My Mom’s Out-of-This-World Scalloped Potatoes
Makes one large casserole, approximately 8 servings
Creamy • Layered • Golden • Treasured
Thin layers of potato baked with sweet onion, fresh herbs, and rich cashew milk until tender, creamy, and beautifully golden—a plant-based version of the scalloped potatoes my mom made unforgettable.
This recipe is 100% plant-based.
Every time I flew home for a visit, my mom would ask me the same question:
“What would you like me to make you?”
And every time, without hesitation, I would say scalloped potatoes.
My mom made what I was quite certain were the best scalloped potatoes in the world. She taught me how to make them, so technically there was no reason I couldn’t make exactly the same potatoes for myself. But somehow they were always better when my mom made them for me.
Maybe that was because the potatoes were only part of what I was coming home for.
There would be a big bowl of warm, creamy scalloped potatoes, and we would sit together and catch up on life—what had happened, what was happening, all the little things you save up to tell your mom when you haven’t seen her for a while.
So many of my memories with my mom are wrapped around food like that.
Sometimes it was scalloped potatoes. Sometimes it was a beautiful biscuit—which, with a British mother, meant a cookie—or a scone or a little pastry. And almost inevitably there was tea.
I can still hear her asking, “Would you like a nice cuppa?”
I miss those days.
I miss sitting with her and having that cup of tea. I miss our conversations. And I miss having my mom put a warm bowl of her scalloped potatoes in front of me, even though I knew perfectly well how to make them myself.
But one of the beautiful things about recipes is that they allow something to continue.
My mom wasn’t vegan, so eventually I began adapting her scalloped potatoes to the way I cook. I replaced the milk with rich homemade cashew milk and the butter with vegan butter, but I kept the method she taught me—the potatoes layered with onion, salt and pepper, little pieces of butter, and that light sprinkling of flour between the layers.
No béchamel. No cheese sauce. No complicated additions.
The sauce makes itself in the oven.
As the potatoes soften, the flour, cashew milk, butter, and starch from the potatoes become one creamy sauce that settles into every layer. The top gets beautifully golden while underneath everything remains soft and almost impossibly creamy.
When I made my version for my mom, she told me she thought they were even better than hers.
Now, perhaps that is exactly the sort of thing a mother is supposed to tell her daughter.
But she cleaned her bowl.
So I’m choosing to believe her.
And somewhere along the way, as my mom grew older, our roles began to reverse. The woman who had spent so many years putting that warm bowl of scalloped potatoes in front of me was now sometimes the one sitting down while I made them for her.
I think that’s one of the tender realities of growing older with someone you love. At first they feed you. They teach you. They show you how something is done without either of you realizing how carefully you’re learning it.
And then one day, you’re the one making it for them.
Yet when we sat down together and ate those potatoes, none of that really mattered. They were still her scalloped potatoes. They were still ours.
That is why I believe one of the invisible ingredients in food really is love. It sounds like something people simply say, until you have eaten the exact same recipe made by someone you love and wondered why theirs somehow tastes better.
Maybe we’re tasting more than the food.
These potatoes aren’t a quick dish. There are potatoes to slice, onions to cook, layers to build, and then the oven needs time to do what the oven does. But they are worth every bit of it. And I always make a generous pan because one of the pleasures of scalloped potatoes is knowing there will be another warm bowl waiting tomorrow.
And please don’t put cheese on them.
I know cheese finds its way onto many scalloped potatoes, but these don’t need it. In fact, I think it would cover up the very thing that makes them so good. The pleasure is in their simplicity—the creamy cashew milk, the potato, the sweet onion, enough salt and pepper, a few herbs, and that golden top.
Nothing is trying too hard.
Sometimes when I’m standing in my own little kitchen making them now, I find myself thinking about all the different times I ate these potatoes with my mom—from when I was a little girl through the very end of our time together.
And that may be one of the things I love most about cooking.
A kitchen can be beautiful, but what makes it truly special isn’t the kitchen itself. It’s everything that comes into the room with you when you begin making a recipe that has a story behind it.
The people. The conversations. The places you’ve lived. The things you’ve lost. The things you still carry.
Stories stay with us.
And sometimes, wonderfully, we can cook them.
So I hope you’ll make a big pan of my mom’s scalloped potatoes. Let the top get golden. Let them rest until all that cashew cream settles into the layers. Put the whole casserole in the middle of the table and give everyone a spoon.
