Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon and Green Onion

I grew up eating loaded baked potatoes and loved them! We also had our fair share of cheesy scalloped potatoes, you know, the ones from the box, and I loved those too. So I put the two together.

These loaded scalloped potatoes are thin slices of russet potato baked in a creamy, garlicky sauce, then topped with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and plenty of green onions. Could you ask for anything more?!

The Best Creamy Scalloped Potatoes (Loaded with Bacon and Cheese)

Now that I have a home of my own and a sweet husband to cook for, I’ve tried to recreate two delicious meals from my past by putting them into one dish. So here you have loaded scalloped potatoes! They are creamy and cheesy and have delicious green onions and bacon in them.

The first step in making the best scalloped potatoes ever is to cook bacon! I love to bake bacon in the oven. It saves space on the stove top and all the grease doesn’t splatter everywhere. Don’t forget to save the bacon grease! It is nice and rendered and can be used for cooking everything. Set the bacon aside and try not to snack on too many pieces. This will be hard because it’s bacon!

I like to use cornstarch as a thickener because I try to use flour alternatives whenever I can. That way if friends stop by or if my husband takes a dish to work, anyone who is avoiding gluten can eat it without worry.

While the sauce is simmering, I like to chop up my potatoes. I use my food processor because it’s amazing and is such a work horse! But cutting the potatoes by hand works great too. I spent some time making a pretty spiral out of the sliced potatoes, only to realize with all the cheese on top no one would see it. Oh well! It’s still delicious!

Why You’ll Love These Loaded Scalloped Potatoes

• Two classics in one. Creamy scalloped potatoes meet loaded baked potato toppings.
• Made from scratch. A simple homemade cream sauce replaces the boxed mix.
• Gluten free friendly. Cornstarch thickens the sauce instead of flour.
• Bacon in every bite. Chopped bacon goes on top, and the bacon grease flavors the sauce.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Bacon: Half a pound, cooked until crisp. It’s the topping, and a couple tablespoons of the rendered grease become the base of the sauce, so the bacon flavor runs all the way through.
• Yellow onion and garlic: Sauteed in the bacon grease until soft and slightly translucent. They give the sauce a savory backbone. A yellow onion turns sweet as it cooks.
• Salt and pepper: Season the onion and garlic as they cook. Potatoes soak up a lot of seasoning, so taste the sauce before it goes in the oven.
• Butter: Melted into the onions so the cornstarch has fat to blend into. That keeps the sauce smooth instead of lumpy.
• Cornstarch: The thickener, and the reason this dish is gluten free friendly. You can use flour instead; use twice as much, so 3 tablespoons of flour for this recipe.
• Green onions: About four stalks, chopped. Some simmer in the sauce, and more go on top at the end for a fresh, mild bite.
• Chicken stock: One 14.5 ounce can. It makes up most of the sauce and seasons the potatoes from the inside as they bake.
• Heavy cream: Half a cup makes the sauce rich and silky. Heavy cream is less likely to curdle in the oven than milk.
• Russet potatoes: Three medium potatoes. Russets are starchy, so they turn tender and help thicken the sauce as they bake. Slice them about 1/8 inch thick so they cook evenly.
• Cheddar cheese: One cup, sprinkled over the top so it melts into a golden, bubbly layer. Shredding your own from a block melts more smoothly, since bagged cheese is coated to keep the shreds from sticking.

How to Make Loaded Scalloped Potatoes

1. Cook the bacon. Cook the bacon until crisp and set it aside. Save the grease.
2. Saute the onion and garlic. Put 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in a saute pan, add the onion and garlic and cook until slightly translucent. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Add the butter. Let the butter melt completely into the onion and garlic until it’s bubbling.
4. Thicken. Whisk in the cornstarch until fully combined. Cook about 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly.
5. Simmer the sauce. Add the green onions, chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes, whisking now and then so it doesn’t burn. The longer it simmers, the thicker it gets.
6. Prep the dish. While the sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a casserole dish with butter or a little olive oil.
7. Slice and layer. Slice the potatoes about 1/8 inch thick with a food processor or a knife. Layer them in the dish, overlapping each slice.
8. Top it. Pour the sauce evenly over the potatoes. Chop the bacon and sprinkle the bacon and cheese evenly over the top.
9. Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes more, until a knife slides easily into the potatoes and the cheese is melted.
10. Garnish. Top with more green onion and a dollop of sour cream.

Loaded Scalloped Potatoes FAQs

• Can I use flour instead of cornstarch? Yes. Use twice as much flour as cornstarch, which is 3 tablespoons for this recipe.
• What size dish should I use? A 7 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch casserole dish fits three potatoes perfectly. In a 9 by 13 inch dish, add a fourth potato.
• Why is my sauce thin? It needs more time on the stove. Let it simmer a few minutes longer until it coats a spoon.
• Can I use milk instead of heavy cream? Heavy cream is the best choice here. Milk has less fat, so it is more likely to curdle or turn watery during the long bake.
• What should I serve with them? They are a hearty side for ham, roast chicken, pork chops or a holiday dinner. Add sour cream and extra green onion on top to make them extra loaded.
• Do I have to use a food processor? No. A sharp knife works great. Just keep the slices as even as you can.
• How do I store leftovers? Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven covered with foil, or microwave individual portions.
• Can I make them ahead? Make the sauce up to a day ahead and refrigerate it. Slice the potatoes right before assembling so they don’t brown.

Best Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon

Loaded scalloped potatoes are thin russet slices baked in a creamy bacon, garlic and green onion sauce under melted cheddar and crispy bacon. They combine loaded baked potatoes and cheesy scalloped potatoes in one dish.

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

  

• 8 oz bacon
• ½ yellow onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 tbs butter
• 1.5 tbs cornstarch
• 2/3 cup green onion chopped ~4 stalks
• 1 can chicken stalk 14.5 oz
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 3 russet potatoes medium sized
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• Cook bacon and set aside.
• Put 2tbs of bacon grease in a sauté pan, add yellow onions and garlic. Sauté until slightly translucent. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
• After garlic and onion are cooked, add butter and let melt completely.
• Add the corn starch and whisk until fully combined and mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Add green onions, chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened slightly, whisking occasionally to prevent burning. The longer you let it simmer the more the liquid will reduce and the thicker the sauce will become.
• While the sauce is simmering, grease casserole dish with butter or a little olive oil.* Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Using a food processor if you have one, or cut by hand the potatoes into 1/8th inch thick pieces. Line the casserole dish with the potatoes, overlapping each potato.
• Pour sauce evenly over the potatoes. Chop the bacon into small pieces and then sprinkle the bacon and cheese evenly over the potato dish.
• Cover dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.
• 10. Once done add some chopped green onion and some sour cream to garnish and enjoy!

Notes

* I used a 7 ½” x 4 ½” casserole dish and it fit perfectly. If you use a 9”x13” dish you may want to cut up a fourth potato and add it to the dish.

Made these scalloped potatoes? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell us how they turned out in the comments below. What is your favorite way to make potatoes?

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• Easy Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
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• Healthy Simple Sweet Potato Casserole
• Easy Cheesy Potato Casserole
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This recipe was shared by Lisa. Visit her blog, A Table Full of Joy, for more recipes.