Simple Dill Scalloped Potatoes are an easy to make side dish that’s made entirely from scratch. Thin sliced potatoes are coated in a creamy and flavorful sauce and baked in the oven. Perfect for family dinners and holidays.
Scalloped potatoes are a classic side dish for family meals and holidays. They pair well with pork, turkey, chicken, or beef, making them a versatile side dish for any occasion. Plus, this recipe has a short ingredient list, and is made with a handful of easy to find ingredients.
Dill adds a bright, fresh flavor to these scalloped potatoes, making them perfect for spring and summer. I like to serve dill scalloped potatoes for Easter, with ham and deviled eggs.
For a traditional flavor, thyme or rosemary can be substituted for the dill. Either of these herbs would be a fantastic choice for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
How to thinly slice potatoes
How to thinly slice potatoesMy secret to perfectly sliced potatoes? I use a mandoline slicer, very similar to this version on Amazon. I purchased mine years ago and it has lasted through many scalloped potato dishes.
The best part about using a mandoline is that you can set it to slice your potatoes at 1/8″ and every slice will come out perfectly. This is important because your dish will cook through properly, without any uncooked or overcooked areas.
If you don’t have a mandoline, don’t fret! Many times your food processor will have an attachment to slice vegetables. Or, check the sides of your box cheese grater – one side may have a vegetable slicer.
If all else fails, carefully slice your potatoes using a chef’s knife. This option will likely be the most time consuming, but will work.
Ingredients
Gather your ingredients.
For this recipe, you’ll need 3 pounds of russet (or yukon gold) potatoes, butter, flour, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, dill, milk, and chicken broth.
I recommend russet potatoes or yukon gold potatoes for several reasons. First, they are generally easy to find at your local grocer.
Second, both potatoes will hold their shape when baked because of their high starch content. Also, the starch will help your creamy sauce to thicken up while baking.
Making your cream sauce
Making the cream sauce for your potatoes is incredibly easy. In a saucepan, you’ll melt your butter and cook your onions and garlic. Next, you’ll add your flour and create a paste, which will thicken the broth and milk you’ll add next.
After cooking your sauce for a few minutes, it will look slightly thicker. Remove if from the heat, stir in your herbs and spices, and you’re ready to assemble your casserole.
Assembling your casserole
When assembling your casserole, start with a layer of sliced potatoes. Your potatoes should overlap slightly, like in the photo above. Then, top that layer with about 1/4 of your sauce.
Try to use about 1/4 of your potatoes and sauce per layer (it is not important to get this exact, just eyeball it as best you can).
I made my casserole with four layers of potatoes, topped with four layers of cream sauce. Don’t worry if your sauce looks thin – it will thicken up more as it bakes.
Scalloped potatoes vs. potatoes au gratin
Scalloped potatoes vs. potatoes au gratinYou may be asking, “where’s the cheese?” Scalloped potatoes are not actually made with cheese. The dish you’re thinking of is called potatoes au gratin, which is essentially scalloped potatoes, but with cheese. I’ve found that the term scalloped potatoes is often used to describe both dishes, whether cheese is present or not.
If you’d like, you can add cheese to this scalloped potatoes recipe to make it potatoes au gratin. Simply add 1 cup of shredded cheese after your second layer of sauce (right in the middle of your casserole), and then top your casserole with another 1 cup of shredded cheese.
Or, melt two cups of shredded cheese into your cream sauce before layering with your potatoes.
Simple Dill Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes or yukon gold
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces chicken broth
- 16 ounces milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel potatoes, rinse, and slice to 1/8" thickness. I recommend using a mandolin if you have one available.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add butter. Once melted, add onions and cook until they begin to brown and turn translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add flour and stir to coat and create a paste. Cook for one minute.
- Whisk in broth and milk. Continue whisking until no lumps remain. Cook sauce for another 3-4 minutes or until thickened slightly. Remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, and dill, stirring to incorporate.
- In your 9x13 pan, arrange about 1/4 of sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly. Pour 1/4 of sauce over potatoes. Repeat 3x more for a total of four layers of potatoes and four layers of sauce.
- Cover casserole with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes can easily be pierced through with a fork in the center of the casserole. The thicker your potatoes are sliced, the longer it will take for them to cook through.
Equipment
Notes
- Dried dill can be substituted with dried thyme for a more traditional flavor. I like to use dill in the spring (for holidays like Easter), and thyme in the fall/winter (for Thanksgiving or Christmas).
- Dried dill can be substituted with fresh dill at a 1:3 ratio. For every 1/2 teaspoon of dried dill called for, use 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh dill.
- Want to add cheese? - Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese after your second layer of sauce (in the middle of your casserole layers), and then sprinkle the top of your casserole with another 1 cup of shredded cheese before baking. Recommended cheeses: cheddar, monterey jack, gruyere, or parmesan.
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