This is my go-to recipe for how to make creamy, rich scalloped potatoes, and these are truly simple to make: Thinly slice potatoes, infuse milk and cream with seasonings (like garlic, nutmeg, and fresh herbs), then bake the spuds in the cream mixture until tender and browned on top.
Not only is this dish easy to make, but it goes with almost anything, from a weeknight roast chicken to a Sunday roast beef. Here are the secrets to making this indulgent comfort food.
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Recipe tips:
• I like to use buttery, waxy Yukon Gold potatoes for this dish; they release just the right amount of starch for a creamy sauce and hold their shape for great texture. (Floury potatoes, like russets, will leak too much starch and give you thick and sometimes gloppy results.)
• Slice the potatoes very thinly (about ⅛ inch thick) and uniformly so they cook evenly. This is a great time to break out your mandoline or use a very sharp chef’s knife.
• Steep cream and milk with fresh thyme, garlic, and nutmeg to add lots of extra flavor to the finished dish.
• Keep the potatoes covered during most of the cooking process to seal in steam, which helps promote even cooking. When they’re tender, uncover and broil the potatoes for a browned crust.
• Once the potatoes come out of the oven, give them 5 to 10 minutes to cool and reabsorb the cream mixture before serving. This results in creamy—not soupy scalloped potatoes.
• Make ahead: The dish can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated.Let sit at room temperature while the oven heats. You can keep the cooked scalloped potatoes, covered, in a warm oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
Equipment
Check to make sure you have these kitchen tools on hand before making scalloped potatoes:
- Vegetable peeler, mandoline or sharp chef’s knife
- 3-quart (9 x 13 x 2-inch) baking dish
- Medium (3- to 4-quart) saucepan
- Whisk
- Fine sieve
- Large liquid measuring cup
- Paring knife
- Flat spatula
Comments and ratings
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Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. butter, cut into small pieces; more for the baking dish
- 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- 4 medium cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 ½ lb. Yukon Gold potatoes (8 to 10 large),
peeled and sliced ⅛ inch thick
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously butter a 3-quart (9x13x2-inch) baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the cream, milk, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, 2 ½ tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and then remove from the heat and let cool in the pan to room temperature. Strain through a fine sieve into a large liquid measuring cup.
- Arrange about a third of the potatoes in an overlapping layer in the baking dish. Stir the cream and pour about a third of it over the potatoes. Repeat twice more with the remaining potatoes and cream mixture. Dot the butter over the top and cover with foil.
- Bake until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a paring knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and pre heat the broiler on high. Uncover the potatoes and gently press them down with a flat spatula so the cream mixture mostly cover them. Broil until nicely browned on top, 5 to 8 minutes. Let the potatoes rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Let sit at room temperature while the oven heats. You can keep the cooked scalloped
potatoes, covered, in a warm oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition
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