Budget Bake: Just 3 ingredients. Perfect for those nights when the pantry looks empty but dinner needs to happen.

This 3-ingredient poor man’s cheesy potato bake is exactly what I reach for on those nights when the pantry looks empty but dinner still has to happen. It’s basically a stripped-down scalloped potato situation: just sliced potatoes, cheese, and milk, baked until the top is golden, bubbly, and a little bit caramelized around the edges. No fancy gadgets, no long list of ingredients—just real comfort food you can throw together after work with whatever’s left in the fridge.

Serve this cheesy potato bake as the main event with a simple green salad or a bag of frozen veggies on the side to round things out. It’s also perfect next to roasted or pan-fried chicken, sausages, or even a couple of fried eggs on top if you’re really stretching the budget. A little hot sauce, ketchup, or a spoonful of salsa on the side can brighten everything up, and if you have any leftover bits of cooked meat or vegetables, they can be scattered over each serving to make it feel more like a full meal.

Servings: 3–4

2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch)

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish (about 8x8 inches or similar) with a tiny bit of oil or butter if you have it, just to help prevent sticking.

Wash and peel the potatoes if you like (peels on is fine). Slice them as thinly and evenly as you can, about 1/8 inch thick. The thinner they are, the faster and more evenly they’ll cook.

Spread a thin, even layer of potato slices over the bottom of the baking dish, overlapping them slightly like shingles. Sprinkle a handful of shredded cheese over the potatoes.

Repeat layering potatoes and cheese until you’ve used everything, finishing with a generous layer of cheese on top. Try to keep the top fairly even so it browns nicely.

Slowly pour the milk around the edges and over the top, letting it trickle down through the layers. You want the milk to come about halfway to three-quarters of the way up the potatoes, not completely covering them, so the top can crisp and caramelize.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the potatoes are starting to soften when pierced with a knife and the milk is bubbling around the edges.

Remove the foil and continue baking for another 20–30 minutes, or until the top is deep golden-brown, the cheese has formed an amber, bubbly crust, and the potatoes are fully tender all the way through. If the top isn’t browning enough, move the dish to the top rack for the last 5–10 minutes.

Let the potato bake rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This helps the layers set up a bit so it’s easier to scoop and gives the cheese and milk a chance to thicken into a creamy, glossy sauce under the crust.

If you have them, you can add a pinch of salt and pepper between the layers, but the base recipe is designed to work with only three ingredients. Any meltable cheese works: cheddar, Colby, mozzarella, or a mix of odds and ends from the fridge. For extra flavor on a tight budget, stir in a teaspoon of mustard or a spoonful of cream cheese into the milk before pouring it over, or sprinkle a little garlic powder or dried herbs between layers. You can also stretch this into a fuller meal by tucking in thin slices of leftover ham, crumbled cooked bacon, or a handful of frozen peas between the potato layers (this will technically add ingredients, but it’s great for using up scraps). If you need it to cook faster, par-cook the sliced potatoes in the microwave with a splash of water for 5–7 minutes before layering and baking. For food safety, keep the dish refrigerated if you’re prepping it ahead and bake within 24 hours. Leftovers should be cooled within 2 hours, stored in a covered container in the fridge, and eaten within 3–4 days; reheat thoroughly until steaming hot all the way through. Always use pasteurized milk and discard if it smells sour or looks curdled before starting.