Our Definitive Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Side Dish: A Festive Must-Have

Are you looking for a side dish so memorable it becomes the main topic of conversation at the dinner table? A dish that brings a comforting warmth to Sunday lunches or festive Christmas feasts? We’ve been on that same journey. It’s the pursuit of the ultimate comfort dish—one that is creamy, savoury, and profoundly satisfying. We’re delighted to say that journey has led us here. We are excited to share our cherished recipe for the definitive Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Side Dish, a creation so rich and flavourful it’s destined to become a staple in your home.

This is far more than a simple potato bake. Picture this: delicate layers of finely sliced potatoes, cooked to tender perfection, enveloped in a smooth, homemade cheese sauce, then baked until it’s golden and bubbling. It’s the kind of recipe that fills your home with the most welcoming aroma, setting the stage for a meal filled with warmth and connection. Whether you’re an experienced home cook or new to the kitchen, we’re confident you’ll find this recipe a joy to make. Let’s begin!

Why You’ll Adore This Recipe

• Sumptuously Creamy and Cheesy: We blend mature Cheddar with nutty Gruyère in a classic béchamel sauce, which results in a wonderfully sharp, complex flavour and an exceptionally luxurious consistency.
• A Stunning Centrepiece for Any Table: With its gorgeous golden-brown crust and lusciously creamy layers, this dish is as beautiful as it is delicious. It’s special enough for a celebration but straightforward enough for a cosy weeknight meal.
• Perfect for Planning Ahead: We understand that hosting can be a whirlwind. This entire dish can be assembled the day before, making it one of the most convenient christmas side dishes you can prepare, freeing up valuable time when you need it most.
• Made with Kitchen Staples: You won’t need to hunt for speciality items. This impressive dish is created using simple, everyday ingredients like potatoes, cheese, milk, and butter that you likely already have.
• Wonderfully Versatile: It serves as a fantastic accompaniment to a wide variety of main courses, from a traditional roast chicken and festive glazed ham to a perfectly cooked steak.

Ingredients

• 60g unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 60g plain flour
• 700ml whole milk, warmed
• 250ml double cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 200g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
• 100g Gruyère cheese, grated
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh chives or parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Step-by-Step Guide to the Perfect Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Crafting this remarkable potato recipe is a very manageable process. We’ve organised it into three clear stages: prepping the potatoes, making the beautiful cheese sauce, and finally, assembling and baking.

Step 1: Preparing the Potatoes

The key to perfectly cooked scalloped potatoes lies in uniformity. We want the potato slices to be of a consistent thickness to ensure they all cook through evenly. A mandoline slicer is the most efficient tool for this, but you can achieve excellent results with a sharp knife and a bit of patience. As you slice the potatoes, submerge them in a large bowl of cold water. This prevents discolouration and helps wash away any excess starch. Before you start layering, drain the potatoes well and pat them completely dry with a kitchen towel.

Step 2: Making the Rich and Creamy Cheese Sauce

The sauce is where the magic really happens, and creating it is simpler than you might imagine. We are essentially making a classic béchamel and enriching it with a generous amount of cheese.

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan or a Dutch oven, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5–7 minutes until it becomes soft and translucent without taking on any colour. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until it becomes fragrant.
2. Next, stir in the plain flour to form a paste, which is known as a roux. Allow this to cook for two minutes, stirring all the while. This important step cooks out the raw flour flavour and ensures a smooth sauce.
3. Begin to pour in the warm milk, adding it gradually while whisking constantly to avoid any lumps. Once all the milk has been added, you should have a smooth, elegant sauce.
4. Now, stir in the double cream, Dijon mustard, nutmeg, and thyme. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, allowing it to cook for a couple of minutes until it has thickened enough to elegantly coat the back of a spoon.
5. Take the pan off the heat. Stir in about three-quarters of the grated Cheddar and Gruyère. Continue to stir until the cheese has melted seamlessly into the sauce, creating a velvety consistency. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, tasting and adjusting as necessary.

Step 3: Assembling and Baking Your Dish

This is the exciting part—bringing all the elements together to create your masterpiece!

