Crockpot scalloped potatoes are cooked tender in the crock pot in the easiest dump-and-pour milk sauce, thinly sliced onions, and cheese. Layer these ingredients into your slow cooker and it cooks into a creamy, golden, and bubbly potato casserole!
This is the way to make cheesy scalloped potatoes from scratch with no soup cans or boxed stuff! It’s a quick and easy side dish to bring to a potluck or Holiday, and you can prep it ahead of time and let it slowly cook later! It’s my favorite Scalloped Potatoes recipe with minimal steps!
We love delicious potato recipes that are easy and quick! Try our Mushroom Scalloped Potatoes, Oven Baked Potato Wedges, or Creamy Mashed Potatoes for other potato sides!
What are Scalloped Potatoes?
Homemade scalloped potatoes is a potato recipe cooked in a milk sauce with thinly sliced potatoes. Also known as a potato casserole, it’s a super creamy potato dish with layers of cheese, thinly sliced onions, and a simple milk sauce that thickens as it slowly cooks in the crock pot. It’s one of the easiest scalloped potato recipes ever, simply dump and cook the ingredients and let the crock pot do all the hard work! To make scalloped potatoes in the oven, you’d simply bake them covered in a 9×13 pan at 350°F for 50-60 minutes.
Best Potatoes for Scalloped Potatoes?
The best kind of potatoes for scalloped potatoes are waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold yellow potatoes or red potatoes. They are rich and buttery in flavor and won’t break as easily as starchy russet potatoes. The high moisture in waxy potatoes keeps them firm during cooking which is key when making scalloped potatoes. You can peel or leave the skins on, just wash and scrub your potatoes well. I prefer Yukon gold potatoes without skins.
Pro-Tips for Thinly Slicing Potatoes:
The key to the best-scalloped potatoes recipe is to cut the potatoes into thin and even slices so they cook evenly and quickly. I like to cut scalloped potatoes with this hand mandoline slicer and run my onions through it too. The potatoes just glide through this slicer and make even pieces easily. You can also scallop potatoes using a sharp knife with a smooth blade. Slice your potatoes about 1/8-1/4-inch thick and your onions 1/8-inch thick. Don’t go too thin or too thick, you don’t want hard or mushy potatoes.
Make Ahead Tip: thinly slice the potatoes and keep them soaked under cold water for up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. The water keeps the potatoes from oxidizing and turning orange. This can be a time-saving hack as you can prep the night before and drain and assemble in the morning.
Ingredients:
- Potatoes- waxy potatoes work best and don’t break apart as easily as starchy Idaho or russet potatoes. I used Yukon gold potatoes without the skins but you can use any type of yellow potatoes.
- Onions- thinly sliced onions add great flavor to the potatoes and soften as they cook. You could substitute and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of dried minced onion between the layers instead.
- Sauce- my sauce is so quick and easy! You don’t have to cook a roux or make a cheese sauce! I simply whisk the milk, cornstarch, mustard, and spices all in a large measuring cup and pour it over the layers of potatoes. It will thicken as it cooks slowly in the crockpot! You can easily substitute cornstarch with potato starch.
- Seasonings- simple salt and pepper is really all you need, I like to whisk the spices into the sauce but feel free to add more spices like cayenne pepper, garlic powder, or thyme. Sprinkle in additional spices in between each layer for more flavor.
- Cheese- I grated an 8oz block of white cheddar cheese and sprinkled a handful between each layer. Cheese works as a thickener and adds creaminess to the sauce. You can omit it completely and it will still be super tasty.
How To Make Scalloped Potatoes:
This recipe for scalloped potatoes is one of the easiest potato recipes to make with quick prep! Cooking it slow in the crock pot makes it way creamier and cheesy than cooking it in the oven. I use a 6-quart slow cooker, however, to cook it in the oven with the same slow effect simply bake it in a covered 9×13 casserole dish at 300°F for 2-3 hours. You could speed it up and bake it at a higher temperature for less but we find it much creamier when cooked slower.
- Thinly slice the potatoes and onion into separate bowls for layering later.
- Make the milk sauce by whisking together the whole milk, yellow mustard, cornstarch, and seasonings.
- Grease the inner pot of your slow cooker and layer with onions, potatoes, and cheese. Repeat 3 times ending with potatoes and shredded cheese.
- Pour the milk sauce evenly over the potatoes.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours. My potatoes were done at about 3.5 hours on high in my slow cooker. When the potatoes are tender, turn off the heat and allow the potatoes to sit for 20 minutes before serving. This sets and thickens the creamy sauce.
