Raise your hand if you love scalloped potatoes?! Me: holds up both hands

There’s something so magical about these potatoes. Thinly sliced, peeled potatoes in a cheesy cream sauce. Gah! What’s not to love here? I could easily make a meal out of them. Scoop them into a bowl and good night!

What Is the Difference between Scalloped Potatoes and Potatoes Au Gratin?

Good question! From the research I’ve done, the only difference is that with scalloped potatoes, the cheese is mixed into the sauce. Whereas with potatoes au gratin, the potatoes are topped with the sauce and layered with cheese. I also read that for au gratin the potatoes are sliced thinner than scalloped potatoes.

To Make These Scalloped Potatoes Gather:

potatoes
unsalted butter
fresh thyme
unbleached all-purpose flour
whole milk
low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
kosher salt
black pepper
nutmeg
cayenne
extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Start by peeling and thinly slicing 2 pounds potatoes. For me that was 2 large russets. To keep them from oxidizing and turning color, cover with cool water. Before assembling the casserole, you will want to drain the water and pat the potatoes dry with paper towel.

Preheat your oven to 350℉ (or 180℃) and lightly spray a 9×9 casserole with olive oil spray.

Next, in a 10-inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter with 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves.

Note: some recipes call for onion. You can adapt this dish, by sautéing the onion in a little olive oil before melting the butter and adding thyme.

Once melted, sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of flour, stir until combined and cook for 2 minutes.

While stirring, pour in 1 cup whole milk and a 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken broth.

Reduce the heat to low and stir until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Remove the skillet off of the heat and season the sauce with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of both cayenne and ground nutmeg. Stirring to combine.

Lastly, add in 1-1/4 cups of extra-sharp cheddar cheese.

Stir until smooth.

Arrange half of the sliced potatoes into the bottom of the prepared dish.

Pour half of the cheese sauce over top. Use the back of your spoon to spread it evenly over the potatoes.

Repeat with the remaining potatoes and cheese sauce. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.