Our Recipe for Scalloped Potatoes Includes Gruyère for a Crispy, Cheesy Topping (2024)

1. Preheat oven; combine milk and potatoes:

   Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack set in the lower third of oven. Combine sliced potatoes and milk in a large saucepan over high heat.

   

2. Cook potatoes:

   Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 3 minutes.

   

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3. Drain potatoes, reserving milk:

   Place a colander over a large bowl and drain potatoes, reserving milk. You should have 2 cups of thick, starchy milk. If potatoes have absorbed more than 1 cup of milk, add enough milk to bring the reserved milk volume to 2 cups.

   

4. Prep baking dish and arrange potatoes in it:

   Rub a 3 1/2-quart oval baking dish with garlic and butter. Arrange sliced potatoes in the baking dish; season with salt and pepper.

   

5. Add butter and reserved milk and cream:

   Dot with remaining butter and pour over reserved cooking milk and cream.

   

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6. Add cheese:

   Sprinkle cheese over top.

   

7. Bake:

   Transfer baking dish to oven and bake until cheese becomes deep golden brown and milk has reduced and thickened, 80 to 90 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest before serving.

   Let the scalloped potatoes rest when they come out of the oven, just as you would for a roast. This allows the dish to set—and makes it easier and less messy to serve.

   

Frequently Asked Questions

Should the sliced potatoes be soaked in water?

No, we don't call for rinsing the sliced potatoes or for soaking them in water in our scalloped potatoes recipes. This is because rinsing or soaking will remove the natural starches contained in the potato, which is used to help thicken the dish as it cooks. Rinsing or soaking also makes potatoes more watery—and you don't want to add water to the creamy dish.

Why are my scalloped potatoes chewy?

If the potatoes aren't cooked properly, they will seem chewy and have an al dente texture. We avoid this issue by cooling the sliced potatoes in milk on the stovetop, prior to assembling and baking the scalloped potatoes. If you are using another recipe, make sure the potatoes cook evenly by rotating the dish in your oven halfway through cooking. Also, test for doneness in more than one place: Your knife should slide in and out with no resistance.

Why are my scalloped potatoes watery?

Watery scalloped potatoes are not good, and is often caused by using the wrong type of potato. This recipe requires starchy potatoes, such as russets or Yukon golds, not waxy potatoes. Another cause is washing or holding the sliced potatoes in water (as outlined in the question above).

5 More Creamy Potato Casserole Recipes to Try:

• Golden Potato Gratin
• White-Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes
• Scalloped Potatoes With Leeks
• Martha’s Scalloped Potatoes
• Muffin-Pan Potato Gratins