Let me ask you something. Have you ever sat down to a big holiday meal, loaded your plate with everything, and then realized halfway through that the scalloped potatoes were the best thing on the table? Not the main dish. Not the fancy salad. The potatoes. Yeah. That happens more than people admit.
These Loaded Scalloped Potatoes are not your average side dish. We are talking thin layers of tender potato swimming in a homemade cream sauce, crispy bacon tucked between every single layer, and a blanket of bubbling golden cheese on top that gets slightly crispy at the edges. It is the kind of dish that makes the whole table go quiet after the first bite — and then immediately ask for seconds.
I will be honest with you. This is not a 30-minute recipe. The layering takes a little time and the oven does the heavy lifting for over an hour. But the payoff is absolutely worth every minute. Whether you are making this for a holiday gathering, a Sunday family dinner, or just because you want to treat yourself to something seriously comforting — this is the recipe. Let’s get into it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Layers on layers on layers. Every forkful gets you tender potato, creamy sauce, smoky bacon, and melted cheese all at once. There is no such thing as a bad bite in this dish.
- That homemade cream sauce changes everything. No canned soup shortcuts here. A simple from-scratch cream sauce takes maybe 10 minutes and makes a difference you can absolutely taste.
- Crispy bacon in every single layer. Not just on top. In between the potatoes too. Because why would you do it any other way?
- Two kinds of cheese. Sharp cheddar for flavor, gruyere for that incredible melt. Together they create a golden, bubbly top that honestly looks like it came out of a restaurant kitchen.
- Feeds a crowd effortlessly. This recipe makes 8 generous servings. It is built for gatherings, holidays, and potlucks where you need something that impresses without requiring you to make twelve different things.
- Reheats beautifully. Unlike a lot of baked dishes, these scalloped potatoes reheat incredibly well. They might actually taste even better the next day.
Ingredients
For the Scalloped Potatoes
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes — Yukon Golds are the move here. They have a naturally buttery flavor and a waxy texture that holds up to the long baking time without turning to mush. Russets will work in a pinch but they tend to fall apart more. Peel them and slice them as thin and uniform as possible — about 1/8 inch thick. A mandoline slicer makes this dramatically easier and safer than trying to freehand it with a knife.
- 1 lb thick-cut bacon — Cook it until crispy and chop it into pieces. Thick-cut bacon holds up better during baking and gives you more substantial bacon bits in every layer. Regular bacon works but it can get a little lost.
- 1 medium yellow onion — thinly sliced. The onion softens and almost melts into the cream sauce during baking, adding a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor that really rounds out the dish.
- 3 cloves garlic — minced. Because potatoes and garlic together are basically a law of nature.
- Fresh chives — for garnish. They add a pop of color and a mild onion flavor that cuts through the richness beautifully.
For the Cream Sauce
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter — this is the base of your roux. Use unsalted so you control the salt level in the dish.
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour — combined with the butter to make a roux that thickens the sauce. If you need this gluten free, a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend works perfectly here.
- 2 cups whole milk — warmed. Whole milk gives you the richness you need. Do not use skim or low-fat milk — you will end up with a thin, watery sauce.
- 1 cup heavy cream — this is what pushes the sauce from good to incredible. Rich, thick, and luxurious.
- 1 1/2 tsp salt — season as you go. Taste the sauce before you layer and adjust as needed.
- 1/2 tsp black pepper — freshly cracked if you have it.
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg — a classic addition to cream sauces that adds a warmth you cannot quite put your finger on but definitely notice when it is missing.
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder — doubles down on the garlic flavor throughout the dish.
- 1/2 tsp onion powder — rounds out the savory notes in the sauce.
For the Toppings
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese — freshly shredded from a block. Pre-shredded bagged cheese is coated in anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting properly. Do yourself a favor and shred it fresh — the melt is completely different.
- 1 cup gruyere cheese — freshly shredded. Gruyere is the secret weapon in this recipe. It melts into this incredible stretchy, golden layer on top that is simply unmatched. If you cannot find gruyere, a good Swiss cheese works as a substitute.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prep the Bacon and Potatoes
- Cook the bacon first. Lay the strips in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until crispy — about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool, then chop into rough pieces. Reserve about a tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pan — you will use it later.
- Slice the potatoes. Peel your Yukon Golds and slice them as uniformly thin as possible — right around 1/8 inch. A mandoline set to the thinnest setting is your best friend here. Uniform slices mean even cooking. Uneven slices mean some layers are mushy and some are still firm, which nobody wants.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish generously with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
Step 2: Make the Cream Sauce
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sliced onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and fragrant. Use that reserved tablespoon of bacon fat here alongside the butter if you really want to build flavor — and you do.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. You are cooking out the raw flour taste here. The mixture will look like a thick paste — that is exactly right.
- Slowly pour in the warm milk and heavy cream while whisking constantly. Add it gradually — a little at a time — to prevent lumps. If you dump it all in at once you will get a lumpy sauce and a bad time.
