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Transform everyday ingredients into a delightful single serve Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes For One. This small batch recipe brings together thinly sliced potatoes in a creamy, cheesy sauce, topped with more cheese, and baked to a golden perfection. It’s the ideal solution for anyone seeking a comforting and easy-to-make side dish. These individual scalloped potatoes are a testament to how simple ingredients can create a wonderfully satisfying meal, blending the ease of preparation with a touch of elegance.
Enjoy your small batch of cheesy scalloped potatoes alongside a variety of delicious main courses. Pair them with juicy Baked Chicken Thighs, tender Turkey Cutlets, rich Salisbury Steak, or vibrant Sheet Pan Chicken and Vegetables, to name just a few.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- Simple and Easy: This recipe requires minimal ingredients and no fancy equipment needed!
- Incredibly Delicious: Layers of tender potatoes bathed in a rich, cheesy sauce, and then topped with more melted cheese – what’s not to love?
- Perfect Portion Size: No more leftover casserole languishing in the fridge. This recipe makes just enough for one satisfying serving.
- Homemade Goodness: Ditch the boxed stuff and experience the superior taste and texture of homemade scalloped potatoes.
- Endless Variations: This recipe is a great base for customization. Play around with different cheeses, herbs, or even add protein like cooked bacon or shrimp.
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What’s The Difference Between Scalloped Potatoes And Au Gratin Potatoes?
Ever wonder about the difference between scalloped and au gratin potatoes? Scalloped potatoes are usually made with a cream-based sauce, whereas au gratin potatoes are known for their cheesy goodness. In this recipe, we blend the best of both dishes but with a twist – we’re using milk instead of cream for a somewhat lighter version. Picture the smooth, comforting texture of scalloped potatoes paired with the cheesy allure of au gratin, all conveniently portioned for one and simple to make.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Potato: Choose a starchy variety like a medium-sized russet or Yukon Gold potato. Starch is key as it helps the milk transform into a velvety sauce while cooking. Russets create a creamier sauce, but Yukon Golds maintain their shape better when baked. If you’ve got extra potatoes, consider using them in Potato Gnocchi, Shepherd’s Pie, or Mashed Potatoes.
- Butter: Use 1 tablespoon of salted butter.
- Flour: 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour is used to thicken the sauce.
- Milk: 1/2 cup of milk is needed for the sauce. You can use 2% or any other milk percentage.
- Cheese: 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese goes into the sauce, with an extra 2 tablespoons for a gooey, cheesy topping. For best results, shred your own cheese. Unlike pre-shredded cheese, which often contains preservatives that affect melting, freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly.
- Salt and black pepper: Add 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to enhance the flavor.
Recipe Variations
- Ham and Asparagus Scalloped Potatoes: Dice up some cooked ham and add it to the casserole along with a couple of steamed asparagus spears for a protein and veggie boost.
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Scalloped Potatoes: Swap the cheddar cheese for crumbled goat cheese and add a handful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes for a tangy, Mediterranean twist.
- French Onion Scalloped Potatoes: Caramelize a small shallot in the butter before adding the flour to create a rich, French onion flavor base. Top with a sprinkle of grated Gruyere cheese for an extra decadent touch.
- Smoked Salmon and Dill Scalloped Potatoes: Flake in some smoked salmon for a luxurious protein addition. Before baking, sprinkle the top with fresh dill for a bright, herbaceous flavor.
- Broccoli Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes: Add a small amount of steamed broccoli florets for a veggie-packed twist.
How To Make Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Slicing the Potato: Carefully slice the potato into even 1/4-inch thick pieces, ensuring each slice is similar in thickness for consistent cooking.
- Arranging in the Dish: Place the sliced potatoes neatly in a small baking dish that has been lightly buttered. For this recipe, a 5×5 inch baking dish, offering a base area of 25 square inches and a 22 fluid ounce capacity, is ideal. Alternatively, any baking dish of a similar size will work just as well.
- Preparing and Adding Cheese Sauce: Follow the recipe below to prepare the cheese sauce, then pour it evenly over the arranged potato slices in the dish.
- Final Bake: Bake the dish initially for 25 minutes. After this, take it out, add more shredded Cheddar cheese on top, and return to the oven for an additional 20 minutes of baking until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
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Expert Tips
- Even Slices: Ensure your potato is sliced into even 1/4-inch thick slices, using either a mandoline for precision or a sharp knife. Ensuring the slices are of similar thickness will help them cook uniformly.
- Layering: Layer the potatoes and cheese evenly for consistent flavor throughout.
- Baking Dish: Use a small baking dish to keep the layers compact.
- Check for Doneness: Potatoes should be fork-tender and the top golden brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, a 5×5 inch baking dish, offering a base area of 25 square inches and a 22 fluid ounce capacity, is ideal. Alternatively, any dish of a similar size will work just as well.
