Food Recipes Cheesy Potato Casserole 2.9 (100) Add your rating & review What makes this classic comfort food so great? Let us count the ways. By Karen Rankin Karen Rankin Karen Rankin is a chef, recipe developer, and food stylist with over 25 years experience cooking, developing recipes, styling food, and entertaining guests at her table and in restaurants. During the past 11 years, Karen has been styling food for various publications such as Cooking Light, Southern Living, Eating Well, Real Simple. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 18, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Hands On Time: 40 mins Bake Time: 1 hrs 10 mins Rest Time: 10 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Yield: 12 servings Thinly sliced, shingled potatoes are meltingly tender and, while there's certainly plenty of rich and creamy cheese sauce, it's not so much that it drowns the potatoes. Uncovering the casserole for the final 30 minutes of baking yields a crunchy, cheesy, salty top layer that's incredibly addictive. Using two types of cheese is another key: Sharp Cheddar cheese compliments the Parmesan's saltiness. Serve this casserole as a holiday side dish, or enjoy it with dinner tonight, and have leftovers for breakfast, topped with a fried egg. Ingredients ¼ cup salted butter, plus more for baking dish ¼ cup all-purpose flour 3 ½ cups half-and-half ½ teaspoon garlic powder 8 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided 4 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup), divided 4 pounds russet potatoes (about 6 large potatoes), peeled and thinly sliced 2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives Directions Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium, whisking often, until melted, about 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until bubbling, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in half-and-half, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, whisking often, until slightly thickened, 5 to 6 minutes. Whisk in garlic powder, 1½ cups white Cheddar, and ¾ cup of Parmesan until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with butter. Add one layer of potatoes, shingle-style. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper, and then spread about 1 cup of sauce mixture evenly over the potatoes. Repeat layers 4 to 5 more times with remaining potatoes, salt, pepper, and sauce mixture, ending with a layer of sauce on top, and then sprinkle top with remaining ½ cup Cheddar and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Lightly grease a piece of aluminum foil with butter, place it over the baking dish, and then bake until potatoes are somewhat tender and liquid is bubbling, about 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until potatoes are tender and top of the casserole is a deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Top with chives. Alison Miksch Rate it Print