Scalloped Potatoes layer one kilogram of thin potato slices with a creamy mozzarella-and-cheddar sauce, then bake in two distinct stages for a golden, tender result. The recipe serves five and records 10 minutes of preparation, 90 minutes of cooking, and 100 minutes total. It uses one cup cream, one and one-half cups milk, and a butter-flour base rather than relying on canned soup. Covering the first half-hour protects the potatoes as they begin to soften; removing the foil, adding the remaining sauce, and baking for another hour develops color and finishes the center. Parsley or dill is the final optional garnish.
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Ingredients
Main Ingredients: 1 kg potatoes, thinly sliced; 1 cup mozzarella cheese; ¾ cup cheddar cheese; 1 cup cream; 1.5 cups milk; 2 tablespoons melted butter; 2 tablespoons flour; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; Salt, to taste; Black pepper, to taste; Parsley or dill, for garnish.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Mashed Potato Casserole.
How to Make Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter a baking dish.
- Prepare Potatoes: Peel and slice the potatoes thinly, then layer them in the buttered baking dish.
- Make Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Gradually add the milk and cream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Add Cheese to Sauce: Add the mozzarella and cheddar cheese to the sauce and stir until completely melted.
- Layer and Bake: Pour half of the cheese sauce over the layered potatoes and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Final Bake: Remove the foil, pour the remaining sauce over the potatoes, and bake uncovered for another hour or until the potatoes are golden and tender.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with parsley or dill and serve hot or warm.
For storage details after serving, the USDA leftovers and food safety guidance.
Why the Order Matters
Heat the oven to 375°F or 190°C and butter a baking dish. Peel one kilogram potatoes, cut them into uniformly thin slices, and layer them in the dish. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt two tablespoons butter and whisk in two tablespoons flour. Stir until smooth, then gradually add one and one-half cups milk and one cup cream while whisking constantly. Season with one teaspoon onion powder, one teaspoon garlic powder, salt to taste, and black pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Add one cup mozzarella and three-quarter cup cheddar and stir until completely melted. Pour half over the potatoes, cover with foil, and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, add the remaining sauce, and bake uncovered one hour until golden and tender.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes.
Critical Visual and Timing Cues
Even slicing is more important than an exact slice count. Thick and thin pieces in the same dish finish at different times, so aim for consistent rounds and overlap them neatly. Butter should be fully melted before flour enters, and the two need to become a smooth base without dry pockets. Add milk and cream gradually to limit lumps. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat promptly and stir around the bottom and corners until it coats the whisk more heavily. Both cheeses should disappear into the sauce before it is divided. During the first covered 30 minutes, trapped steam starts tenderizing the potatoes. The final uncovered hour is complete only when the top is golden and a knife passes easily through the central layers; color alone does not prove tenderness.
Serving and Storage
Garnish the hot or warm dish with either parsley or dill after baking. The source offers those herbs as alternatives, so one is enough. Allow a short settling time before dividing the casserole into five servings; this helps the thick cheese sauce cling to the layers. Refrigerate leftovers promptly because the sauce contains milk, cream, butter, mozzarella, and cheddar. Reheat until the middle is hot, covering loosely if the top begins to darken before the center warms. This recipe contains dairy and gluten from the flour, unless ingredients are deliberately changed beyond the verified formula. Potatoes naturally absorb seasoning, but salt and black pepper remain measured to taste; adjust during sauce preparation without inventing an additional seasoning stage at the table.
Practical Kitchen Notes
The liquid proportions must remain distinct: one and one-half cups milk and one cup cream. Likewise, mozzarella is one full cup while cheddar is three-quarter cup. Flour and melted butter are both two tablespoons, forming the sauce base. Onion and garlic are powders at one teaspoon each; fresh pieces are not listed. Divide the finished sauce in half by sight or with two vessels, because the recipe requires one portion before the covered bake and the rest after the foil comes off. Pour sauce across the entire surface and gently encourage it between overlaps instead of concentrating it in the center. Butter the baking dish before arranging potatoes, and choose a dish with enough depth to contain bubbling sauce during the long uncovered stage.
Details Worth Preserving
Organize the 100-minute recipe around the oven. Preheat first, butter the dish, then peel and slice potatoes so they do not sit exposed longer than necessary. Build layers while the saucepan heats. Whisk the roux smooth, add liquids gradually, season, thicken, and melt both cheeses completely. Set aside half the sauce for the second stage. Cover the first sauced layer snugly enough to retain steam and keep the full 30-minute interval. When removing foil, protect hands from escaping steam, pour the remaining sauce evenly, and return the dish uncovered for the full additional hour or until tender. Check the center with a thin knife, not just an edge. Garnish only after it leaves the oven and serve hot or warm as recorded.
Recorded Recipe Tips
- Slice the potatoes thinly and uniformly to ensure even cooking. Soaking the slices in cold water for 15 minutes can help remove excess starch and prevent sticking.
- Experiment with different types of cheese like gruyere or fontina for a richer flavor profile.
- You can customize the dish by adding other ingredients like bacon, ham, mushrooms, or broccoli between the potato layers.
Conclusion
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes makes 5 servings in 100 recorded minutes, plus any separately stated baking, chilling, rising, resting, or cooling time. Preserve every listed quantity and instruction for the intended result.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How many servings does Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes make?
It makes 5 servings and serves 5.
- → How long does Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes take?
The recipe records 10 minutes of preparation, 90 minutes of cooking, and 100 minutes total, plus any separately stated baking, chilling, rising, resting, or cooling time.
- → What equipment should be ready?
Prepare Baking dish; Knife or mandolin before starting.
- → Can I change the recorded method?
For the verified result, keep the listed quantities, temperatures, timing, and ordered instructions exactly as written. Use only optional variations explicitly recorded in the source.