This easy cheesy potato bake is like a loaded potato version of scalloped potatoes. Thin potato slices are baked in a creamy sauce, flavoured with bacon and a good helping of cheese. It’s easy, creamy, gooey, rich and totally irresistible.

  • Everything is made from scratch but simply — no canned soups here but still easy.
  • It’s very easy to make and can be in the oven in less than half an hour.
  • The sauce, while extremely flavourful, is ready in 10 minutes.
  • So many readers can’t be wrong – check out all the amazing comments.

Like my bacon potato pie in casserole form, tender slices of potato luxuriate in a flavourful creamy sauce. This makes a fantastic side dish for any dinner party, potluck, or Sunday supper. If you love mash, you should definitely try my cheesy mashed potatoes.

I have so many potato side dishes for you to try here from, a simple potato salad, to buttery garlic potatoes with crispy prosciutto to perfect crunchy roast potatoes.

This recipe was first published here on 14th October, 2016. Being a favourite with readers, the recipe has not changed but has been more clearly written and with step by step photos provided.

Top down view of the potato bake ready to serve.

Table of contents

Potatoes au gratin vs scalloped potatoes vs dauphinois

These are all different names for very similar potato casseroles. Potatoes au gratin (pronounced oh-gratan) or gratin dauphinois (pronounced do-fin-wahz) is a French dish of thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy sauce with a cheese topping.

Scalloped potatoes are a British dish of thinly sliced potatoes in a creamy sauce only, without any cheese. And potatoes dauphinois (without the gratin)? Well, that’s a fancy French name for scalloped potatoes.

This cheesy potato bake is essentially potatoes au gratin with bacon, but since the two dishes are so similar, you could also call them scalloped potatoes with cheese and bacon to make it extra delicious.

Ingredients you’ll need

These creamy baked potatoes are filled with simple, flavourful ingredients that create a flavour explosion when the sauce comes together.

Ingredients for cheesy potato bake.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Potatoes: You need the best potatoes for a cheesy potato bake but thankfully you have loads to choose from. You want one that will become soft and tender but hold it’s shape. Waxy potatoes stay too firm, so steer away from those. Instead, choose an all rounder like Desiree potatoes, Russet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes — they keep their shape but are meltingly tender when baked.
  • Bacon: These baked creamy potatoes are great without bacon, but bacon adds another dimension of comforting flavour.
  • Spring Onions: Also called green onions or scallions, these add a pop of colour and flavour to the baked cheesy potatoes without a heavy onion flavour.
  • Seasonings and aromatics: You’ll need fresh thyme and garlic as well as ground black pepper and salt. Don’t skip the thyme – along with the bacon, it’s what makes this cheesy potato bake so gorgeous.
  • Cheese: I use grated sharp cheddar cheese which has so much flavour but with simplicity and affordability. If you want to get really fancy, swap the cheddar for Gruyere cheese. The biggest tip I can give you is to buy a block and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses often have coatings to stop the shreds sticking together and that can effect the texture when it melts.
  • Butter and flour are used to make a roux which thickens the creamy sauce to just the right consistency.
  • Chicken stock / chicken broth adds another light level of flavour and complexity whilst helping the potatoes to get nice and tender. You could swap it for vegetable stock too.
  • Thickened Cream: Also called heavy cream. It’s a key ingredient for the sauce as well — don’t skip it. Also, stick to full fat cream, not a light version which will split when you bake it. If you love the tang, you can swap a little of the cream for sour cream.
  • Whole milk: Again, make sure to use full fat milk, not a light version or your sauce will split.

Whilst all made from scratch, the ingredients list is short and simple, big flavour ingredients. You won’t find any cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup here which some potato bakes use as a way to simplify but it really is so easy without having to do that and you know exactly what’s in this creamy potato bake.

Closeup of the creamy, gooey inside of the cheesy potato bake.

How to make cheesy potato bake (step-by-step)

I’ve created this cheesy potato bake recipe so every single bite gets the perfect ratio of soft and tender potatoes, gooey creamy sauce and bacon bits. It’s so rich and flavourful from the top right to the bottom because it’s added to the dish in 3 layers and it’s so easy to do, I promise.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

1. Blanch the potatoes

This step is very quick and can be done while you get onto chopping bacon and onions and starting the sauce so is not a lengthy process. While you could skip this step, you may end up with potatoes that aren’t soft or having to bake it so long that the sauce splits. Take the few minutes to blanch the potato slices and you’ll be rewarded with the most wonderful texture.