Yes, assemble the casserole (without baking) and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time when reheating.
Absolutely! Just use a 6×8 inch or a 6×6 inch baking dish and keep the baking time the same.
It’s optional. Peeled or unpeeled both work.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried these cheesy scalloped potatoes or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium Yukon Gold potato , peeled, sliced, and cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup (plus 2 tablespoons) shredded Cheddar cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Prepare Potatoes: Arrange the sliced potatoes in a buttered 5-inch baking dish, or another dish of a similar size. Set it aside.
- Make the Roux: In a 1-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
- Create the Sauce: Gradually stir in milk, continuing to stir frequently. Cook until the mixture becomes smooth and thickens, about 2 minutes.
- Add Cheese and Seasonings: Mix in ½ cup of cheese, along with salt and pepper, stirring until the cheese is completely melted.
- Assemble for Baking: Pour the cheese sauce over the arranged potatoes. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
- Final Cheese Layer and Bake: After baking, remove the dish from the oven. Top it with 2 tablespoons of shredded Cheddar cheese. Return to the oven and continue baking for another 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- Even Slices: Ensure your potato is sliced into even 1/4-inch thick slices, using either a mandoline for precision or a sharp knife. Ensuring the slices are of similar thickness will help them cook uniformly.
- Layering: Layer the potatoes and cheese evenly for consistent flavor throughout.
- Baking Dish: Use a small baking dish to keep the layers compact.
- Check for Doneness: Potatoes should be fork-tender and the top golden brown.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
The cooking time was way off! I sliced my potato quite thin. I cooked it with the chesse sauce in a 375F oven for a total of 45 minutes and the potatoes weren’t even close to being cooked all the way through. I had to nuke it in the microwave on high for another 10 minues before it was edible. I would strongly suggest that this recipe suggest par boiling the potatoes or pre-cooking them in the microwave for several minutes after slicing but before cooking in the oven with the cheese sauce. Big recipe misstep there.
Debba, this recipe has been tested many times with many positive reviews and the cooking time is accurate. It may be that your oven temperature may not be running as hot as it should be. This can easily be checked by using an inexpensive oven thermometer. Another possibility could be the size of the baking dish that you used. If you used a baking dish that was much smaller than the one we recommend using, the cooking time can be longer too. We always hope that readers will read the entire recipe post as there is helpful information to be found in both the Expert Tips section and the Frequently Asked Questions section.
Wow! This is yet another recipe from ODK that did not disappoint. I had some baby potatoes I needed to use up, so figured I could double the recipe. I had a misstep with the cheese, but it turned out amazing! I am thrilled to have found this site. Seems whenever I need to use something up or am craving something, there’s a single serving recipe to help me!
Thank you, Sharon. I’m so glad you are enjoying our recipes.
I sauted a few onions in the butter before making the white sauce. I also added a pinch of caraway seed! Easy and very tasty. I’ll make this often!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for your feedback!
As we grow older, it appears that our appetites have decreased as well. I have made scalloped potatoes for years for our farm hands on Saturday lunch at the farm, but now we just want a smaller version of such.
Perfection! Thank you!
This is the first time I tried this recipe. I found I needed more milk, and I used a gruyere rather than cheddar, since I had a piece I needed to use up. This is an incredibly easy and versatile recipe. It is difficult to find recipes for comfort foods in small portions. This was a great find!!!!!
Made this as a side dish for hubby tonight – after more than 40 years of nothing but potatos with every meal (to say hes picky is a huge understatement lol) I can’t bring myself to eat them anymore, so this small batch was perfect for him. He wolfed the entire thing down in pretty much record time! Thanks for this recipe, I’m sure it will be a lifesaver in the future 🙂
I’m so happy your husband enjoyed the potatoes!
I usedbthis recipe since I’m counting calories and didn’t want a bunch of scalloped potatoes. 1/2 cup milk made the sauce too thick so I ended up needing 3/4 cup milk. All I have on hand is unsweetened almond milk which worked great! I used 1 tb light butter. I also used 2 tb grated parmesan and 2 tb sharp shredded cheddar instead of 1/2 cup of cheese for one serving of and this was the perfect amount for me. I added a little more seasoning and this was so delicious I wished I could eat it again immediately after finishing.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the potatoes. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Beyond perfect. I would add no salt, just me. made this with the sausage and peppers recipe. for a full meal, I may add kielbasa or ham, maybe some mushrooms/onions, and slightly larger dish. And a little green salad on the side.
can you add ham and do it in the crock pot
Hi Gloria,
Yes, ham is a wonderful addition. I haven’t tested this recipe in the crock pot so I don’t have recipe directions for it.
I made this tonight. Absolutely delicious. Thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed the potatoes. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Yum! Can’t wait to try all of these!