These Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes are super cheesy, creamy and delicious – all you need is a cake pan to cook this easy holiday side dish!
Ingredients and substitutions
- White potatoes – you can use any potato of your choice. Yukon gold and red potatoes have a firmer texture, and starchy russet potatoes add some creaminess to the texture of the sauce.
- Yellow onion – red onions, white onions or shallots would also be good.
- Butter – butter adds the best flavour but ghee, margarine or olive oil will work as well.
- Flour – use your favourite gluten-free flour substitute or arrowroot instead.
- Milk – cream or half and half will make your scalloped potatoes extra rich.
- Cheddar cheese – swap out for any smooth melting cheese like Monterey Jack, gruyere or smoked gouda.
- Fresh thyme – use ¼ tsp. dried thyme instead. Sage, oregano, marjoram or Italian seasoning are also good substitutes.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
How to make scalloped potatoes in the Instant Pot
Step 1: Make the sauce.
Melt the butter in a pot then whisk in the flour. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil, then whisk in the cheese, thyme, salt and pepper, stirring until combined.
Step 2: Layer the potatoes in the cake pan.
Add three layers of thinly sliced potatoes to the cake pan, with onion in between the bottom two layers. Pour the sauce over top.
Step 3: Add water and a trivet to the Instant Pot.
Step 4: Place the cake pan on top of the trivet.
Step 5: Cook on high pressure.
Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then do a quick release of the pressure.
Step 6: Broil then serve!
Remove the cake pan from the Instant Pot and place under the broiler until the tops of the potatoes are crispy. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the best scalloped potatoes
Here are some tips to ensure your Instant Pot scalloped potatoes turn out perfectly every time:
- Cut the potatoes thinly and evenly – the mandoline is a great tool for this!
- To make this a full meal, add some diced ham or bacon over top of the potatoes before adding the sauce.
- Keep an eye on the potatoes while broiling to ensure they don’t burn!
- Top your scalloped potatoes with a parmesan and panko topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
I find that starchy potatoes like white potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes are best for making scalloped potatoes in the Instant Pot. You want to make sure that whatever potatoes you use are starchy to help make the sauce nice and creamy.
The great thing about making scalloped potatoes in the Instant Pot is that they’ll turn out super creamy and perfectly soft (but crispy on the outside if you broil them afterwards). A lot of scalloped potato recipes call for sour cream, which acts as an acid and can prevent potatoes from softening, but this recipe doesn’t call for sour cream, so you won’t have to worry about that.
To prevent the milk from curdling in this scalloped potatoes Instant Pot recipes, make the sauce before cooking the potatoes. This will prevent the milk from curdling.
If you’re making these scalloped potatoes for a holiday dinner or a potluck, you can make them up to 4 days in advance. Store them in an oven-safe dish and cover in plastic wrap. When you’re ready to enjoy, let the potatoes come to room temperature on the counter then stick uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes at 350° F.
These Instant Pot scalloped potatoes make a great side dish for any meal, or you can bulk them up for a fantastic main dish by adding in some ground beef, turkey or ham. They’d taste great as a side with turkey breast, pork chops or whole chicken!
Storing and reheating
Store any leftovers of this scalloped potatoes Instant Pot recipe in an oven-safe dish after letting them cool. Cover the dish securely with plastic wrap then store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat, let it sit on the counter for a bit at room temperature then reheat it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit right in the uncovered oven-safe dish. If you don’t have time to let the potatoes come to room temperature first, add on 15 minutes to the cooking time. You can also reheat smaller portions in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes.
Can you freeze scalloped potatoes?
You can freeze Instant Pot scalloped potatoes after cooking them to save time for holiday dinners. Completely cool the potatoes then put them in an oven-safe container. Cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze the potatoes for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to serve, remove the dish from the freezer and place it in the fridge to thaw overnight. The next day, reheat the potatoes in the oven for about 35 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit.
Freezing may cause the sauce to break up a little after being frozen, but it won’t change the flavour – just throw some extra cheese on top while you are reheating them and they’ll be as good as new!
More Instant Pot potato recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- A 6×4 cake pan to place inside the Instant Pot.
- The trivet that comes with your Instant Pot.
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls to store the leftovers.
Creamy Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- Cooking spray
- 4 medium-sized white potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1 lb)
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped or 1/4 tsp dried
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Add water to Instant Pot, then place trivet in the pot.
- Meanwhile, spray a 9-inch round with cooking spray. Layer in sliced potatoes in 3 even layers and add onions in between the two bottom layers.
- Heat a medium pot over med-high heat. Melt butter, then whisk in flour until combined. Whisk in milk, then bring to a boil. Whisk in cheese, thyme, salt & pepper, stirring until combined. Remove from heat, then pour mixture over potatoes and onions. NOTE: Alternatively, you can make the cheese sauce in the Instant Pot in the same manner on saute mode. You will just need to wash the inner pot again before you cook on high pressure so I prefer to make the cheese sauce on the stove.
- Add cake pan filled with potatoes and sauce to Instant Pot, placing on top of the trivet. Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal. Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 30 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook for 30 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the pressure. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Remove cake pan and place under a broiler if you'd like a crispy top for 5 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn. Serve and enjoy!
