I make a LOT of white sauce made with butter, flour, whole milk and salt and pepper. I make it a little more flavorful with some cayenne or a dash of Worchestershire or some dry mustard or celery salt or onion salt, or all. I must admit, though that I usually add about 1/2 to one pound of shredded cheddar to make au gratin potatoes. I put two layers of thinly sliced potatoes in a buttered pyrex dish, salt and pepper them, and then spoon some of the sauce over them, and repeat until the dish is 3/4 full. You can top the dish with more shredded cheese. Cover it with a sheet of foil sprayed with Pam or oil so it won't stick to the cheese in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake anothe 30 minutes until the potatoes feel tenden when pierced with a sharp knife.

I just slice the raw potato rather thin, and make layers with the potatoes, a little flour and dots of butter, salt and pepper. When I run out of potatoes, I pour milk over the casserole until it's about 1/2 way up. Bake uncovered at 350 until the potatoes are done and a sauce is formed. Does that make sense? I don't really have a recipe.

I do the white sauce and cheese also. I add ham if I have it.

I used to do it like Patti 43 but now I make a light white sauce, add a little dry mustard and pour it over the sliced potatoes and onion while it is still hot.
I don't really use a recipe, either. I use Wondra flour and butter and chicken broth.

at work we open a box and add boiled water and the powder mix to the potatoes and bake and we always get compliments on it o yeah and add diced ham
and bake according to the directions sometimes it is too thick and we add more water

I slice potatoes and put them in a buttered casserole, saute chopped onions in butter, once the onion is soft I start adding in flour to make a roux. Stirring the roux constantly I add milk or cream slowly until I have enough to cover the sliced potatoes. Add salt, pepper and a bit of cayenne to the sauce then pour the sauce over the potatoes. I do not top mine with cheese but I know that many folks do. Bake at 350 for about an hour, check them with a fork until they are tender.

I do mine a lot like Patti, always have - I rarely cook with a canned soup in much of anything.

Buttered casserole, layer of peeled (although I know cooks who don't peel) sliced potatoes, some chopped leftover ham if I have that, a few dehydrated onion flakes, pepper, 2 or three tablespoons of flour sprinkled, grated cheddar. Another layer just like the first, and a third or fourth after that, always ending with the cheese. **I omit the flour with the last layer, wouldn't want it to not cook in or show. Then I pour in milk only until I can see milk at the edges but not full to brim, cover the casserole and put it in a 350-375 oven for at least an hour. If it looks like I want it to tighten down a little and some of the liquid to evaporate at that point, I remove the lid and leave it in the oven a while longer. Test with a butter knife to make sure no resistance from any of the potatoes.
And I like a square or round casserole dish with some height, not a flatter 7x11 or 9x13.

I've used a recipe (a Martha recipe) where I remember partially cooking the potatoes in the milk in a saucepan before assembling, then using that milk to make a white sauce. It really didn't turn out significantly different, wasn't worth the extra prep time to me to reduce the cooking time.

Thanks guys. I was wondering if you made a hot roux ahead of time and poured it over the potatoes, or poured milk over top, like Patti.

Morz8, I don't cook with canned soup in anything either, except these. I've done them this way for years. They are good and creamy, I want to do it different this time. When I see recipes calling for creamed soup and dried onion soup, I pass them by in a hurry. So many roasts and slow cooker recipes use these as staples for some reason.

I've also seen recipes where the potato slices are simmered in cream, but that's a lot of prep work, especially if it makes no noticeable difference.

I make mine the same as Patti, but I top mine with shredded Cheddar cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking. Since I like the cheese really browned, I put it under the broiler for a minute or so, until it starts to brown.

My mom used to make them like Patti and they were one of my favorite foods, especially with her breaded pork chops. When the boxed potatoes came out though she started making the au gratin ones from the box. They were pretty good too! I haven't had those in a long time - convenience foods never seem to taste as good to me anymore. I think it's a combination of them changing the recipes and my tastes changing over the years.

OMG, Jas, Potatoes Dauphinoise! Potatoes smothered in cream with garlic....YUMMYYYYYY!!

I always made them from scratch using a bechamel sauce. Two years ago, I was planning dinner preparations with a friend and added potatoes to the grocery list because she wanted to serve scalloped potatoes. She laughed at me, introduced me to the boxed version and that's what I've been using ever since. My family loves them, they are super simple to make, and they come out perfect every time. We only have them about three times a year, so the boxed versions are a guilty convenience item for me to have in the pantry.

