The Best Scalloped Potatoes
This recipe for The Best Scalloped Potatoes is truly exceptional! Thinly sliced gold potatoes with a creamy garlic smoked gouda cheese sauce.
A CREAMY SIDE DISH RECIPE
Scalloped Potatoes are thinly sliced potatoes coated in a rich, creamy cheese sauce. For this recipe, I went with smoked gouda as my cheese of choice. I think it really makes this recipe stand out from all the others. Decadently delicious!

TIPS FOR MAKING THIS SIDE DISH:
- You can use any kind of melting cheese for this recipe such as cheddar, gruyere, fontina, or mozzarella.
- When assembling, it will seem like there is not enough sauce, but once it cooks the potatoes will release moisture and will add to the sauciness.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- gold potatoes
- salted butter
- diced onion
- salt and pepper
- garlic
- fresh thyme
- all-purpose flour
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- smoked gouda cheese
- grated parmesan cheese

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST SCALLOPED POTATOES:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside. Slice the potatoes very thin, 1/8th of an inch. I suggest using a mandolin for this. The potatoes need to be the same thickness so they all cook at the same time. Place the sliced potatoes into a large bowl with cold water, set aside.

In a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat, add the butter and melt. Add the onions, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally cook until the onions are just softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and thyme, cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

Slowly pour in the milk and whisk constantly to ensure no lumps form. Whisk in the heavy cream. Stirring occasionally, let this mixture come to a simmer, once it starts to bubble the littlest bit, take it off the heat.

Stir in half of the gouda until melted.

Drain the potatoes. Place half of the potatoes into the bottom of the baking dish.

Pour half of the sauce on top.

Sprinkle half of the parmesan cheese on top.

Add the rest of the potatoes on top.

Top with the remaining sauce.

Add the rest of the gouda and parmesan on top.

Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes then remove the foil and cook for about another 30 minutes (until the potatoes are fork-tender.) Garnish with parsley, optional.

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The Best Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds gold potatoes, peeled
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped optional
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded smoked gouda cheese, divided use
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- freshly chopped parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
- Slice the potatoes very thin, 1/8th of an inch. I suggest using a mandolin for this. The potatoes need to be the same thickness so they all cook at the same time.
- Place the sliced potatoes into a large bowl with cold water, set aside.
- In a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat, add the butter and melt. Add the onions, salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally cook until the onions are just softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and thyme, cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, slowly pour in the milk and whisk constantly to ensure no lumps form.
- Whisk in the heavy cream. Stirring occasionally, let this mixture come to a simmer, once it starts to bubble the littlest bit, take it off the heat. Stir in half of the gouda until melted.
- Drain the potatoes. Place half of the potatoes into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Pour half of the cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle half of the parmesan cheese on top.
- Add the rest of the potatoes on top. Top with the remaining sauce. Add the rest of the gouda and parmesan on top.
- Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes then remove the foil and cook for about another 30 minutes (until the potatoes are fork-tender.)
- Garnish with parsley, optional.
Video
Notes
- Dried thyme can be substituted for the fresh thyme (about a teaspoon).
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I have a question What brand of mandolin do you use or suggest?
Thank you
HI Lorraine! There are two I recommend (depending on your budget) – the first one is by a company called Mueller Austria. It’s about $30. The other is by OXO Good Grips with is about $18.
These were delicious…..great with our baked ham.
Thanks so much Vicki!
Can these be made the day before and reheated?
I don’t recommend it
These turned out great! I grated the onion to make it finer. Also the second time I made it, I added three strips of cooked/chopped bacon to the top before baking and omitted the cheese from the very top layer. Super yummy!!!
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know Lauren!
Scalloped potatoes don’t have cheese in them. Au gratin potatoes are the ones that have cheese. There’s a difference.
Yes, however scalloped potatoes have a sauce and au gratin potatoes don’t so we are calling these scalloped potatoes because they have a sauce with a little added cheese.
WOW just wow!