Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes (Printable Version)

Thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy cheese sauce until golden and tender.

# 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 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

→ Seasonings

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

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
02 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute to form a smooth roux.
03 - Slowly pour 2 cups whole milk into the roux while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes until the sauce reaches a slightly thickened consistency.
04 - Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and half of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Whisk until melted and completely smooth.
05 - Spread half of the sliced potatoes evenly in the prepared baking dish. Layer half of the onion slices over the potatoes, then pour half of the cheese sauce over the onions. Repeat with remaining potatoes, onions, and cheese sauce.
06 - Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses over the top layer. Dust with 1/4 teaspoon paprika for color and flavor.
07 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 40 minutes.
08 - Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for an additional 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and the top is golden brown.
09 - Remove from the oven and let the dish rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to set slightly.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce is silky and not watery, even hours after baking, because we make a proper roux and don't skip the whisking.
  • Two cheeses mean you get depth and richness without that one-note flavor that single-cheese versions have.
  • Everything comes together in under two hours, so you can actually make this on a weeknight without losing your mind.
02 -
  • Whisking the milk into the roux slowly is the difference between silky sauce and grainy disaster—I learned this the hard way on my first attempt when I got impatient and poured it all in at once.
  • Don't use pre-shredded cheese from a bag if you can help it, because the anti-caking agents make the sauce grainy instead of smooth and luxurious.
  • Slice your potatoes right before layering because they'll start turning gray if they sit in water, and nobody wants gray potatoes in their pretty casserole.
03 -
  • Use a mandoline or the slicing blade on your food processor to get uniformly thin potatoes—they'll cook evenly and look restaurant-quality without extra effort.
  • Let your cheese sauce cool for just a minute before pouring it over the potatoes, because pouring boiling sauce onto cold potatoes means uneven cooking in your top layer.
  • The paprika on top is doing visual and flavor work, so don't skip it even if you think it's just decoration.
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