of a special occasion.
Key Elements
- Potatoes – The best option for this side dish is Yukon gold potatoes. They have a tender skin that won’t require any peeling. You can also use red potatoes, Russet or Idaho potatoes but Yukon’s tend to hold their shape without crumbling.
- Onions – We couldn’t prepare these scalloped potatoes without thinly sliced onions. Not only are they a classic in this recipe, they add lots of flavor.
- Cream-Cheese Sauce A quick cream sauce made with flour, butter, milk and plenty of sharp and flavorful cheeses and plenty of seasoning.
- Seasonings Simple seasonings in this recipe include salt, pepper, fresh garlic and a little mustard powder.
What Potatoes are Best for Scalloped Potatoes?
When choosing a potato for these scalloped potatoes au gratin, I recommend Yukon gold or red potatoes. They are starchy enough to help thicken the cheesy cream sauce but will also turn out soft and tender without crumbling the way russet/baker potatoes will.
To ensure even cooking, use a mandoline to slice your potatoes and onions. This will keep the thickness at 1/8 – 1/4 inch and will all be uniform in size.
How to Make Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
Before you start, be sure to scrub the skin on the potatoes all over since we are leaving the potato skins on in this recipe. For the full detailed and printable Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin recipe, see recipe card further down the page.
Step 1: Use a mandoline to cut the potatoes to a uniform 1/8-1/4″ thickness. Repeat with the onions, cutting them in rings as thin as possible. Stack them in layers with onion rings in between each potato slice. Plate the stacks upright in a buttered baking dish (2.5 – 3 quart).
Step 2: Make the cream-cheese sauce by melting butter in a saucepan with garlic and saute. Whisk in flour and cook 2-3 minutes. Add in the seasonings and half and half, whisking until smooth. Allow to simmer until it reduces. Stir in the cheeses.
Step 3: Spoon over the cream-cheese sauce over the potatoes and onions in the casserole dish. Cover with foil that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray and bake covered for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until it’s browned and bubbly. 
Tools I Love:
Round 3 QT Casserole Dish
Staub Red Casserole Dishes
Mandoline Slicer
Looking for More Holiday Side Dish Recipes?
- Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
- Crock Pot Creamed Corn
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Cornbread Dressing
- Creamed Spinach Bake
- The Best Mashed Potatoes
- Corn Casserole
- Cranberry Sauce
Looking for More Holiday Dishes?
I hope you enjoy this easy recipe for Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin. Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback!
If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
I hope you enjoyed this holiday side dish recipe for this scalloped potatoes au gratin! I look forward to your questions and feedback below.
Please be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
Ingredients
- 2.5-3 pounds red potatoes
- 1 onion
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1.5 teaspoons dry mustard powder
- 2.5 cups half and half
- 1.5 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Scrub potatoes well then slice into ⅛” thin slices using a mandoline. Slice onion as thin as possible, using a mandoline for uniform slices.
- Layer potatoes and onions in little stacks and place upright in a buttered/greased 2.5-3 quart casserole dish.
- Melt butter in a saucepan then add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium low heat, stirring constantly.
- Add the seasonings and whisk in the half and half. Continue whisking until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses until melted.
- Spoon cheese sauce over potatoes. Cover with foil (sprayed with cooking spray) and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned and potatoes are cooked. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
It’s a different type of potato recipe and it’s good. It fits somewhere in the middle. Scalloped potatoes for me is 4-6 sliced potatoes, a diced onion, a ham steak cut up into bite sized pieces, salt, pepper, a can of cream of celery soup, a can of evaporated milk, bacon slices for the top. I’ll adjust the soup milk mixture depending upon how creamy I want it. Au gratin potatoes for me are diced potatoes, onions, salt and pepper and a cheddar cheese sauce, bread crumbs for the top.
Is this a dish you can make ahead of time and perhaps refrigerate overnight before cooking?
Can this recipe be made ahead of time and reheated? BTW-It looks like a delicious recipe! Thanks so much!
yes, wondering this myself for Thanksgiving.
@badbatchbaking
Hi Kristy – I just replied to Kathy and making sure you can see this as well:This can be assembled ahead, cooled and refrigerated before baking. I don’t recommend anything longer than 2 days ahead. When you are ready to bake it, allow it to sit on the counter for 30 minutes to remove the chill from the fridge first. Then follow the baking instructions in the recipe.
Hi Kathy – yes absolutely. This can be assembled ahead, cooled and refrigerated before baking. I don’t recommend anything longer than 2 days ahead. When you are ready to bake it, allow it to sit on the counter for 30 minutes to remove the chill from the fridge first.
Can you make this in advance and then bake? Maybe put together in the morning and then bake for dinner?
I’m just starting to consider what I’ll do for food on Thursday while living abroad. This looking amazing and you make me actually feel like I can cook it!
Hi Veronica – this is such a wonderful compliment. I try to make all of my recipes attainable for people of all skill levels in the kitchen. Good luck on Thursday, let me know how this dish turns out (if you decide to make it). God bless!