- Whisk and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, and onion powder. Taste it and adjust seasoning as needed. Remove from heat.
Step 3: Layer and Assemble
- Start with a thin layer of cream sauce on the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Just enough to coat the bottom — this prevents the potatoes from sticking and starts building flavor from the very first layer.
- Add your first layer of potato slices, overlapping them slightly like shingles. You want them packed in but not piled on top of each other — a single even layer.
- Spoon a generous layer of cream sauce over the potatoes, making sure to get it into the edges and corners.
- Scatter a layer of chopped bacon over the cream sauce. Do not be shy here — every layer deserves bacon.
- Repeat the layering process — potatoes, cream sauce, bacon — until you have used everything up. You should get about 3 to 4 layers depending on the thickness of your slices. Finish with a layer of potatoes topped with the remaining cream sauce.
- Cover the top generously with the shredded cheddar and gruyere. Mix the two cheeses together first and then pile them on. Make sure the whole surface is covered — you want a full blanket of cheese, not patches.
Step 4: Bake
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and place it on the center rack of your preheated oven. Bake covered for 45 minutes — the foil traps steam which cooks the potatoes through without drying out the top.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes uncovered until the cheese is deeply golden and bubbling and the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife. If the cheese is browning too fast before the potatoes are done, loosely tent the foil back over without sealing it.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. This is non-negotiable. Cutting into it immediately means the sauce runs everywhere and the layers fall apart. Give it time to settle and you will get those beautiful clean slices.
- Garnish with fresh chives and any remaining bacon pieces right before serving.
Serving Suggestions
These Loaded Scalloped Potatoes are rich and hearty enough to hold their own, but here is how to round out the meal:
- Pair with a simple roasted protein. Roast chicken, baked ham, pork tenderloin, or a simple steak are all perfect alongside this dish. The richness of the potatoes complements simply seasoned proteins beautifully.
- Balance it with something fresh and green. A crisp arugula salad with a light lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness and adds something bright to the plate. Roasted asparagus or steamed green beans work just as well.
- Serve as the centerpiece of a holiday spread. These potatoes belong on your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter table alongside the main dish. They always get more compliments than the entree — just something to prepare yourself for.
- Add a dollop of sour cream on each serving. A cold spoonful of sour cream on a hot scoop of cheesy scalloped potatoes is an underrated combination that takes the loaded potato feeling to a whole new level.
- Top individual servings with extra bacon and chives right at the table so guests can customize their plate. A small bowl of extra crispy bacon bits on the table is never a bad idea.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: Let the scalloped potatoes cool completely before storing. Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The flavors actually deepen overnight and many people — myself included — think the leftovers are even better than the original.
- Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or reheat the whole dish covered with foil in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until heated through. Add a splash of cream or milk before reheating to loosen the sauce if it has thickened up.
- Freezer: Scalloped potatoes can be frozen but the texture of the potatoes does change slightly after freezing and thawing — they can get a bit grainy. If you do freeze them, let the dish cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Make-Ahead Option: You can assemble the entire dish up to 24 hours ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate unbaked. When you are ready to bake, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes in the oven to take the chill off, then bake as directed. Add about 10 extra minutes to the covered baking time since it is starting cold.
This Is the Side Dish People Will Talk About Long After the Meal Is Over
Some dishes are forgettable. You eat them, you move on. These Loaded Scalloped Potatoes are not that. They are the kind of thing people bring up weeks later. The kind of thing someone emails you asking for the recipe. The kind of thing that earns you a permanent spot on the holiday dinner rotation whether you planned for it or not.
Rich, creamy, bacony, cheesy, and deeply comforting — this dish covers every single base. And while it takes a little time, every step is straightforward and the results speak for themselves loudly.
Make it once and you will understand exactly what I mean. Leave a comment below and tell me how it went, and if you bring this to a gathering and it steals the show — because it will — tag me on Pinterest or Instagram. I love seeing these moments. Happy cooking.
— Kip
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes (Cheesy, Creamy & Packed with Bacon)
Description
Thinly sliced potatoes layered with crispy bacon, a rich homemade cream sauce, and two kinds of melted cheese. Baked until bubbly, golden, and completely irresistible. This is the side dish that becomes the main event.
Ingredients
For the Potatoes:
For the Cream Sauce:
For the Topping:
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cook and chop bacon. Slice potatoes 1/8 inch thin.
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Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, cook 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes.
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Slowly whisk in warmed milk and heavy cream. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until thickened. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, and onion powder. Remove from heat.
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Spread a thin layer of cream sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Layer potatoes, cream sauce, and bacon, repeating until everything is used. Finish with potatoes and remaining cream sauce.
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Top with combined shredded cheddar and gruyere.
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Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 25 to 30 minutes until golden, bubbly, and potatoes are tender.
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Rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives and extra bacon.
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