Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

These creamy, comforting vegan scalloped potatoes are a classic holiday recipe in our family (perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas!). With a buttery, garlicky, creamy sauce, tender potatoes and a crispy, cheesy breadcrumb topping, I can't think of a better side dish!

Growing up in the midwest, pretty much every family holiday included a whole lot of potatoes, cheese and cream. Scalloped or au gratin potatoes were always on the menu, including a special breakfast version with a cornflake topping.

Just thinking about it now makes my stomach hurt...so much dairy! (I've always had a pretty severe sensitivity, so I'm not sure how I made it through those times.)

These vegan scalloped potatoes are reminiscent of my childhood, with a slightly modern twist. (Breadcrumbs, way more garlic and herbs, and no dairy, of course.)

They're a wonderful holiday side dish in place of plain old mashed potatoes. (Although who am I kidding, mashed potatoes are amazing and I totally won't judge if you make both.) You certainly don't need a special occasion to make these – enjoy with any weeknight dinner!

Best way to prep potatoes

A mandoline slicer is by far the best way to prepare potatoes for this dish. It ensures even thickness, so the potatoes all cook evenly and quickly. It's also a super useful kitchen utensil, perfect for prepping vegetables for salads, slaws, spring rolls and more.

If you don't have a mandoline, do your best to slice the potatoes as thinly as possible (about ⅛ inch thick).

Slice the potato in half lengthwise so you have a flat surface to work with, which will make the potato easier to slice. The potatoes will be half moon shaped, but will still taste fantastic (and most importantly, cook evenly!).

Ingredients

• Yukon Gold Potatoes: Yukon golds are by far our favorite choice for scalloped potatoes. They have a buttery flavor and creamy texture, unlike russets, which can get a bit starchy.
• Vegan butter
• All purpose flour: to thicken the sauce. We used gluten free.
• Onion & garlic: to add a big boost of flavor.
• Nondairy milk: we use a mix of regular nondairy milk and nondairy creamer, which is significantly thicker and gives the sauce a much creamier texture. Make sure to check that it's plain and unsweetened!
• Dijon mustard
• Salt, pepper and parsley
• Breadcrumb topping: panko breadcrumbs (we used gluten free) + some melted vegan butter make for the perfect crispy topping!

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.
2. Prepare potatoes. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, carefully slice the potatoes as thinly as possible (about ⅛ inch thick). If the potato is very large, slice in half lengthwise. Prep all potatoes and set aside.
3. Make sauce. Heat a saucepan to medium and add butter. Once melted, add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
4. Whisk in flour, then slowly add milk, whisking well to eliminate any flour clumps. Once thickened, whisk in mustard, salt, pepper, and parsley. 
5. Assemble. Cover the bottom of a casserole or baking dish with a thin layer of sauce (just enough to cover the bottom). Arrange potatoes so that they're slightly overlapped. Once you have an entire layer of potatoes, cover in sauce.
6. Repeat until you have 5 layers of potatoes (with sauce in between each layer). Finish with a remaining layer of sauce. 
7. Bake on the bottom rack of your oven for 45 minutes.
8. Topping. Stir together breadcrumbs and melted butter. After 45 minutes, remove from oven, top with breadcrumbs (and cheese if using) and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender and topping is golden brown. 

Recipe variations

• Instead of regular potatoes, use sweet potatoes (or half regular & half sweet potatoes!).
• To make vegan au gratin potatoes (basically the same thing, but with cheese), replace the breadcrumbs with 1-1 ½ cups vegan cheddar cheese and bake until melty.
• For an extra herby version, add a few tablespoons of pesto to the sauce.
• For a completely traditional version of these scalloped potatoes, leave off the breadcrumbs altogether and bake just the sauce and potatoes. (We prefer the breadcrumbs for some textural contrast!)

More vegan comfort food recipes

• BEST Mashed Potatoes
• Vegetable & White Bean Pot Pie
• Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Buffalo Cauliflower Pizza
• Easy Vegan Mac & Cheese
• Mushroom Stew over Mashed Potatoes

If you make these vegan scalloped potatoes, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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