Easy Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
These Easy Oven or Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes (Dauphinoise Potatoes) are the perfect make-ahead decadent side or even main dish. The potatoes are cooked to tender perfection in a creamy, cheesy sauce with a golden crunchy top.
Why not also try this easy Scalloped Corn and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
Suitable for Gluten-free diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.
Nothing says comfort food better than a big old helping of homemade Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes (Dauphinoise Potatoes). This simple dish can be made ahead of time and is actually very easy to whip up.
Peeps, this easy recipe is the best Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes recipe you will ever find and they are simply lovely thin slices of potatoes, baked in layers of a spiced cream and cheese sauce. #aintnothingbetter.
And as perfectly cooked and as good as this Instant Pot Buttered Cabbage, this easy Instant Pot Carrots, and the most delicious Scalloped Corn. Not to mention the best, best ever Smothered Potatoes.
These quick, easy cheesy Scalloped Potatoes are the sort of comfort food that grandmas all across the world would have whipped up in a jiffy as a side dish for various meals like the regular Sunday Roast family gatherings, dinner, holiday dinner like Easter, Thanksgiving, potlucks, Christmas and more.
And If you love potatoes then try these perfect Instant Pot Baked Potatoes.
WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE
Delicious Side Dish – It will be the most creamy, cheesy and decadent side dish you have ever had.
Leftovers – taste soooo much better the next day.
Budget-friendly – It is made from affordable everyday pantry and fridge ingredients.
Meal Prep – A great make ahead and freezer friendly dish.
WHY MAKE THIS IN THE PRESSURE COOKER.
Making these family loved cheesy potatoes in the pressure cooker takes about half the time of the traditional method ( oven version) and it frees up your oven space. It is a great recipe for various occasions.
I share two variations of the cooking recipe. The first uses the exact same white sauce as the oven version I use all the time.
The second version is a ‘mix all the sauce ingredients together and add to the potatoes,’ aka no cooking the béchamel sauce first. So it cuts down even further on the prep and cooking time. Perfect for weeknight suppers, right?
WHY MAKE THIS RECIPE
Delicious Side Dish – It will be the most creamy, cheesy and decadent side dish you have ever had.
Leftovers – taste soooo much better the next day.
Budget-friendly – It is made from affordable everyday pantry and fridge ingredients.
Meal Prep – A great make ahead and freezer friendly dish.
WHY MAKE THIS IN THE PRESSURE COOKER.
Making these family loved cheesy potatoes in the pressure cooker takes about half the time of the traditional method ( oven version) and it frees up your oven space. It is a great recipe for various occasions.
I share two variations of the cooking recipe. The first uses the exact same white sauce as the oven version I use all the time.
The second version is a ‘mix all the sauce ingredients together and add to the potatoes,’ aka no cooking the béchamel sauce first. So it cuts down even further on the prep and cooking time. Perfect for weeknight suppers, right?
INGREDIENT NOTES
Potatoes – this recipe called for white potatoes but you can use red potatoes too.
Cheese – this recipes calls for a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and Parmesan Cheese.
Melted butter – if using salted butter then keep an eye on salt levels.
Cornstarch – or use plain flour if you prefer and are not gluten free.
Milk – use warm milk so it cooks quicker. You can use some unsweetened almond milk too.
Spices – a combination ground nutmeg, paprika, ground white or black pepper add great flavor
Salt – to your taste.
Are you ready to whip up this Scalloped Potatoes in Instant Pot recipe?? Then go grab all the lovely ingredients from your pantry and fridge and come back so I can show you…
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT SCALLOPED POTATOES
If making the quicker version, mix together the melted butter, cornstarch, milk, heavy cream, spices, seasoning, and most of the cheeses and set aside.
Then continue to step 4… OR:
Cook the butter and cornstarch for a minute until they form a paste.
Add the warm milk and whisk until smooth and then keep cooking for a further 2-3 mins until thick.
Quickly add in spices, seasoning and most of the shredded cheeses, mix and switch off the heat.
