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2021 HBH Holiday Guide: Beauty
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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, the ultimate holiday side dish. These potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and seasoned simply for a potato casserole that everyone really loves. The thinly sliced potatoes melt into a creamy, cheesy sauce. The top brown up in the oven adding a bit of crunch. Together these creamy crunchy potatoes are so delicious. They’re simple to make and always a crowd favorite.
Monday potatoes in prep for Thanksgiving next week! Is everyone getting excited for the big feast? I talked about this yesterday, but it feels as though we’ve skipped over Thanksgiving and moved right on into Christmas.
I mean, to a point! I’m still here sharing out as many Thanksgiving recipes as possible before the 25th rolls around. And these potatoes will add another delicious item to our Thanksgiving menu.
What’s funny about these potatoes is that as simple as these are, they really took me a while to perfect. I’ve struggled with scalloped potatoes for the longest time. I just could never get them to cook all the way through.
After a few rounds of these I figured out the secret. A lower oven temperature, plenty of liquid, and lots of time in the oven.
So while these do take a while to make, the prep is simple, and the rest is mostly hands off.
Here are the details
Before I slice the potatoes, I always caramelize the onions. A lot of potato casseroles call for onion powder. But I wanted to add a little more of a fresh onion flavor that wasn’t over powering, but just right.
I love to use caramelized onions for an onion flavor that’s more mellow.
I caramelize them down in a bit of butter and add wine to help them caramelize a little faster. Then just a little fresh thyme, salt, and pepper.
While the onions are cooking, I mix the cream, milk, and the two types of cheese together. Most scalloped or au gratin recipes will call for you to cook the milk and cheese together on the stove, creating more of a cheese sauce.
I’ve found that the cheese sauce didn’t help the potatoes cook. It left me with a drier potato, and not in a delicious way.
So I skip cooking the sauce.
Slice the potatoes using a super sharp knife or a mandoline. Using a mandoline is ideal as you’ll get even slices and it’s much quicker too.
Layer the potatoes in a baking dish with the cream/milk/cheese mix and onions. I layer this up similar to a lasagna to ensure every potato gets evenly seasoned.
Once assembled, you bake
The baking time for these potatoes is long. I cook mine a full two + hours to ensure that the potatoes are really cooked and turn tender. I then remove the foil, add a little more cheese, and bake until the cheese is bubbling and browning on top.
It might seem simple, but that browned, golden top really adds another layer of deliciousness to the potatoes that makes everyone want more.
Serve these up warm with a little added fresh thyme for color.
I’m excited to have this recipe to share with not only you guys, but family and friends as well. I actually served them earlier in the month to my oldest brother Creighton. He said they’re probably one of his favorite potato dishes.
When you win over the brothers, all is good!
The next question is, what will you be pairing these cheesy potatoes with? The obvious answer for Thanksgiving is turkey. But come December, over here it will be my roasted beef tenderloin.
Looking for other easy Thanksgiving sides?? Here are my favorites:
Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Crispy Parmesan Thyme Sweet Potato Stacks
Sweet Potato Casserole with Sweet ‘n’ Savory Bacon Pecans
Lastly, if you make these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 478 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 russet or yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 2. Melt together the butter and onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 10 minutes. At this point, you'll want to add the wine and continue to cook another 5 minutes until the onions are deeply caramelized.3. Add the garlic and thyme, then season with salt and pepper. Cook another 2 minutes, then remove from the heat. 4. Butter a 9x13 inch casserole dish. In a large glass measuring cup, combine the cream, milk, a pinch of cayenne, salt, and pepper. Then add the Gruyere cheese. Pour 1/3 of the milk mix into the bottom of the baking dish. Layer in 1/3 of the potatoes, and 1/2 of the onions. Add another 1/3 milk mix, then 1/3 of the potatoes, and then the remaining onions. Add the remaining potatoes, then pour over the last of the remaining milk mix. Try to get the potatoes in an even layer. 5. Cover and bake 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Remove the foil and top with cheddar cheese. Bake another 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and melty. Serve the dish warm, topped with fresh thyme.