Start by slicing the potatoes (about 3mm / ⅛ inch or thereabouts) – I find a mandoline slicer really helpful, but I often do it with a sharp knife instead. Place them into a saucepan covered with tap water. Bring it to a boil and, once it hits a boil, cook for 2 minutes, then drain.

The potatoes boiling in a pan.

2. Make the creamy sauce

While the potatoes are doing their thing, you can get onto the sauce. Start by browning some bacon bits in a pan. Then add the spring onion and garlic and cook that until it softens.

The bacon browning in a pan.
The bacon and onions cooking in the saucepan.

Melt butter in the pan then add the flour, cooking for a minute or so to cook the flour.

The butter and flour bubbling in a pan.

Stir in the chicken stock, followed by the milk and cream mixture and the seasonings. Cook, stirring until it thickens a little.

Stirring the bacon cream sauce in a saucepan.
The bacon cream sauce thickened in the saucepan.

3. Assemble the cheesy potato bake

I add everything in 3 layers to ensure every bite has all the flavour of the dish – love in every bite and no boring bits. The alternative is just to add all the potatoes at once, pour over all the sauce, then add the cheese on top but this can end up giving you delicious creamy, cheesy potatoes at the top and much less flavourful potatoes at the bottom of the dish. I promise layering it doesn’t take long, just a few minutes.

Grab a baking dish (roughly 9×13 or similar) and add about ⅓ cup or so of sauce to the bottom. There’s no need to lovingly place your potato slices in one by one, just tip ⅓ of them in and spread them out evenly then drizzle over ⅓ of the cream sauce. Finally, sprinkle over ⅓ of the grated cheese.

Scalloped potatoes in a baking dish.
Scalloped potatoes with the cream sauce poured over.

Repeat that process 2 more times and it’s ready for the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes in a moderate oven (180C/350F) until it’s golden on top and bubbling at the sides.

The potato bake with cheese scattered over, ready for baking.

That’s it. Three luscious layers each with perfectly tender potatoes, bacon and onion bits and gooey cheese. The sauce will thicken up more as it bakes and when you lift out a spoonful, you’ll see all that gooey creamy sauce between all the potatoes.

Now, your easy cheesy potatoes are ready to accompany your favourite grilled meats, Thanksgiving turkey, grilled sausages or just eat them on their own with a side salad – they’re that good.

How to store and reheat cheesy potato bake

  • Storage: Cover the potato bake with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Reheat: Easy cheesy potatoes are best reheated in the oven for 20 minutes but can easily be reheated in the microwave too for just a couple of minutes on high.
  • Make ahead: Yes, this can be made a day ahead and left in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. You can also par-bake it for 40 minutes, then store it in the fridge overnight. It will need at least 30 minutes in the oven to finish off and get hot throughout.
Closeup of the creamy, gooey inside of the cheesy potato bake.

Substitutions / variations

Ok, so while I and so many of my readers wouldn’t change a thing, cooking is for experimenting and finding what you love, so maybe try some of these tweaks to this cheesy potato casserole recipe.

  • Make it vegetarian by swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock and remove the bacon.
  • Swap the bacon for leftover ham or even turkey after Thanksgiving or Christmas.  
  • You could try rosemary or sage or a mixture of your favourite herbs instead of thyme if you’d like.
  • Add a little tang by swapping up to half of the cream with sour cream.
  • Add a crunchy topping using panko breadcrumbs, crumbled Ritz crackers, crushed potato chips or crumbled up cornflakes.

Tips and tricks

  • Let the baked cheesy potatoes rest for 10 minutes once it come out of the oven, as the sauce will be molten hot.
  • Don’t turn up the heat of the oven hoping to cook it quicker as this will result in a split sauce.
  • Parboiling the potatoes ensures they are partially cooked, which reduces the overall baking time. That said, don’t overcook them, or you’ll end up with a mushy mess.

FAQs

Do I have to peel the potatoes?

No, you don’t have to. I don’t like potato skin in my cheesy baked potatoes, but that’s my personal preference. If you want to keep the skins on, make sure to wash the potatoes thoroughly.

Can I make baked cheesy potatoes ahead of time?