I aven't made any for years but made them with the cream of mushroom soup and layers of sliced onion, cheese and potatoes. yum

Jasdip, I make mine similar to Patti43, except I add a few chopped onions to each layer. Then I top it with Corn flakes or Rice Crispies for a nice crunch. (you also don't get the scalded milk look to it this way)

I have to admit I really like the Sour Cream & Chive box potatoes and I usually add some cheese to it (at least Parmesan or Romano) but do my own version on occasion.

For the sauce, just a roux of 3T butter with 3T flour, then add about 2 cups of liquids. You can use milk, cream, 1/2 & 1/2, or a combination. I also like to mix in some sour cream or a sour cream dip like bacon, ranch or onion dip. About a cup of sour cream or dip and the rest cream or milk. That should be enough liquid to handle a 9x13 pan with 4 or so large potatoes. Heat the liquid and if you want to add cheese, and who wouldn't, add 2-3 cups of your favorite cheese(s). It'll thicken up.

Mix in some cooked bacon with the sauteed onion, garlic & potatoes, you can add some ham, pepperoni or whatever else you like. Don't forget to season the potatoes however you like. A little Louisiana Hot Sauce or Cayenne will give a nice zing. I'll sometimes snip some green onions on the top for color.

BTW, instead of picking out the mushrooms from the soup, just use cream of potato (or chicken or celery or onion) soup.

I make a white sauce for scalloped potatoes. Also the dry mustard in the sauce is a must! If I am a little lazy I use cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup (or both), and If I am real lazy I make the boxed ones, LOL.

Lots of good ideas! Yes, onions layered with the potatoes are a must. I never thought of a cornflake crust Lucky.
Love the idea of dry mustard as well. I'll definitely be making my next one using a lot of your tips!

Years ago an elderly lady told me how to make them using plain powdered coffee creamer, flour,garlic salt and boiling water. They are creamy and much better then the cream of whatever soup. I have used cream of chicken every now and again.
I love scalloped potatoes with or without the ham. I had them once with tiny little meatballs in too, they weren't bad!

I do pretty much the same as Patti43. I don't have a recipe. Sometimes I add onion, or maybe garlic and onion powder, or celery salt. Sometimes I put in slices of ham or top with a sausage ring (like keilbasa). I often add cubes of cheese or shredded cheese as we all like the au gratin potatoes.

I forgot to mention that we always served them with baked ham. It was a given

....and meatloaf Minnie!!!!
hmmm breaded chicken breasts, pork chops.....it's so versatile it goes with anything!

I'm putting a cottage roll (pickled ham) in the slow cooker and having scallops with it.

I do it just like Patti too...except I also slice onions in with potatoes and generously dot with chunks of Velveeta. I usually pour milk in just to where I can see it (a little more than half)
It always boils over so add a piece of foil under it.

Here is an easy and I think good way to make escalloped potatoes
5 or 6 large potatoes- peeled and sliced
3/4 cup non dairy creamer(in jar)
3 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt (try less)
2 tbsp dry onion flakes
1/4 tsp paprika
Mix all but potatoes together in a bowl
layer potatoes and mixture 2 to 3 times in a casserole. Pour 1-1/2 cups boiling water and 3 tbsp butter over and stir Bake 350 for 1 hour.

I make them like Connie with the powdered coffee creamer.......wonderful and very creamy! I was just thinking of making them for Thanksgiving.

A lot of people put the crumb topping on them but I don't like that. I prefer the potatoes to be very browned & crusty. That's the best part to me. I usually use a larger pan so they spread out more and more crusty taters. More flavor. I think I might have to make some soon...

When we moved to SD it was the first time I ever heard ham and scalloped potatoes called funeral food. Do other areas call it that. In ND we always had hot dishes for funerals.

During the Depression my grandmother ran a boarding house for young men at the Unversity of Missouri. She needed recipes that featured Fast and Cheap. I don't remember all of her scalloped potato recipe, but it began with cooking the sliced potatoes in boiling water in a large frying pan. Then she poured off the water and added flour, milk and seasoning. There was no baking involved. The whole thing was cooked on the top of the stove.

Cooking the potatoes in water was faster, and you didn't have to worry about the milk or cream 'turning' snce you added it after the potatoes were almost tender. You could add ham at the last...if you had it!

Grandmother had sent her two eldest boys to live with an uncle. She managed to keep the other five housed and fed by running the boarding house.