These Loaded Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect side dish for holidays and everyday meals. They’re layered with lots of cheese and bacon, and cooked in a cheesy sauce.
What’s in this Loaded Scalloped Potatoes Recipe?
Scalloped potatoes are a classic side dish, and they never fail to please. Thinly sliced, creamy potatoes baked in the oven are just undeniably delicious. These loaded scalloped potatoes are extra tasty because they’re cooked in a cheesy sauce, and layered between more cheese and bacon.
- Potatoes: I like Yukon Gold best for their balance between a waxy and starchy texture. They hold their shape when baked, but are still fluffy inside.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness to and helps thicken the sauce.
- Garlic: Adds an earthy flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Combines with the butter to thicken the sauce.
- Chicken Broth: Forms the base of the sauce, adding umami flavor.
- Milk: Makes the sauce creamy.
- Salt + Pepper: Enhances the natural flavor of the sauce.
- Nutmeg: Adds just a hint of warming spice to round out the flavor of the sauce.
- Cheese: I like cheddar cheese, but any melting cheese will work.
- Bacon Crumbles: Add a great salty, umami crunch to the casserole.
Pro Tip: Use your broiler to brown the cheese at the end. This is optional, but that quick burst of heat adds flavor and looks beautiful.
Variations on Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon
There are lots of ways to change up this loaded casserole. Try swapping out the bacon and cheddar for ham and Swiss, mushroom and gruyere, garlic and Parmesan, or caramelized onion and blue cheese.
Make it Tex-Mex by adding corn, black beans, diced green chilies, and pepper jack cheese. Or make loaded breakfast scalloped potatoes by adding cooked crumbled breakfast sausage and scrambled eggs!
You can slice the potatoes and keep them in a covered bowl submerged in water for up to 24 hours.
Sure! The skin will add a bit of a different texture to the dish, though.
If you put cold milk and cheese in the oven with the potatoes, you might find it curdling from the high direct heat. By heating the dairy beforehand as it’s mixed into a sauce, we can avoid this problem.
If your potatoes turn out watery, it’s likely that the potato slices were too wet from being boiled. Make sure to drain them well and pat them dry before adding to your casserole.
We don’t want runny potatoes, so we’re adding flour into the sauce to thicken it up. This sauce is the secret to the best scalloped potatoes!
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover loaded scalloped potatoes covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze scalloped potatoes whole or divided into individual portions in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these scalloped potatoes with holiday favorites, like Thanksgiving turkey, Easter ham, or Christmas beef tenderloin. They’re also great with regular weeknight meals, like crockpot chicken breast, smothered pork chops, or creamy garlic shrimp.
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2½ cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup cooked bacon crumbles (from 8-10 slices)
- Chopped fresh chives optional, for topping
Recommended Equipment
- 8×8-inch Baking Pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with olive oil spray and set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the flour until well combined.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, cook for 1 minute, then stir in the milk. Whisk until smooth, seasoning with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens.2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 2 cups milk, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese until melted.2½ cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese
- Spread ¼ cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange ⅓ of the sliced potatoes evenly over the sauce. Top with ⅓ of the sauce to cover the potatoes, then sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the cheddar cheese and ⅓ of the bacon. Continue layering two more times in that order with the remaining potatoes, sauce, cheese, and bacon and repeat. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.½ cup cooked bacon crumbles
- Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Turn the broiler to high and brown the cheese, if desired.
- Garnish with chives and serve warm.Chopped fresh chives
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Place the potatoes in the water and then bring it to a boil (instead of boiling the water first).
- Cover the potatoes with aluminum foil for the majority of the baking time. Only remove it for the last 5 minutes.
- Use your broiler to brown the cheese at the end. This is optional, but that quick burst of heat adds flavor and looks beautiful.
Nutrition Information
Where to begin? If you cut the potatoes like in the images and cook as directed, you end up with mush. 1/4 thick is a REALLY thick slice. Using 4 cups of liquid (2 broth/2 milk) with only 1/4 cup of flour yields a very liquid ‘sauce’. 2 cups of liquid total would be much more appropriate. And then there’s the total time…this recipe easily takes 1.5 hours (my bacon doesn’t cook itself). It was such a failure as directed, it was not even edible.
Oh no, Rachele! I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you! I’d love to help you troubleshoot. To keep the potatoes from going mushy, only boil until just beginning to turn tender. They should not quite be fork tender! They will continue to cook in the oven to the perfect consistency. Also, be sure to cook the sauce over the stovetop until it begins to thicken. This may take longer than directed depending on your individual stove!