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan / Gas Mark 4). Thoroughly butter a 2-litre (or 9×13 inch) ovenproof dish.
2. Start by arranging one-third of the dry potato slices in an overlapping, even layer across the bottom of your prepared dish. Season this layer lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Pour over one-third of the cheese sauce, using a spatula to spread it out evenly over the potatoes.
4. Repeat these layers twice more: a layer of potatoes, a touch of seasoning, and a layer of sauce, ending with the sauce on top. Make sure the final layer of potatoes is fully covered by the sauce to keep them from drying out during baking.
5. Sprinkle the rest of the grated cheese evenly over the surface.
6. Cover the dish securely with aluminium foil and place it in the preheated oven to bake for 60 minutes.
7. After an hour, carefully remove the foil. Test the potatoes with a knife; they should be tender. Place the dish back in the oven, uncovered, for another 20–30 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown and the sauce is bubbling merrily at the edges.
8. Allow the dish to stand for at least 10–15 minutes before serving. This resting period lets the sauce settle and thicken, which makes for neater servings. Garnish with a scattering of fresh chives or parsley if desired.

What to Serve with This Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes Side Dish

This dish is remarkably cooperative, pairing wonderfully with a host of main courses. For a classic Sunday lunch, it is sublime alongside roast beef, lamb, or a juicy roast chicken. If you’re seeking a specific chicken dish to serve it with, the zesty notes of a Baked Honey Dijon Chicken Recipe provide a lovely counterpoint to the rich potatoes. Similarly, the vibrant flavours in our Lemon Garlic Chicken offer a beautiful contrast. At Christmas, these potatoes are an essential partner for a roast turkey or a sticky honey-glazed ham.

Top Tips for Success

To guarantee your cheesy scalloped potatoes turn out perfectly every time, we suggest keeping these pointers in mind.

• Choose the Right Potato: We find that waxy or all-purpose potato varieties such as Maris Piper, King Edward, or Yukon Gold work best. They hold their shape beautifully during baking, ensuring your dish has a wonderful texture rather than becoming mushy. For more on potato types, resources like BBC Good Food are very helpful.
• Grate Your Own Cheese: Pre-shredded cheese may be a time-saver, but it’s often coated with anti-caking agents which can prevent the sauce from becoming perfectly smooth. Grating your own cheese from a block guarantees a creamier, more luxurious result.
• Don’t Boil the Sauce: After adding the cheese, it’s vital to keep the heat low. Bringing a cheese sauce to a boil can cause it to split and become greasy. A gentle heat is all you need.
• Let It Rest: This might be our most crucial piece of advice. Allowing the dish to rest after it comes out of the oven is essential. It gives the layers time to set and the sauce a chance to thicken, which means you can serve immaculate, well-defined portions.

FAQ

Your New Go-To Potato Dish

And there you have it—our tried-and-tested recipe for the most luxurious, comforting, and flavour-packed cheesy scalloped potatoes you could ever wish to make. This dish is so much more than a side; it’s a centrepiece that inspires conversation and helps create wonderful memories around the dinner table. We’re certain that after you try it, this will be your go-to recipe for any gathering that needs a touch of something truly special.

So, it’s time to switch on that oven and prepare to create a dish that will have everyone asking for the recipe. We would be thrilled to hear how you get on! Please let us know how your cheesy scalloped potatoes side dish turned out in the comments section below, and feel free to leave a rating. Happy cooking!

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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 1 hr 45 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 60g unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 60g plain flour
• 700ml whole milk, warmed
• 250ml double cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 200g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
• 100g Gruyère cheese, grated
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh chives or parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan). Butter a 2-litre (9×13 inch) dish. Slice potatoes thinly, rinse, and pat completely dry.
2. Make Sauce: Melt butter and sauté onion until soft. Add garlic, then stir in flour to make a roux. Gradually whisk in warm milk, then cream, mustard, nutmeg, and thyme. Simmer until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in ¾ of the cheese, and season.
3. Assemble: Layer ⅓ of the potatoes in the dish, season, then top with ⅓ of the sauce. Repeat twice, ending with sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
4. Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 60 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 580,
Carbs: 42 g,
Protein: 13 g,
Fat: 36 g