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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. When I want to add an indulgent, cheesy side to any holiday meal, this is the recipe I turn to.
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
I find myself coming back to this recipe, holiday after holiday. It’s easy and loved by all. and for good reason! I’ve taken thinly sliced potatoes and layered them with a rich Béchamel sauce and gooey cheese and baked them to bubbly perfection. It’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures that pairs with pretty much anything.
Tips for Beginners
- Place the potatoes in the water and bring to a boil. This helps the potatoes cook more evenly, 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 so you can lock in moisture and prevent them from drying out.
- Peeled potatoes are best. I like to peel the potatoes for the best texture, but if you’d rather not, you don’t have to.
- Use the broiler to brown the cheese at the end. This is optional, but that quick burst of heat adds flavor and looks beautiful.
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter (½ stick)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups milk
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2½ cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese divided
- ½ cup cooked bacon crumbles (from 8-10 slices)
- chopped fresh chives optional, for topping
Video
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 lbs. 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 tbsp 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 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, ⅛ tsp 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
Equipment
- 8×8-inch Baking Pan
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Loaded Scalloped Potatoes Step by Step
Prep the pan and cook the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside. Slice 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes into ¼-inch rounds.
Place the potatoes in a large pot, pour enough water into the pot to completely cover them, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. If they are very wet, pat dry with a paper towel.
Make the roux: Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add 3 cloves minced garlic, and cook for 30 seconds, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Then stir in ¼ cup all-purpose flour and mix until well combined.
Make the sauce: Slowly whisk 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth into the roux mixture, cook for 1 minute, then stir in 2 cups milk and whisk until smooth to create a Béchamel sauce. Season with ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper, and ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg.
Add the cheese: Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese until melted.
Assemble the casserole: Spread ¼ cup of the sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange ⅓ of the sliced potatoes evenly over the sauce. Top with ⅓ of the Béchamel sauce, then sprinkle with ⅓ cup cheddar cheese and ⅙ cup bacon crumbles. Continue layering two more times following the same order of ingredients: potatoes, sauce, cheese, and bacon. Repeat and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
Bake the potatoes: Cover the casserole with foil and bake in the preheated oven 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 until bubbling, if desired. Garnish with chopped fresh chives, optional.
Serve: Serve the potatoes warm and enjoy.
Variations
Though I love this casserole as is, there are some easy swaps you can do to change the flavors
- Swap the meat: Use ham instead of bacon
- Add vegetables: Add in savory mushrooms
- Change the cheese: Use Swiss, Gruyere, or Parmesan
- Make it gourmet: Add caramelized onion and blue cheese
- Go Tex-Mex: Add corn, black beans, diced green chilies, and pepper jack cheese
- Turn it into breakfast: Add cooked crumbled breakfast sausage and scrambled eggs
How to Store
If you want to get a head start, you can slice the potatoes and keep them in a covered bowl submerged in water for up to 24 hours.
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.
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
I serve these scalloped potatoes with holiday favorites, like Thanksgiving turkey, or a sweet and savory honey glazed ham. Even a Christmas beef tenderloin would taste great alongside these cheesy potatoes. To round out my meal, I’ll often have a batch of Hawaiian rolls on the table.
More Holiday Recipes To Try
- Rack of Lamb with Mint Yogurt Sauce: A simple and fancy dish with savory crusted lamb and a fresh mint sauce.
- Pineapple Pretzel Salad: Features a pretzel crust topped with whipped cream and a tangy pineapple top.
- Loaded Devilled Eggs with Bacon: Make the perfect appetizer, this no-mayo version is a mixture of cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives, and more.
Hi. So I tried this as my first recipe from your site. It came out okay, I liked the flavor of the sauce and the spices in it. Used yellow potatoes as Yukon Gold were nowhere to be found. I think the ones I used were a bit large, I sliced them as indicated but rather than mush, they stayed a bit hard, at first. The sauce took much, much longer to thicken, I did not want to over cook it, but was about 45 minutes. Also used bacon bits, which were fine. I di think it needed a lot more cheese. After it was done had to put it back in oven to soften the potatoes and that worked out well. I don’t think I would make this again, not bad but not cheesy enough. I will try another of your various potato recipes as they all look good and I really like your site. For a new cook, I think they came out well.
Hi Laurie, We’re sorry to hear these didn’t turn out quite as expected! Scalloped potatoes can be a bit finicky, as they tend to turn to mush if sliced too thinly and they stay firm if sliced to thickly. You did the right thing by continuing to cook them! Cook times are always approximate, as everyone’s oven is a bit different. Hope you enjoy our other recipes!!
I am just learning to cook. Saw other kinds of potatoes in store, no Yukon Gold, mostly russet. Can they be used? So what is the difference between taters, red, baking, Y Gold, russet. All interchangeable? Hoping this comes out well as it looks great, but I have to get to store to find correct potatoes.
You can use any waxy potato, like red or fingerling. Avoid russets, as they will fall apart!