Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Printable)

Layers of tender potatoes baked with creamy cheese sauce offer a rich, golden side dish.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

→ Dairy

03 - 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
04 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 2 cups whole milk
06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

→ Seasonings

08 - 1 tsp salt
09 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
10 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
11 - 1/4 tsp paprika

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 1 minute to form a roux.
03 - Slowly pour milk into roux while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook until slightly thickened, approximately 3-4 minutes.
04 - Remove from heat. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and half of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses until melted and smooth.
05 - Layer half the potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half the onion slices and half the cheese sauce. Repeat with remaining potatoes, onions, and cheese sauce.
06 - Sprinkle remaining shredded cheeses and paprika over the top layer.
07 - Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown.
09 - Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better the next day, so you can make it ahead and hand off one less thing to stress about.
  • Two cheeses instead of one means real depth and richness without tasting heavy or one-dimensional.
  • Your oven does almost all the work, leaving you free to handle everything else on the table.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or gets grainy when you add the milk, take it off heat and whisk in an ice cube—the temperature drop sometimes saves it, and if not, you just learned why slow and steady wins with roux.
  • Covering with foil for the first part isn't optional; uncovered potatoes just dry out and brown unevenly, and nobody wants a crunchy-dry top with cold centers.
03 -
  • If the top is browning too fast but potatoes feel firm, tent with foil and extend the time—low and slow always beats rushed and burnt.
  • A touch of grated nutmeg in the cream sauce adds complexity without announcing itself, and it's the move that makes people ask what your secret is.
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