Cheesy Potatoes are a family-favorite recipe! Diced potatoes tossed in an irresistibly creamy cheese sauce and then topped with crunchy buttered breadcrumbs–what’s not to love?
This cheesy potato casserole is made from scratch with diced potatoes. If you’re looking for a cheesy potato recipe with hash browns, you’ve got to try our favorite Funeral Potatoes!
Cheesy Potato Casserole
Not to be confused with Funeral Potatoes, which are made with frozen hash browns, Cheesy Potatoes are made with diced fresh potatoes. Sometimes called party potatoes or great potatoes, this potato casserole is one of my family’s favorites!
While similar to Au Gratin potatoes, this casserole has a rich, cheesy cream sauce and perfectly cooked potatoes that basically melt in your mouth!
We finish this casserole with a crunchy topping that adds great texture. We loved the topping on our one-pan Tuna Casserole so much that we had to use it for these potatoes. A touch of fresh thyme adds the perfect finishing touch, tying everything together beautifully!
Quick Tip
We make these Cheesy Potatoes in the oven, but if you want to make cheesy potatoes in the crockpot, you’ve got to try our Crockpot Au Gratin Potatoes!
How To Make Cheesy Potatoes
- Prep potatoes. Turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and start peeling and chopping the potatoes. Check out the “variations” tip below.
- Prep cream sauce. Make a mixture by combining butter and flour, then gradually add milk. Once the sauce is thick, mix in some cheese to create a creamy, cheesy sauce for the potatoes.
- Assemble. Layer the potatoes, alternating with grated cheese.
- Bake. These potatoes need a good amount of oven time, so plan ahead. After they are mostly baked, finish this Cheesy Potato recipe with more cheese and a crunchy topping, then bake again!
Variations
Make cheesy scalloped potatoes by following this recipe, but thinly slicing the potatoes (1/8th-inch thick) instead of cutting into cubes!
Cheesy Potatoes With Real Potatoes
Skip the box mixes—real potatoes are the best! Our favorite for this recipe is Yukon gold potatoes, also known as gold, Yukon, or yellow potatoes.
Yukon gold potatoes are small to medium-sized with light yellow flesh, delicate skin, and a creamy flavor with a hint of sweetness. Once you try these potatoes in this casserole, you’ll never want to use any other kind!
Cheesy Potatoes Without Soup
Many potato casserole recipes use “cream of something” soup, but we prefer making the cheese sauce from scratch. It tastes much better and isn’t too much extra work. The key ingredient that makes this sauce special is the cheese.
Sharp Cheddar, or extra sharp, is the best choice. Sharp (and extra sharp) means the cheese is more aged, giving it a richer and stronger flavor. If your cheese sauce ever tastes bland, it’s probably because the cheese wasn’t aged enough (or it needed more salt!).
Quick Tip
Grate your own cheese! Already-grated packaged cheese will give the sauce a powdery texture and won’t melt as nicely (Pre-grated cheeses have a powder coating to keep shreds from clumping in the bag).
What Goes With Cheesy Potatoes
You can serve Cheesy Potatoes pretty much anywhere where you’d serve Mashed Potatoes . We typically serve it alongside a meat main (like pulled pork, grilled chicken, a flat iron steak, or blackened chicken) with a big garden salad or roasted vegetables.
These potatoes are also a great addition for a holiday dinner:
- Add to your Thanksgiving or Christmas table along with Crockpot Turkey Breast, Sweet Potato Casserole, Thanksgiving Salad or Winter Salad, Thanksgiving Dressing, and the best, no-knead Dinner Rolls.
- Add to your Easter spread along with this Deviled Egg Recipe, Asparagus Salad, Roasted Asparagus, Cobb Salad, and these easy Drop Biscuits.
Crispy Topping
Cheesy Potatoes can be topped with all sorts of things like crushed potato chips or corn flakes. While those are tasty, we love using cubed potatoes with a buttered panko topping.
What is panko? Panko is like regular bread crumbs but makes things crunchier and lighter. You can find it near the bread crumbs in the grocery store. Make sure to get plain panko, not the seasoned kind.
Why toast the panko? Toasting panko in a skillet adds more flavor and keeps it from getting soggy. This step is quick but makes a big difference! If you prefer, you can melt the butter in the microwave, mix it with the panko and salt, and then add it on top of the casserole. It won’t be as brown but will still taste great!
Storage
Storage
These potatoes are best when they are hot out of the oven! As they cool, the topping softens, and the potatoes soak up more of the sauce.
They can be stored in the fridge for 5-7 days, but the crispy topping will get soggy. If you don’t plan to eat the whole casserole in one day, only add the topping to the portion you will eat right away.
Quick Tip
Make this Side Dish Into A Main Course!
Turn Cheesy Potatoes into a main course by adding smoked sausage, cooked ground beef, or diced rotisserie chicken. Add these after the first 1 hour and 15 minutes of baking. Stir the potatoes, mix in the meat, add the topping, and finish baking.
More Great Side Dishes:
- Cornbread Recipe with honey
- Winter Salad with the BEST creamy dressing
- Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan
- Italian Salad with an herby dressing
- Green Bean Casserole made from scratch!
Cheesy Potatoes
Equipment
- Baking pan 9 x 9-inch
Ingredients
- 5 cups diced gold potatoes 1/2-inch cubes, see note 1
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups whole milk see note 2
- 2-1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese divided, see note 3
- 1-1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme optional
Topping
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF. Grease a 9 x 9-inch pan with cooking spray. Peel potatoes and dice into 1/2-inch pieces. Tightly pack potatoes in measuring cups to ensure a full 5 cups.
- Melt butter in a large nonstick pot over low heat. Add garlic powder, mustard powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sautรฉ for 1 minute or until fragrant. Sprinkle in flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute until smooth, do not let it brown. Gradually pour in 1 cup milk while whisking constantly. Once smooth, increase heat to medium-high and add the other cup of milk gradually. Stir occasionally until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened (see note 4). Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup Cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Add diced potatoes and stir to coat. Mix in fresh thyme if using.
- Add 1/3 of the potatoes to the prepared pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Repeat with another 1/3 of the potatoes and 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with remaining potatoes, smoothing to an even layer. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir constantly until lightly browned, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Remove foil and pierce the center of the pan with a table knife to check if the potatoes are tender. If not, bake for 5โ10 more minutes and check again. Remove from oven and gently stir the potatoes with a spatula, then smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and the panko topping. Bake for another 10โ15 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Remove and let stand for 5โ10 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken as it stands. Enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.