Maybe they’ll simply be wonderful scalloped potatoes to you.
Or maybe, somewhere along the way, they’ll become part of your family’s story too.
Because some of the most beautiful Meals That Gather People are the ones that keep gathering us around the table—even when someone we love can no longer be sitting there with us.
INGREDIENTS
For the Scalloped Potatoes
8 medium Idaho potatoes, thinly sliced
30–40 g spelt flour (¼–⅓ cup), as needed
1 large yellow onion, diced and gently cooked
1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon
Creamy cashew milk, as needed (approximately 2–2½ cups)
42 g vegan butter (3 tablespoons), cut into small pieces
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh thyme, to taste
Fresh sage, to taste
Fresh rosemary, used lightly
For the Homemade Cashew Milk
225 g raw cashews (1½ cups), soaked and drained
360 g water (1½ cups)
1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon
I use organic ingredients whenever possible.
METHOD
Step 1 — Make the Cashew Milk
Add to a high-speed blender:
225 g raw cashews (1½ cups), soaked and drained
360 g water (1½ cups)
1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon
Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
Set aside while you prepare the potatoes.
You will likely not need all of the cashew milk. The amount needed will depend on the size of your potatoes and casserole dish.
Step 2 — Cook the Onion
In a small skillet, add:
1 large yellow onion, diced
A small splash of vegetable broth
Cook over medium-low heat until the onion is soft and translucent, approximately 8–10 minutes.
You aren’t looking for deep caramelization here. The onion should remain soft and gentle so it melts into the potato layers as they bake.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 3 — Prepare the Potatoes
Preheat the oven to:
400°F (205°C)
Lightly grease a large casserole dish.
Thinly and evenly slice:
8 medium Idaho potatoes
A mandoline works beautifully here if you have one. Aim for slices approximately ⅛ inch thick so the potatoes cook evenly and become tender throughout.
There is no need to parboil them when they’re sliced this thinly.
Step 4 — Begin the Layers
Arrange a small amount of the cooked onion over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
Add a slightly overlapping layer of sliced potatoes.
Season lightly with:
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sprinkle a very light dusting of spelt flour over the potatoes.
Scatter a few small pieces of:
42 g vegan butter (3 tablespoons total)
Spoon or pour a little cashew milk over the layer.
The goal isn’t to cover the potatoes in liquid. You are adding just enough moisture throughout the layers to create the creamy sauce as the casserole bakes.
Step 5 — Continue Layering
Continue building the casserole with:
Cooked onion
Sliced potatoes
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
30–40 g spelt flour (¼–⅓ cup total), as needed
Vegan butter
Cashew milk
Repeat until all of the potatoes and onions have been used.
Season each potato layer lightly rather than trying to season the entire casserole at the end.
As you add the cashew milk, watch the dish rather than feeling you need to use a prescribed amount. The potatoes should look moist and creamy, but they should not be swimming in liquid.
That’s important to the finished texture. These scalloped potatoes should bake into cohesive, creamy layers that hold together when served rather than sitting in a pool of sauce.
Step 6 — Finish with Fresh Herbs
Scatter over the top:
Fresh thyme, generously
Fresh sage, to taste
Fresh rosemary, used lightly
I like thyme and sage to have a real presence here, while rosemary should stay in the background—just enough to perfume the potatoes without taking over.
Step 7 — Cover & Bake
Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil.
Bake at 400°F (205°C) for approximately 45–60 minutes, or until the potatoes are becoming completely tender when pierced through the center with a thin knife.
I would change the old 40–45 minutes here. With eight raw Idaho potatoes layered into a casserole, I’d rather give a range and use tenderness as the test than promise they’ll always be done at 45 minutes.
Step 8 — Uncover & Brown
Once the potatoes are tender, remove the foil.
Continue baking uncovered for approximately 15–20 minutes, until the top is lightly golden, the edges are bubbling, and the casserole looks creamy and set rather than loose.
For additional color, broil briefly at the end, watching carefully so the herbs and potatoes don’t burn.
Step 9 — Rest Before Serving
Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 15–20 minutes before serving.
Don’t skip this part.
The sauce will continue to thicken as the casserole rests, allowing the potato layers to settle into that beautifully cohesive texture that makes these scalloped potatoes so good.
To Serve
Set the casserole in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves.
