Simple Scalloped Potatoes for One

Living alone or cooking for yourself doesn’t mean you should miss out on comfort food classics like scalloped potatoes. But let’s be real—most recipes serve six to eight people, leaving you with way too many leftovers or forcing you to do some tricky mental math to scale everything down.

That’s exactly why I created this scalloped potatoes recipe for one. It gives you all the creamy, cheesy goodness of traditional scalloped potatoes in a perfectly portioned serving that’s ready in under an hour. No complicated conversions, no wasted ingredients, and no eating the same dish for five days straight.

What Kind of Potato Should I Use?

For scalloped potatoes, you’ll want to reach for a starchy potato like a russet or Yukon gold. Russets are the classic choice because they absorb the creamy sauce really well and get nice and tender, while Yukon golds will give you a slightly buttery flavor and hold their shape a bit better. Avoid waxy potatoes like red potatoes or fingerlings for this recipe, as they don’t absorb the sauce as well and can turn out a little too firm. Whichever you choose, make sure to slice your potato evenly – about 1/8 inch thick – so everything cooks at the same rate.

Options for Substitutions

This single-serving recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Potato: Russet potatoes are classic for scalloped potatoes because they hold their shape well, but you can use Yukon golds for a creamier texture. Sweet potatoes work too if you want to try something different, though the flavor will be sweeter.
• Cheddar cheese: Feel free to use whatever cheese you have on hand – Gruyere, Swiss, Monterey Jack, or even a mix of cheeses all melt nicely. Just avoid pre-shredded cheese if possible, as it doesn’t melt as smoothly.
• Milk: Whole milk gives the best creamy result, but you can use 2% milk or even half-and-half if you want it richer. Heavy cream works too, though you might want to thin it with a splash of water.
• Butter: Olive oil or vegetable oil can replace the butter in the sauce if needed, though butter does add a nice richness to the dish.
• Flour: Cornstarch can work as a thickener instead of flour – just use about 1½ teaspoons mixed with a little cold milk before adding to the sauce.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake when making scalloped potatoes is slicing your potato too thick, which leads to undercooked, crunchy layers – aim for slices about 1/8 inch thick (think potato chip thickness) for potatoes that cook through and turn tender.

Another common error is not cooking the flour long enough in step 3, so make sure you stir it for the full 2 minutes to get rid of that raw flour taste in your sauce.

To avoid a watery casserole, don’t skip covering your baking dish with foil during the first 25 minutes of baking, as this traps steam and helps the potatoes cook evenly.

Finally, let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes after it comes out of the oven – this allows the sauce to thicken up and makes serving much neater instead of having everything slide around on your plate.

What to Serve With Scalloped Potatoes?

Since scalloped potatoes are pretty rich and cheesy, they pair really well with simple proteins like grilled chicken breast, pan-seared pork chops, or even a basic steak. If you want to keep things vegetarian, a side of roasted green beans or steamed broccoli adds a nice fresh contrast to all that creamy goodness. You could also serve them alongside a crisp side salad with a light vinaigrette to balance out the heaviness of the dish. For a cozy dinner, scalloped potatoes work great as the main event too – just add a simple arugula salad on the side and call it a meal.

Storage Instructions

Store: Leftover scalloped potatoes keep really well in the fridge. Just cover your dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container, and they’ll stay good for up to 3 days. The flavors actually get even better the next day!

Reheat: To warm up your scalloped potatoes, cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through. If they seem a bit dry, just add a splash of milk before reheating.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 400-450
• Protein: 15-18 g
• Fat: 23-27 g
• Carbohydrates: 30-35 g

Ingredients

For the base:

• 1 potato (russet is best; sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 1.5 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 7/8 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar gives better flavor)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

For the topping:

• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Step 1: Prepare the Oven and Potatoes

• 1 potato, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

While the oven heats, slice the russet potato into 1/4-inch rounds—a mandoline or sharp knife works well here.

Arrange the potato slices in a single-serving baking dish (a 2-cup ramekin or small gratin dish works perfectly) and set aside.

I find that uniform potato thickness is key to even cooking, so take a moment to get those slices consistent.

Step 2: Make the Cheese Sauce Base

• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 7/8 cup milk

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Once foaming, sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir constantly for about 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste—this is your roux, and it’s what will thicken the sauce.

Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps, then continue cooking for another 2 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Step 3: Season and Finish the Sauce

• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth.

I like sharp cheddar because it gives the sauce more depth and complexity than mild varieties—it really elevates a simple potato dish.

Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Step 4: Assemble and Bake

• sliced potatoes from Step 1
• cheese sauce from Step 3

Pour the cheese sauce from Step 3 evenly over the potato slices in your baking dish, making sure the sauce coats all the potatoes.

Bake uncovered at 375°F for 25 minutes until the potatoes are just becoming tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

Step 5: Top and Final Bake

• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese evenly over the top.

Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes more until the potatoes are fork-tender and the cheese topping is golden and melted.

The total cooking time of 45 minutes ensures the potatoes cook through completely while the sauce stays creamy.

Simple Scalloped Potatoes for One

Delicious Simple Scalloped Potatoes for One recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 1 serving

Calories 425 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the base::

• 1 potato (russet is best; sliced into 1/4-inch rounds)
• 1.5 tbsp butter (I like Kerrygold unsalted butter for this)

For the sauce::

• 1 tbsp flour (I always use King Arthur all-purpose flour)
• 7/8 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (sharp cheddar gives better flavor)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

For the topping::

• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 375°F. While the oven heats, slice the russet potato into 1/4-inch rounds—a mandoline or sharp knife works well here. Arrange the potato slices in a single-serving baking dish (a 2-cup ramekin or small gratin dish works perfectly) and set aside. I find that uniform potato thickness is key to even cooking, so take a moment to get those slices consistent.
• Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once foaming, sprinkle the flour over the butter and stir constantly for about 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste—this is your roux, and it's what will thicken the sauce. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps, then continue cooking for another 2 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove the saucepan from heat and stir in the 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until the cheese is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. I like sharp cheddar because it gives the sauce more depth and complexity than mild varieties—it really elevates a simple potato dish. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Pour the cheese sauce from Step 3 evenly over the potato slices in your baking dish, making sure the sauce coats all the potatoes. Bake uncovered at 375°F for 25 minutes until the potatoes are just becoming tender and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
• Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes more until the potatoes are fork-tender and the cheese topping is golden and melted. The total cooking time of 45 minutes ensures the potatoes cook through completely while the sauce stays creamy.