Cook’s Tip: Use any type of portable cookware to take along to a potluck or gathering. You can make this in a roaster oven, Instant Pot, Crockpot, or conventional oven.
Storing:
Leftover scalloped potatoes can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. They reheat best in the crockpot with a splash or two of water over high for 1-2 hours. If you’re short on time you can simply pour 1/2 cup of water into a 9×13 baking dish and top it with leftover scalloped potatoes. Cover and reheat in a pre-heated 350°F for 30-45 minutes. Water revives the sauce and keeps the potatoes creamy without drying out the sauce.
What Goes with Scalloped Potatoes:
This crockpot recipe for scalloped potatoes is great to bring along to a potluck serving grilled meat, or a Holiday when serving oven-roasted turkey (Thanksgiving), or Baked ham (Christmas). Here are more ideas to serve slow cooker scalloped potatoes. These easy scalloped potatoes make a great weeknight dinner to any main dish too!
- Serve with pork chops, steaks, classic meatloaf, or BBQ meatballs.
- Baked Chicken Leg Quarters or oven-baked chicken drumsticks. Scalloped potatoes make a great potluck side
- Zesty Cucumber and Pickle Salad or Marinated Cherry Tomato Salad.
- Corn off the cob or BBQ baked beans.
Can You Freeze Scalloped Potatoes?
Scalloped potatoes can be frozen with a little potato hack. If making this into a freezer meal, the best way to freeze scalloped potatoes is to pre-cook the potatoes by boiling them in the skins whole like I did for my mushroom scalloped potato recipe. Once the potatoes are cooked peel off the skins and slice the cooked potatoes. Assemble into a freezer bag and freeze with or without the sauce. Thaw, dump into a crock pot, and cook as directed.
Q&A
Scalloped Potatoes vs Au Gratin Potatoes?
The main difference between au gratin and scalloped potatoes is that au gratin (literally meaning “by grating” in French) includes grated ingredients like bread crumbs or cheese. Whereas, scallop potatoes are mainly baked with a milk-based sauce and add-ins like green peppers, onions, and herbs.
Best Tips for Crock Pot Scalloped Potatoes:
- Make ahead and soak thinly cut potatoes in cold water the night before. In the morning drain the potatoes and layer all the ingredients into a slow cooker then cook.
- Use a mandoline to get even slices quickly.
- Whisk the cornstarch well into the cold milk. I’ll first pour my milk into a liter measuring cup then add the cornstarch, mustard, and spices and whisk well. The cornstarch ingredient makes it a gluten-free Scalloped Potatoes recipe!
- Use yellow prepared mustard, it adds great flavor and a golden hue to the potatoes once they are done cooking!
- You can make these scalloped potatoes with cheese but the original recipe did not call for any. I just think cheese makes this super creamy. Use shredded gruyere, mild cheddar cheese, or Havarti.
- Add more flavor and sprinkle each layer with bacon bits, drained canned mushrooms, or dried herbs. You can add dried garlic, Thyme, Rosemary, or parsley.
- If you want to convert this easy scalloped potatoes recipe to a casserole and bake it in the oven then you would need to bake it covered with foil to steam. Bake it at 275°-300°F for 2-3 hours. Baking scalloped potatoes at a high oven temperature can dry out the sauce.
- Use an oval dish or one that will not spread the layers out too thin. Stacking the layers taller will ensure the sauce covers the potatoes and will make it creamier.
- Crockpot scalloped potatoes cook in 4 hours or less (sometimes 3.5 hours depending on how thin you cut your potatoes).
- Add in your favorite toppings to make scalloped potatoes and ham or mix in sliced hot dogs, bacon bits, or veggies!
Did you make these scalloped potatoes in a crock pot? We love this quick and easy recipe, share your feedback and photos down below! Or helpful tips to cook this potato casserole! Print this cheesy scalloped potatoes recipe down below!
More Potato Recipes You’ll Love:
Whether you want to fix an easy weeknight meal, use leftovers, or make ahead and freeze then check out these recipes!
Crock Pot Scalloped potatoes
Equipment
- 1 6-quart slow cooker
- 1 liter measuring cup
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes (about 6 sliced 1/8" thick)
- 1 onion (thinly sliced)
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 Tbsp heaping of cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz white cheddar cheese (grated)
Instructions
Directions:
Grease the inside of your crock pot with oil or cooking spray. Layer with 1/3 of the onions, potatoes, and cheese. Repeat twice ending with potatoes and cheese.- In a large measuring cup mix together the milk, cornstarch, yellow mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the milk mixture over all the layers and cook on high for 3-4 hours until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is golden and bubbly.
- Allow the potatoes to rest unplugged for 20 minutes before serving.
