Cheesy Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes

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These cheesy gruyere scalloped potatoes are so comforting and the perfect side dish the whole family will love. A simple creamy parmesan sauce smothering layers of potatoes and all the shredded melty gruyere cheese to add so much flavor. This is perfect for a make-ahead holiday dish but is perfect for a cozy weeknight or Sunday family dinner!

Cheesy gruyere scalloped potatoes in pan with serving spoon propped in it.

Why We Love These Cheesy Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredient Notes
Ways To Vary This Recipe
Step-By-Step Instructions
Assemble the Dish
Recipe Tips
MAke-Ahead Instructions
Storage
Common Questions
Other Cozy Side Dishes
Cheesy Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
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I am personally here for the sides and sweets when it comes to the holiday season. Loading my plate up with apple sage stuffing, cheddar gruyere mac and cheese, and parmesan bacon green bean casserole is first on the list.

These new cheesy gruyere scalloped potatoes are for sure going to be on my plate as well this year! (Side note-many people use potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes interchangeably. Scalloped potatoes classically don’t have cheese but the thinner slicing of the potatoes and the use of a roux in the sauce is why I opted to call them scalloped!)

Looking for more holiday and Thanksgiving Recipes? Try these other favorites as well: Boursin Mashed Potatoes, Parmesan Crusted Potatoes, Maple Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and for something sweet, these Mini Pumpkin Pies or Pumpkin Pie Crumble.

Why We Love These Cheesy Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes

Creamy, cheesy bubbling potatoes–not really much more I need to say! We grew up on cheesy potato casserole so the grown up in me wants more.

Gruyere is one of my FAVORITE cheeses especially with potatoes or mac and cheese–any cozy side dish, it’s a must. A nutty, slightly sweet and salty cheese–it is amazing!

These scalloped potatoes are:

great to make a day ahead of time
creamy, cozy and CHEESY
a lot easier to make than you may think
the perfect side dish to pair with so many dinner recipes--not just a holiday spread

Hope this recipe makes its way to your family table this season and beyond!

Ingredient Notes

See full list of ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.

Labeled ingredients on surface including cheese, potatoes, and more.

Yukon gold potatoes are the best potatoes for any scalloped potatoes. They have a creamy buttery texture that will also still hold up well to still give the dish some bite. Russet potatoes are ok, but since they are extra starchy, they may fall apart–some may prefer this though. Just avoid waxy potatoes like red or new potaotes. They will not help thicken the sauce like the starchier yukons or russets.
Use freshly shredded gruyère cheese and parmesan for the creamiest, meltiest cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating that keeps it from having the very best texture. Gruyere cheese can be a bit on the pricy side so for a more cost effective option, I have found cheddar gruyere cheese blocks or another mixtures to save a bit! A block of swiss cheese is another option for a less pricy block of cheese.
Use full fat whole milk for best results. You don’t want to use any reduced fat or fat free dairy in the sauce. This will risk an unwanted texture in the cream sauce.

Ways To Vary This Recipe

for a richer sauce, add heavy cream or half and half: Since the addition of cheese already makes this a heavy dish, I opted for milk instead of cream in this dish. The sauce thickens more as it bakes so another reason I preferred a thinner dairy. If you would like to use some cream in place of some of the milk, you can!
add fresh herbs: sprinkle in some fresh thyme, sage, rosemary, and more! I have added thyme to mine several times, but the husband isn’t a fan so I didn’t add to the actual recipe.
vary the cheese: you can use a variety of swiss cheese and honestly you could use a combo of gruyere and another cheese you love.
add a sprinkle of buttery bread crumbs over top of the cheese in the last 15 minutes.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F and prep the potatoes. You can peel them but I never do!

Onions and butter with garlic in skillet.

Step 2: Add butter to a skillet heated to medium heat and melt. Add in the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute. Add in the sliced onions.

Softened onions and butter with garlic in skillet.

Step 4: Cook onions, stirring frequently for about 4-5 minutes or until they become slightly softened.

Step 3: Add the flour into the pan and whisk continuously for about 1 minute.

Milk and other ingredients added to skillet with onions.

Step 5: Gradually pour in the milk and whisk until smooth and then follow with the broth. Add in the salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Continue to cook the sauce for another 2-4 minutes, whisking regularly, allowing it to thicken. Adjust heat as needed so as not to boil the mixture. Once the cream sauce has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the parmesan,

Gruyere cream sauce for scalloped potatoes in pan.

Step 6: Stir until parmesan is melted. Set the cream sauce aside briefly.

Assemble the Dish

Add half of the potatoes to a well greased 9×13 inch baking pan.
Spoon half of the cream sauce and spread to cover the layer of potatoes.
Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded gruyere over top of the sauce.
Add the remaining potatoes over top of the cheese.
Add remaining cream sauce and cheese over top–you can really cover with the cheese–no need to just stick to one cup!
Bake tightly covered with foil for about 35-40 minutes and then uncovered for about another 305-40 minutes, more as needed until potatoes are nice and soft, cheese is golden brown and bubbling. You can broil the pan for the last few minutes for extra crispy browned top.

Step by step images of scalloped potatoes in layers.

Scalloped potatoes being prepped and then final image with baked finished recipe.

Recipe Tips

You can peel your potatoes if desired. I am too darn lazy to peel the potatoes if I am being honest. Just never enough time in the day so I leave it on!
Aim to slice the potatoes as even in thickness as possible. This will help make sure the potatoes cook evenly. You can use a mandolin for much easier and quicker, more consistent slicing.
First time making a roux? You can do it! Be patient, whisk continuously once flour is added, keep an eye on it so there are no burning, and add the milk very slowly. If there are a couple lumps, it will still be ok! Follow some of these roux tips!
If you prefer your sauce without the onions, you can just toss them in with the potatoes instead as they will still have plenty of time to cook. Or you can omit them completely.

MAke-Ahead Instructions

To make this recipe a day ahead of time, you can follow the directions and assemble the scalloped potatoes in the pan including the top layer of cheese. Bake the dish the following day, adding a touch of extra time as the dish will be chilled.

Storage

Store leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container. You can freeze this dish after baking, just allow it to cool completely before transferring to the freezer. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Common Questions

What are common mistakes to avoid when making scalloped potatoes?

The biggest mistakes to avoid include: slicing the potatoes unevenly, slicing the potatoes much too early–just slice right before you are ready to assemble the dish, using low fat dairy, overcooking the potatoes, and not allowing them to rest–this is another crucial element!

Do you need to soak potatoes in water before making scalloped potatoes?

This is a question that gets mixed answers. We do not soak the potatoes as this will cause necessary starch from the potatoes to be lost. The starch in the potatoes helps enhance the sauce as it bakes so don’t rinse that off! There are some that say it is a good idea as it can pull out excess starch, but in this recipe it is not suggested.