Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes: Hearty and From Scratch

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This Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes recipe is simple and takes very few ingredients! It’s an easy way to make REAL scalloped potatoes with REAL ingredients that your family will love!

Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes

There is something about potatoes and the creaminess and comfort they provide at a meal! I love them baked, roasted, or any other way you fix them up! One of my favorite meals is old-fashioned scalloped potatoes and ham.

There is no need to use canned soups with ingredients that you can’t even pronounce or buy the boxed versions. These scalloped potatoes are made with real, fresh ingredients! You will end up with a pan full of creamy, comforting goodness when you are finished with these. They don’t take much time, but it is well worth the effort.

Tip: Looking for a Homemade Cream of Soup Mix? Here are 9 Ways to Make a Condensed Soup Replacement.

I love scalloped potatoes. My mom-in-law made these with a similar recipe. She added minced onion sometimes and that is good.

Sharon, Little House Living reader

Ingredients for Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes

• Egg Yolk. Save your egg whites and use them to make Angel Food Cake!
• Arrowroot. You could use another starch like cornstarch if you don’t have any arrowroot on hand. Most recipes for scalloped potatoes use flour but since you are only using this to thicken the sauce, a starch will work just as well and will be a great gluten free substitute.
• Cream. This would be heavy cream or whipping cream that you’d find at the store. If you need this to be dairy free, use coconut cream.
• Potatoes. Any kind of potatoes will work in this recipe. Russet potatoes tend to be the least expensive and yukon gold potatoes are our personal favorite, but use what you have!
• Milk. You could use a milk alternative to make this dairy-free.
• Cheese. The cheese is optional but so tasty!
• If you wanted to, you could also add some diced onion or cloves garlic into this recipe, but those are optional as well. They can help boost the flavor but aren’t nessecary if you want to stick with the basics.
  Tip: Use your extra egg whites to whip up these easy, gluten-free Chewy Coconut Macaroons!

Step by Step Instructions for Making Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes

For an 8 x 8 pan: Wash and peel approximately 6 medium to large potatoes. Dice them in small pieces or slices and let them rest in water, while you put together the sauce.

In a medium-size saucepan, start heating up 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of milk. Do not let this boil.

In a small bowl, mix together the 1/4 cup cream, 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder, and 1 egg yolk.

Once your milk/cream mixture is warm, but not boiling, slowing whisk in the above mixture and continuing heating and whisking until thickened. (If you are wanting to add cheese to your potato mix, you can also add in 1- 2 cups of shredded cheese at this time.) Add in salt and pepper to taste. Once your sauce is slightly thicker, you will want to remove it from the heat.

Spray or grease your baking dish.

Add in a layer of the diced/sliced potatoes and then a layer of sauce. Repeat this procedure twice.

Once all potatoes and sauce are in your baking dish, bake the mixture for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until the top is golden and the sides are bubbly.

FAQs About Scalloped Potatoes

What’s the difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes?
Au Gratin potatoes contain cheese and scalloped potatoes do not. I do have cheese on this recipe as an optional ingredient.

Why do my scalloped potatoes turn grey?
When peeled potatoes are left in the air too long, they oxidize and turn grey or purple. Be sure and use your peeled, sliced potatoes right away or put them in a cold water bath until you are able to get them in the dish and bake them.

How do you keep milk from curdling in scalloped potatoes?
Make sure you are using a full-fat cream and milk in this recipe. You also need to make sure you add the correct amount of starch and blend it well, not sprinkle it in.

What to Serve with Scalloped Potatoes

• Shredded Beef Recipe in the Crockpot. Beef pairs wonderfully with scalloped potatoes for a comforting meal!
• Ham
• Roasted Chicken
• Fresh Salad with homemade salad dressing
• Fried Pork Chops
• Ribs
• BBQ Meatballs
• Drumsticks with BBQ Sauce
• Green Beans. This Old Fashioned Green Bean Casserole is particularly good!

Why Make Scalloped Potatoes at Home

Homemade Scalloped Potatoes are the perfect comfort food. Making them at home gives you the opportunity to control all of the added ingredients!

This particular recipe for scalloped potatoes uses only 6 different whole food ingredients. The Betty Crocker Scalloped Potatoes in a box contains over 27 ingredients, most of which are not whole food ingredients and also contains coloring and preservatives.

Both “recipes” take one hour to bake, the homemade version takes a few minutes more of prep time, so you aren’t really saving any time buying the boxed mix. Stick with homemade!

You can double this complete recipe and make a 9 x 13 pan full of potatoes. You can also make Scalloped Potatoes in the Slow Cooker.

I cube up Spam or Ham and add to mine. With a veggie, it’s a complete meal!

Hipockets, Little House Living reader

Print this scalloped potatoes with corn starch to add to your Recipe Binder below:

Print

Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 376 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot or could use cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cream
• 6 potatoes
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup milk
• cheese optional

Instructions

1. For an 8 x 8 pan: Wash and peel approximately 6 medium to large potatoes.

2. Dice them in small pieces or slices and let them rest in water, while you put together the sauce.

3. In a medium-size saucepan, start heating up 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of milk. Do not let this boil.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the 1/4 cup cream, 2 Tablespoons Arrowroot Powder, and 1 egg yolk.
5. Once your milk/cream mixture is warm, but not boiling, slowing whisk in the above mixture and continuing heating and whisking until thickened. (If you are wanting to add cheese to your potato mix, you can also add in 1- 2 cups of shredded cheese at this time.) Add in salt and pepper to taste. Once your sauce is slightly thicker, you will want to remove it from the heat.
6. Spray or grease your baking dish.
7. Add in a layer of the diced/sliced potatoes and then a layer of sauce. Repeat this procedure twice.
8. Once all potatoes and sauce are in your baking dish, bake the mixture for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until the top is golden and the sides are bubbly.

Nutrition Facts

Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 376 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 93mg31%

Sodium 43mg2%

Potassium 1008mg29%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 842IU17%

Vitamin C 42mg51%

Calcium 113mg11%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I just made your scalloped potatoes last night and they were delicious!! I used to make these potatoes from scratch but got into the habit of using the quicker soup type recipes. It really doesn’t take much longer to make your recipe and it’s well worth it. It used Fontina cheese and it came out so creamy and wonderful. I also left the skins on the potatoes for the extra vitamin kick. My son is a chef and he hates it when I don’t peel potatoes but I also think it adds to the flavor. 

Barbara, Little House Living reader

These potatoes make a wonderful side dish and are yummy for leftover breakfast potatoes, too.

More Potato Recipes

• Easy Roasted Potato Recipe
• Potatoes, Green Beans, and Chicken Sheet Pan Supper
• How to Cook Home Canned Potatoes
• Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
• Old Fashioned Potato Salad Recipe
• Cheesy Potato Casserole
• Olive Oil Oven Baked Potatoes
• Cream of Potato Soup
• 47 Best Potato Dinner Recipes for Your Family
• The Best Easy 4 Ingredient Potato Soup Recipe

Does your family enjoy Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes? What are some variations you make to your dish?

This Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes Recipe was originally published on Little House Living in January 2014. It has been updated as of December 2024.

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