Layer half the potatoes slices in your Instant Pot-ready dish and pour on half the cheese sauce.
Add the remaining potatoes and top with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the shredded cheese.
Cover the potatoes with aluminum foil and place on a trivet.
Add the water to the Pressure Cooker insert, place the dish on the trivet in the Instant Pot, close pot, set valve to sealing, manual, high pressure, and timer to 25 minutes (you will need up to 35 minutes if you use thicker slices).
Let cook until done, and then do a quick release of the pressure.
Remove the potatoes in the dish from the Pressure Cooker, discard the foil and place the potatoes under the grill/ oven’s broiler for 3-5 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.
Then drop everything and dig right in!
MAKE THESE (DAUPHINOISE POTATOES) IN THE OVEN
Cook the butter and cornstarch for a minute until they form a paste.
Add the warm milk and whisk until smooth and then keep cooking for a further 2-3 minutes until thick.
Quickly add in spices, seasoning and most of the cheeses, mix and switch off the heat.
Layer half the potatoes slices in an oven dish and pour on half the sauce.
Add the remaining potato and top with the remaining shredded cheese sauce and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven rack for 1 hour.
Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes until cooked through and golden bubbly brown.
Serve your creamy potatoes warm.
CROCKPOT SCALLOPED POTATOES
You can make this in the slow cooker if you prefer. Just layer them in the crockpot, top with the creamy sauce, and cook for 4-5 hours on high and 8-10 hours on low.
EXPERT RECIPE TIPS
How about a few tips for making these Instant Pot potatoes au gratin because we all love tips that make cooking much easier right?
Skin on potatoes. This recipe called for peeled sliced potatoes. My preference is unpeeled potatoes because of the contrast of the lovely potato skin to the soft, creamy, tender potatoes. Try both ways and see what you prefer.
Reduce cook time. To cut down the sauce cooking time, simply microwave the milk for about 1-2 minutes before cooking with it.
Remove lumps. You should not get any lumps in your cheese sauce, but if you do, then simply finish cooking the milk part of the sauce, strain through a sieve, put back in the pot before adding in the spices, and the shredded cheeses.
Slice potatoes to the same size. Cut your potato to a similar thickness, not too thinly sliced though, so that they cook at similar rates. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife to cut the potato slices will help.
Broth . You can replace some of the milk with vegetable broth or chicken broth. Oh and feel free to add some garlic and onion powder too.
Cool before serving. Let cool for a little bit before serving so that the cheesy sauce thickens a bit more.
DELICIOUS RECIPE VARIATIONS
Make this with cooked ham. If you want to make homemade Scalloped Potatoes with Ham, simple add in about two-thirds of a cup (100g) of diced ham along with the cheese mixture.
Make this with bacon. Simply add in about two-thirds of a cup (100g) of cooked bacon along with the cheese sauce.
To make quick Scalloped Potatoes. I suggest that you make them in the Instant Pot. I have given a recipe in the recipe card below. You can also microwave the potato rounds before cooking and this will reduce the baking times to about 45 minutes.
Add in some sweet potatoes. Feel free to substitute a little of the potato with some sweet potatoes.
Add in pesto. A spoon full or two of pesto adds in a whole new flavor profile. So does some caramelized onions.
Add more spices. minced garlic or garlic powder, dried thyme, Italian seasoning.
More cheese. add extra cheese. I always add extra white cheddar to this.
Add crunch. By topping with toasted breadcrumbs (or panko) or nuts.
PREP AHEAD AND STORING
Prep-ahead. Just assemble them with the cheese mixture in the dish, and then refrigerate them unbaked. You can keep them 2-3 days this way. You can also bake them, and plastic wrap or transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate the cooled dish for up to 3 days.
Freeze. All you need to do is take the potatoes out of the oven a little bit before they are done. This helps protect their texture so they don’t fall to mush. You can then bake from frozen or thaw them in the fridge before baking.
