This oven baked 5-ingredient scalloped potato dish is exactly the kind of cozy, no-fuss dinner I reach for on busy weeknights. Instead of making a sauce from scratch, we lean on canned cream of chicken soup and just three simple ingredients layered over sliced raw potatoes. Everything bakes together in one dish, turning into a creamy, hearty pan of potatoes that feels like Sunday dinner but fits into a Tuesday schedule. It reminds me of the church potlucks I grew up with in the Midwest—simple ingredients, big comfort, and always an empty dish at the end.
Serve these scalloped potatoes as the main event with a simple green salad and steamed or roasted veggies on the side, or pair them with roasted chicken, pork chops, or meatloaf for a classic meat-and-potatoes dinner. They’re also perfect alongside holiday ham or turkey. Add a little color to the plate with green beans, a crisp coleslaw, or a tangy cucumber salad to balance the richness. Leftovers reheat well and make a great base for a quick lunch topped with a fried egg or some leftover shredded chicken.
Oven Baked 5-Ingredient Scalloped PotatoesServings: 6
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch thick)
2 (10.5-ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups whole milk (or 2% milk)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a thin layer of butter.
Prep the potatoes by peeling them and slicing them into thin, even rounds, about 1/8 inch thick. The more evenly they’re sliced, the more evenly they’ll cook. If you slice them ahead, keep them in a bowl of cold water, then drain and pat dry right before layering so they don’t discolor or water down the sauce.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of chicken soup and the milk until smooth and pourable. This is your shortcut creamy sauce.
Layer about one-third of the sliced raw potatoes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish, spreading them out into an even layer. It’s okay if they overlap slightly.
Scatter one-third of the sliced onion over the potatoes, then sprinkle about one-third of the shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Spoon about one-third of the cream of chicken soup mixture over the potatoes, onions, and cheese. Use the back of the spoon to gently spread it so it lightly coats the layer. It doesn’t need to be perfect; it will spread more as it bakes.
Repeat the layering two more times: potatoes, onion, cheese, then soup mixture, ending with the remaining soup mixture spread over the top. Reserve a small handful of cheese (about 1/4 cup) for the very end of baking if you’d like a more golden, bubbly top.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place it on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 50–60 minutes, until the potatoes are mostly tender when pierced with a knife.
Carefully remove the foil (watch for steam). If you reserved cheese, sprinkle it evenly over the top. Return the uncovered dish to the oven and bake for another 20–30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly and the potatoes are completely tender all the way through.
Remove the dish from the oven and let the scalloped potatoes rest for at least 10–15 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken up a bit and makes it easier to scoop neat portions. Serve warm, straight from the baking dish.
Variations & Tips
For extra flavor, stir 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder and dried thyme or parsley into the cream of chicken soup mixture before layering. You can also swap the cheddar for a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack or Gruyère for a slightly fancier feel. If you want to make it a full one-pan meal, tuck 1–2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken or diced ham between the potato layers before adding the soup mixture. To lighten it up slightly, use reduced-fat cream of chicken soup and 2% milk, and add an extra splash of milk if the mixture seems too thick. For a crispier top, broil the dish for 1–2 minutes at the very end of baking—just watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Food safety tips: Always start with fresh potatoes; discard any that are very soft, moldy, or have a strong off smell. Because this dish contains poultry-based soup and dairy, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking in a shallow, covered container. Reheat leftovers thoroughly in the oven or microwave until steaming hot (165°F/74°C in the center). If you prep the dish ahead, assemble it, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; add 10–15 minutes to the covered baking time since it will be starting cold from the fridge. Do not leave the assembled raw potato and dairy mixture at room temperature for long periods before baking, as that can encourage bacterial growth.