Yes. Prepare the dish ahead of time by layering the potatoes, sauce and cheese in the casserole dish, and then refrigerate it. You can bake it when you’re ready to serve. Take it out of the fridge 15-20 minutes before baking, then bake at least a few extra minutes than the recipe suggests since the mixture will be cold.

A serve of potato bake on a plate with asparagus next to it.

Delight your family and friends with a rich and comforting cheesy potato bake this week. It can be made the day before you serve, making it the perfect side for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner too. It tastes incredible.

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The cheesy potato bake with some taken out showing the gooey inside.

Cheesy Potato Bake

Yield: 8 -6 side serves
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
5 from 18 ratings
This easy cheesy potato bake is the perfect potato side dish for any occasion – creamy scalloped potatoes in a comforting bacon and cheese sauce.
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Video

Ingredients

  • 1.4 kg potatoes not waxy (~3lb) (notes 2)
  • 75 g bacon roughly chopped (2 ½oz)
  • 1 large clove garlic minced
  • 3 large spring onions green onions finely sliced (notes 3)
  • ¼ cup unsalted or salted butter (57g / 2oz)
  • ¼ cup plain flour (all purp flour) (35g/ 1 1/4 oz)
  • ½ cup chicken stock (or chicken broth) (125ml)
  • 1 ¼ cups whole milk (310ml)
  • 1 ¼ cups thickened cream (heavy cream) (310ml)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves discard stems (notes 1)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
  • ½ -1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper to your taste
  • 2 cups lightly packed, grated cheddar cheese (200g / 7oz)

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan forced) / 350F and have a baking dish at the ready (9×13 is great but slightly smaller works fine too).
  • Peel the potatoes and use a sharp knife to slice them very thinly (no more than 3-4mm thick). A mandolin is really helpful if you have one.
  • Place the sliced potatoes in a large saucepan of water, and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes only – no more. Drain through a colander and set aside until required.
    Meanwhile, you can proceed with the sauce in another pan or wait and use the potato pan.
  • Combine the cream and milk in a small jug and set aside.
  • Add a dash of oil the a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and saute, stirring every so often, until it starts turning golden brown.
  • Add the onions and garlic and saute for a minute to soften a little.
  • Add the butter and let it melt, then add the flour. Stir while it cooks for 30-60 seconds to cook out the raw flour flavour.
  • Pour in the chicken stock as you continue stirring and scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until the flour is totally mixed into it forming a paste.
  • Reduce the heat to low-medium, then gradually add the cream and milk while stirring to keep the flour from forming lumps.
  • Once all added and smooth, add the thyme, salt and pepper. Keep stirring until it starts to thicken and just starts to bubble then remove from the heat.
  • Place about ⅓ cup of sauce in the base of a casserole dish and spread around.
  • Now add layers, ⅓ of each component in this order: potatoes, sauce, cheese (so you finish with cheese on top).
    Tip: You can nicely layer the potatoes or just tip them in and level them out but only ⅓ in each of the 3 layers.
  • Bake for 45-50 minutes until bubbling and just starting to turn golden on top.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
  2. The best potatoes to use are all-rounders. Don’t use waxy potatoes. Desiree potatoes, russet potatoes, maris piper potatoes or yukon gold potatoes are best.
  3. Onion: You can use 1 small leek in place of the spring onions if you prefer.
  4. What if the sauce curdles? This can happen if the oven temperature was too high or if it’s baked too long. It is still edible and tastes great but just doesn’t look as pretty. Make sure to use full fat cream and milk (no light versions). Also, no light cheese. Keep an oven thermometer in your oven so you know if it’s running hot or cold.
  5. Milk and cream: You can use half n half in place of both the cream and milk.
  6. Cheese: Grate your cheese from a block for the best texture.
  7. Nutrition details are approximate only – scroll below the recipe to find the full nutritional information.
MORE SIDE DISH RECIPES!
MORE POTATO RECIPES!
Calories: 501kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Australian, British
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Nutrition information is approximate only and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use and any changes you make may cause variations.

Nutrition Facts
Cheesy Potato Bake
Amount Per Serving (283 g)
Calories 501 Calories from Fat 297
% Daily Value*
Fat 33g51%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
Cholesterol 93mg31%
Sodium 620mg27%
Potassium 925mg26%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 14g28%
Vitamin A 1180IU24%
Vitamin C 38mg46%
Calcium 285mg29%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.