These Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes are rich, creamy, and decadent. Every bite is smothered in Gruyere and Parmesan cheese, and it’s the perfect thing to make for Thanksgiving dinner because it frees up space in your oven and on your stove top!
Thank you so much to the Idaho Potato Commission for sponsoring this post! As always, all opinions and endorsements are my own.
As with almost everything I make that calls for potatoes, I left the peels on for this. Red potato skins have great texture without being too tough, and add a nice rustic color to the dish. Peeling potatoes is probably my least favorite cooking prep to do, which is the biggest reason why I don’t usually do it. But it also makes the dish a bit more nutrient-packed, adding fiber and more vitamins and minerals to it.
I think the red skins paired with the fresh thyme, golden cheese, and freshly ground black pepper makes an otherwise bland looking dish seem all the more festive!
Just make sure you give the potatoes a good scrub with a vegetable brush if you leave the skins on. They do grow in the dirt, after all.
This recipe is easy to assemble in your slow cooker, and is similar to making a lasagna. Just layer potatoes, top with a cheese mixture, seasoning, and some sauce, and repeat two more times.
The cheese mixture is my FAVORITE. Gruyere (yum), Parmesan, finely chopped onion, and fresh thyme make an awesome flavor combination. The sauce is a mixture of chicken broth, milk, and flour (to thicken it).
By the time the potatoes are done cooking on high heat for five hours, the onions are fully cooked and their flavor is in every bite, the potatoes are soft but not mushy, and the cheese is melted and a gorgeous golden brown color on top. Yum, yum!
Zach declared these the best scalloped potatoes he’s ever had. Not to brag or anything :-)
This post is part of a week-long potato event called #PotatoPalooza (thanks SO much for sponsoring, Idaho Potatoes!). I’m collaborating with two other fabulous bloggers from Panning the Globe and Omnivore’s Cookbook to bring you 15 delicious potato recipes perfect for the holidays with new posts from each of us every day of the week. Today, be sure to check out their recipes for Crispy Italian Fried Potatoes and Peppers and Five Spice and Garlic Roasted Potatoes!
There are three special tools I used to make this:
- A vegetable brush will make cleaning the potato skins a breeze so you can leave them on. You can also use a clean kitchen towel or a sturdy paper towel for this.
- A mandoline slicer will make easy work of slicing the potatoes uniformly and quickly. You can also use a regular ol’ knife for this.
- A slow cooker. As the title of this recipe would suggest :-)
Recipe for Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes below!
Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs. unpeeled red potatoes washed well and sliced into 1/8 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter melted and divided
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock/broth
- 1 cup milk
- 4 oz. Gruyere cheese grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 oz. Parmesan cheese grated (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour (1/4 cup), chicken broth (1 cup), and milk (1 cup) until smooth.
- In another small bowl, mix together the grated Gruyere cheese (4 oz.), grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz.), diced onion, and thyme leaves (1 tablespoon).
- Grease the bottom and sides of your slow cooker with 1/2 tablespoon of the butter (I used a paper towel to spread it around).
- Spread 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of your slow cooker.
- Top the potatoes with 1/3 of the cheese and onion mixture.
- Top with 1/3 of the chicken broth, flour, and milk mixture (about 2/3 cup).
- Season with a liberal amount of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Repeat two more times.
- Drizzle the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter on top.
- Cover and cook on high for 5 hours. Uncover and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Serve immediately or keep warm in your slow cooker until you're ready to serve.
Notes
- I used a mandoline slicer to slice the potatoes- it is faster and ensures they are evenly sliced.
- If fresh thyme isn't available, 1 teaspoon of dried may be used as a substitution.
- For a vegetarian version, make sure to use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- For a gluten free / grain free version, omit the flour (the sauce will be a bit thinner but still delicious!).
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Bob Kiesow
This is my new favorite recipe. My family loves it. Tonight was the second weekend in a row. But tonight was a double-batch and we dropped off half at my daughter and son-in-law’s house. Thank you for so many delicious recipes – and a great website.
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO happy to hear you liked it, and glad you were able to share some with your daughter and son-in-law!
Santini
So mouthwatering! Can’t wait to try this! Thank you so much for sharing!
Elizabeth
Thanks! Hope you like it!
Stan
Isn’t this recipe one for au gratin instead of scalloped? I thought scalloped had no cheese in it. This is getting confused by a lot of people today. No offense to anyone! Just asking.
Elizabeth
Technically yes, you are right! A quick google search for scalloped potato recipes will give you more dishes with cheese, however, than without cheese. It’s always a challenge coming up with a name that accurately describes recipes- sometimes it’s a struggle to keep authenticity while also making sure it meets people’s expectations when they are searching for a recipe online. Thanks for bringing this up- here’s an article from The Kitchn explaining a bit more about it: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-scalloped-potatoes-228159
Janie
This looks great! How many hours if I cook them on low?
Elizabeth
I think 8-9 should do it! I cooked it on high because I thought the top would get a bit more golden at a higher temperature. Not sure how sound this logic is, but just be warned it may look a bit different if you cook it on low. No doubt that it will still be delicious! Hope you like them :-)
Jennifer Irizarry
Oh my goodness! Potato madness! LOL love it! This recipe is a keeper for sure. We love these kinda potatoes! And what I love even more is making my slow cooker do all the work for me. Win win! Hope you and baby are well! XOXO`
Karly
This recipe is so amazing for multiple reasons. 1) Solves the 10000 dishes, one oven issue at Thanksgivings everywhere. 2) Looks SO delicious. I am totally trying this!
Elizabeth
Yes the no dishes thing is AMAZING! I love how easy the insert of slow cookers is to clean. It makes Thanksgiving so much less stressful!
Lisa @ Panning The Globe
This is the perfect recipe for entertaining – so deliciously decadent with butter and those great cheeses. I can’t wait to make this!
Maggie
I’ve never tried cooking potatoes in a slow cooker. I believe that at the time they’re cooked, the potatoes will be so flavorful, even better than roasted!