Slow Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
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This crockpot version of scalloped potatoes is so EASY, creamy, tender and cheesy! And it frees up your oven space!
In an ideal world, we would all have double ovens in our kitchen for the holidays.
Because cooking 8 different dishes that require 4 varying oven temps would be near impossible without any of the food getting cold.
That’s why your slow cooker becomes another type of “oven” for you.
An even better oven, really. Because now, you don’t have to babysit what’s in it the entire time.
Like with these scalloped potatoes. All you have to do is layer your potatoes between the homemade cream sauce and Gruyere cheese.
You can certainly serve this as is, but if you really want to impress your guests, you can go the extra mile in two ways.
- If your slow cooker has an oven-safe insert, you can pop that right in the oven for a 2-3 minute broil just to give it some color. That’s what I did here.
- If you happen to have a handy dandy creme brûlée torch, you can also use that to add a little bit of browning.
Either option works so choose wisely. I mean, at the end of the day, you can’t go wrong here – it’s potatoes layered with cheese!
Slow Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together heavy cream, garlic, thyme and nutmeg over medium heat until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add a layer of potatoes to a 4-qt slow cooker in an overlapping pattern; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour 1/3 cup cream mixture over potatoes; sprinkle with Gruyere. Repeat with remaining potato slices, cream mixture and Gruyere to create 2 more layers.
- Cover and cook on high heat for 4-5 hours, or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and cook until melted, about 5 minutes.
- Remove lid and let potatoes rest for 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken as it sits.
- Serve, garnished with thyme, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Making this now! I shredded sharp cheddar as hubby and my dad don’t like the mentioned cheese. How can you prepare everything in only 20min? It took me 2 hours! Only used s/p plus cheese on each layer then dribbled garlic and heavy cream on top of the cheese. I will be using the Parmesan afterwards. I cook for picky people lol
Made this in my crockpot this Easter. I did add a little cornstarch to the liquid. I read all the reviews about the cheese sticking and turning black on the bottom. I noticed that the recipe Never said to grease your crockpot !! I used butter for the bottom and sides and no problem. I did cook on high for a few hours and then cooked on low.
Shoot I even read your comment and I forgot to butter sides and bottom!!! I also didn’t add cornstarch but decided didn’t need it. Hoping it doesn’t make it too crispy and black. Thank you for posting.
Can I double this recipe?
Will this recipe double well??
Made exactly as written and it had good flavor. However, the sauce did not thicken so I will add flour the next time and cook on low like so many others.
will this come out ok in a 6 qt slow cooker..and approx how many potatoes for about 7 people?
They were heavily complimented! Family gathering of 13 people and they were a hit. Doubled the recipe, did it low at 6 hours, and added some flour to the cream mixture as recommended by other people.
We love scalloped potatoes, and this recipe is super easy to make and the potatoes come out perfectly cooked. I used a blend of Swiss cheese and Gruyere.
Made these today for Christmas and everyone loved them. I doubled the recipe and cooked them in the oven. I made a few changes as my father doesn’t like the flavor of thyme so I substituted rosemary and I used the jar garlic that you get in the produce department for the minced garlic (using about 1.5 tsp). I layered them in a 9 by 13 pan and sprayed a piece of foil (so the cheese would not stick to the foil) and I put that on the potatoes before cooking. I cooked them 300 for about an hour and then, at 350 for another hour. The last 15 minutes, I took the foil off the potatoes so they could brown a bit.
I liked how the potatoes didn’t have a strong cheese flavor but more of a mild creamy taste and the rosemary wasn’t strong but it did add something. Definitely a great recipe!!
Now prepare and review the recipe as written..
I found Sandy’s suggestion very helpful.
I used Red Potatos as they do not have a lot of starch so they did not change color when making ahead, also I am diabetic and russet spikes me but red do not. Tried with yellow and they do not spike me either but they tasted too sweet.
Delicious! I cooked it in the OVEN on 375 for 45 mins. I cut the recipe in half, added the cheese with other ingredients in a sauce pan to melt them down and sprinkled some extra between the layers. Also covered with foil in the oven.
These were better than any recipe I was left from my family history. Everyone went back for seconds.
They were a hit and so easy. I doubled the recipe and used 1 cup of parmesean and 1 cup Gruyere cheese and it was perfect.
I used 18 per cent cream, and thickened the sauce with 2 tablespoons flour, as well as adding cheese to the sauce. It turned out perfectly,!
I have made these for the past three years. A harder cheese like shaved Romano/Parm will hold up better than Gruryere. And plus I can’t pronounce Gruyere when often asked about the recipe.
Less ground thyme, more fresh sprigs. Add bacon bits.
This modified recipe has been proven to impress, my Girlfriend’s Dad winked at me.
This is delicious but I had the same problem as others – the sauce curdled and got extremely dark (I used a crockpot liner, which probably saved it from totally burning). Next time, I will cook it on low and check it often! Probably more like only 2 hours? Those potatoes are very thinly sliced and won’t take much time to cook through. Be careful!
My oven pooped out a few weeks ago so I am making these right now in the crock pot for Easter Dinner. So far they look great and the sauce is lovely. I doubled the recipe. I am hopeful that the sauce will thicken a bit when these rest. My only comment is if you do double the recipe you may hold back on doubling the thyme. Dried thyme is very potent so knowing this I kept it to the 1/2 teaspoon and it is plenty. I will garnish with fresh parsley or chive. Thank you for a great recipe
This recipe is delicious, but you might want to be careful having this cheese sauce on high for so many hours (four). I doubled the recipe, and first started checking on it at the four-hour mark. At that point, the bottom of the slow cooker had a layer of solid-brown overcooked cheese-potato, and the sauce completely curdled and separated before the potatoes were quite soft enough. I was so bummed because gruyere cheese isn’t very cheap. I was making this to go with the Honeybaked Ham I’d bought for Christmas dinner. What I ended up doing is turning it to low, allowing the potatoes to continue about a half-hour longer until more tender. Then, I googled the curdling the problem and I added half-and-half, stirred it through, added a layer of shredded cheddar on top, and put the crockpot (sans heating element) in the oven for ten minutes, and I pretty much saved it as long as I didn’t stir down too far and bring up the overcooked brown layer of cheese-potato. Everyone still liked it!
Maybe the problem was my brand of slow cooker? What I wish I would have done is heat it all up on high, turn it down to low and then increase the cooking time on the low setting. I had the time, but I was doubting my judgment as to whether the potatoes would cook through on low. I will make this recipe again, but I will watch it more closely and cook it for at least some of the time on low. But the key for me would be to keep a closer eye on it. Cheese sauce can be tricky! 🙂
We made this for Christmas dinner and it was amazing! Thank you!
My family loved these cheesy potatoes. I doubled the recipe and cooked on slow for 6 and 1/2 hours and they came out perfect.
They really complimented the turkey on Thanksgiving Day.