Cheesy Potatoes are a family-favorite recipe! Diced potatoes tossed in an irresistibly creamy cheese sauce and topped with crunchy buttered breadcrumbs. What's not to love?
PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x9-inch (or 2-quart) pan with cooking spray and set aside.
PREP POTATOES: Peel and dice potatoes (1/2-inch). Tightly pack potatoes in measuring cups to ensure a full 5 cups.
SAUCE: Melt butter in a large nonstick pot over low heat. Once melted, add garlic powder, mustard powder, and onion powder. Season to taste (I add 1-1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper). Sauté 1 minute or until fragrant. Sprinkle in flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute until smooth (don't let it brown). Very gradually pour in 1 cup milk while whisking constantly. Once completely smooth, increase heat to medium-high and gradually add in the other cup of milk. Stir occasionally until mixture comes to a boil.
SAUCE, CONT.: Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until mixture is nicely thickened (Note 4). Remove pot from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup Cheddar cheese, mixing gently until melted and smooth. Add in the diced potatoes and stir to coat. Mix through fresh thyme if using.
ASSEMBLE: Add 1/3 of the potatoes to prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Add another 1/3 of potatoes on top and sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of cheese. Add remaining potatoes on top smoothing to an even layer. Cover pan with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
TOPPING: Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add in panko and salt to taste, I add 1/4 teaspoon. Stir constantly until lightly browned and then remove from heat and set aside.
BAKE: Remove foil and use a table knife to pierce the middle of the pan to test if the potatoes are tender. (If not, bake a 5-10 more minutes and check again.) Remove from oven and use a spatula to gently stir the potatoes and then smooth again in an even layer. Sprinkle on remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle panko topping evenly over cheese and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Remove and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sauce will thicken as it stands. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Note 1: Potatoes: Yukon gold (also called gold, Yukon, or yellow potatoes) are our hands-down favorite potato to use. Russet potatoes will also work. Peel potatoes, rinse in cool water then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.Note 2: Milk: We like whole milk best; it delivers the richest end result. 2% and 1% will work, but we do not recommend skim milk or plant-based milk alternatives.Note 3:Cheese: Pre-grated cheese has a powdery coating to keep it from clumping in the bag, so we recommend freshly grating the cheese so it melts nicely into the sauce. Use sharp or extra-sharp to ensure there is enough flavor in the sauce! Mild Cheddar will leave the sauce lacking.Note 4: Thickness check: The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Lift up the spoon and immediately trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line retains a clear track, the sauce is thick enough. If not, the sauce needs to be cooked a bit longer.