Notes
To make Ahead: prepare and bake through step 5, but stop cooking after 2 hours. Let chill, then cover, and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Before baking, bring the dish to room temperature, add the cheddar cheese, and bake another 20-30 minutes.
Can this recipe be made in a crockpot instead of the oven? If so, how long and at what temperature?
I haven’t ever made this in the crockpot before! So sorry! xT
I made these for Thanksgiving this year—was a little nervous since I’ve never made scalloped potatoes without cooking the cheese sauce/using flour to make a rue for the base but making the potatoes in this way was easy and my guests couldn’t stop talking about them..my milk mixture did come out a little curd-like and I ended up needing to bake these longer than the recipe stated but I’m def going to give another go! The potatoes were cooked perfectly in the cream combo, the only thing I’d change would be adding another onion to be caramelised…that was an unreal touch to this recipe and would’ve liked a bit more running through the dish!
Hey Catherine,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear it was enjoyed! Sorry to hear about the curdling! xx
In order to start with the milk mixture on the bottom and finish with it on top you need to use only 1/4 of the mixture every time.
How many pounds of potatoes, please
Hi Shelley,
It’s going to be about 5 pounds of potatoes. Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Thanksgiving
are you supposed to use the cheddar cheese in the milk mixture? or just on top?
Hi Emmy,
The cheddar cheese is just on the top:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Unfortunately my dish also turned out curdled. I followed the recipe exactly as written and I read the comments so I did take the tip to have my ingredients at room temperature. I’m pretty disappointed
Hi Michelle,
So very sorry to hear this! If you followed the recipe as written, there is really no reason for this to have curdled. I am sorry this happened to you! xx
Sounds soo yummy, if I double the recipe will it still fit in a 9×13 glass baking dish?
Thanks
Hi Ruth,
If you double the recipe, you will need a second 9×13 baking dish. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Made this for the 2022 holiday and flavor wise it was a huge hit! I followed the make ahead instructions and had a problem with he color of the potatoes after chilling. Final topping of cheese helped that a bit but I was wondering if there was something I could do to prevent that.
These are on my menu again for this year!
Thanks
Hey Shelley,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it turned out well for you:) Hmm, what color were they? How long did you chill for? Maybe it was too long of a period of time! xx
These were chilled for about 24 hours. I used Yukon gold potatoes. any suggestions?
Thanks!
Interesting…usually after they have been baked for awhile I don’t have any issues with them changing color. Sorry, I’m not sure why that happened for you!
On the menu for this Thanksgiving! Last year, it was your crockpot garlic mashed. This year, the scalloped potatoes. I love that you added a make-ahead detailed version.
Thanks so much Kym! I hope you love this recipe, it’s a family fave:) xT
For 20 people/15 russets or yukon potatoes, the size varies significantly. How many pounds of potatoes for 20 people? Thanks!
Hi Suzanne,
For 20 people, you will want to use about 10 pounds of potatoes. Please be sure to also increase the serving size for this recipe so the remaining ingredient measurements also increase for you! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Please add “milks should be a room temp” to the recipe! Not sure why you would suggest it in the comments but not add to the recipe for those of us who come along later! Mine curdled as well. Please help us busy mommas out by updating so we don’t need to read every comment on your recipes to see clarifications! (Not the first time I’ve noticed this on your recipes). You’re amazing and so is your food! I just want to avoid mistakes others have made and made you aware of!
Thank you so much for the feedback Andrea, I appreciate it! So sorry about that! xT
Can’t wait to try this! Can you give me a number of pounds of potatoes? I am better with not guessing. Thanks
Hi Denise,
It’s about 2 pounds of potatoes. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
These are delectable. I stick to the recipe, other than extra gruyere mixed in, probably a cup. Because more cheese, always. 🙂
Hey Rachel,
Fantastic!!🥗🌮 I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
I’ve made this multiple times and don’t waver much from the recipe. My family loves this dish. My wife has said many times that she could eat these scallped potatoes as an entree, nothing else required … but I do offer her some protein on the side, hah.
Hi Dave,
Perfect!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! Have a great day! xT