These aren’t meant to be loose, saucy scalloped potatoes. They should be creamy but set, with tender layers of potato held together by the sauce that formed around them as they baked.
And they are not a dish to rush.
They are meant to be returned to.
NOTES
Choosing the Potatoes
Idaho or Russet potatoes are my preference for these scalloped potatoes. Their higher starch content helps create the soft, cohesive layers I remember and also contributes naturally to thickening the sauce as the casserole bakes.
Choose potatoes that are fairly similar in size so the slices are easier to layer evenly.
Slice Them Thinly & Evenly
Aim for potato slices approximately ⅛ inch thick.
A mandoline makes quick work of this and gives you very even slices, but a sharp knife works perfectly well. Consistent thickness matters more than absolute precision—the goal is for all of the potatoes to become tender at roughly the same time.
Why the Flour Is Sprinkled Between the Layers
This is how my mom made scalloped potatoes, and I still make them the same way.
Rather than preparing a separate flour-thickened sauce, a light dusting of spelt flour goes directly between the potato layers. As the casserole bakes, the flour combines with the cashew milk, vegan butter, and starch from the potatoes to create the creamy sauce right in the dish.
Use a light hand. You aren’t trying to create visible layers of flour—just a delicate dusting as you build the casserole.
Let the Cashew Milk Be Your Guide
The amount of cashew milk will vary depending on the size of your potatoes and the dimensions of your casserole dish.
I rarely measure it exactly. I pour a little between the layers and judge by how the casserole looks.
You want enough moisture for the potatoes to cook and become creamy, but they should not be swimming in liquid. I prefer scalloped potatoes that are creamy yet set, with layers that hold together when spooned onto the plate.
About the Cashew Milk
Homemade cashew milk is especially good here because it is naturally rich and creamy without requiring dairy cream.
The recipe makes a little more than you may need for the casserole. Don’t feel obligated to use all of it. Add only what the potatoes need.
Any leftover cashew milk can be refrigerated and used in soups, sauces, mashed potatoes, or another savory dish.
Season as You Layer
Don’t wait until the casserole is assembled to add all the salt and pepper.
A light seasoning over each layer of potatoes gives you a much more evenly seasoned finished dish. Potatoes can absorb quite a bit of seasoning, so tasting only the sauce isn’t always a good indication of how the finished casserole will taste.
About the Herbs
Thyme and sage can be generous here. Both are beautiful with creamy potatoes and onions.
Rosemary is stronger, so I use it with a lighter hand. I want to notice its fragrance without having it become the dominant flavor.
Fresh herbs are my preference, although dried herbs can be used in smaller amounts when fresh aren’t available.
Don’t Rush the Baking Time
The thickness of the casserole, the size of the dish, and even the potatoes themselves can change the baking time.
Use the clock as a guide, but let the potatoes tell you when they’re ready. A thin knife inserted into the center should pass easily through the layers without resistance before you uncover the casserole for browning.
Let Them Rest
This may be one of the most important steps.
When the potatoes first come from the oven, the sauce will still be very hot and somewhat loose. Resting for 15–20 minutes allows everything to settle and thicken around the potato layers.
That is what gives these scalloped potatoes their creamy-but-set texture rather than leaving a puddle of sauce on the plate.
Make Ahead & Reheating
These potatoes can be assembled earlier in the day, covered, and refrigerated until you’re ready to bake them. If baking directly from the refrigerator, expect the covered baking time to be longer.
Leftovers are wonderful the next day. Cover and reheat gently in the oven until hot throughout, uncovering toward the end if you’d like to refresh the golden top.
A Final Thought
Some recipes are special because of what is in them. Others are special because of who taught us how to make them.
I can change the milk to cashews and the butter to one made from plants, but I still sprinkle the flour between the layers because that is how my mom made her scalloped potatoes. I still know what they should look like before they go into the oven, how creamy they should be without becoming soupy, and that they need a little time to settle before everyone digs in.
Those are the things a written recipe doesn’t always capture—the little pieces of kitchen knowledge that get passed from one pair of hands to another.
And perhaps that’s why a casserole like this belongs so naturally in the middle of a table. You aren’t only serving potatoes. You’re carrying something forward.
Some of the most meaningful Meals That Gather People are the recipes that gathered people long before they ever reached our own table.
.
This is the kind of food that nourishes quietly.
It asks us to slow down,
to listen,
and to remember what is enough.