This Instant Pot scalloped potatoes recipe gives you all the creamy, cheesy comfort of the classic baked version in a fraction of the time. Thinly sliced russet potatoes cook right in a rich cream and milk mixture with garlic and thyme, coming out perfectly tender, then get topped with melted cheddar for that classic golden, cheesy finish. It’s a comforting, crowd-ready side dish that’s easy enough for a weeknight and special enough for a holiday table, and thanks to the pressure cooker, it’s ready in about 30 minutes instead of the hour-plus a baked version usually takes.
The beauty of making scalloped potatoes in the Instant Pot is the speed without sacrificing flavor. The potatoes cook directly in the cream, garlic, and thyme mixture under pressure, which infuses them thoroughly and cooks them through quickly and evenly. A quick pressure release and a few minutes with the lid closed lets the shredded cheese melt into a gooey, golden layer on top, no oven required. It’s a genuinely faster way to get a classic, comforting dish on the table.
Why this works
A few simple techniques are what make this dish so quick and flavorful, and they’re worth understanding.
Cooking the potatoes directly in the cream mixture infuses them completely. Combining the heavy cream, milk, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper first, then adding the sliced potatoes and coating them well, means every slice absorbs that rich, garlicky, herby flavor as it cooks, rather than just sitting in a sauce poured over at the end. This is a real departure from a traditional baked scalloped potato, where the sauce is often layered in with the potatoes rather than mixed together beforehand, but the result is just as creamy and arguably even more evenly seasoned.
Pressure cooking is what makes this so fast. Cooking under high pressure for just a few minutes cooks the potatoes through evenly and quickly, since the sealed environment and higher temperature speed up the process dramatically compared to baking. It’s the reason this dish comes together in about 30 minutes instead of over an hour. There’s also no need to preheat an oven or dirty a casserole dish, everything happens in one pot from start to finish.
A quick pressure release keeps the potatoes from overcooking. Releasing the pressure quickly once the cook time is up stops the cooking promptly, so the potatoes stay tender without turning mushy from residual heat and pressure.
And melting the cheese with residual heat, lid closed, is a clever finishing touch. Sprinkling the cheese over the hot potatoes and closing the lid again lets the trapped heat melt it into a gooey, evenly distributed layer without needing to turn on a broiler or oven. It’s a simple step that gives you that classic golden, cheesy scalloped potato top.
What goes in
The ingredient list is short and classic.
You’ll need Russet potatoes, heavy cream, milk, garlic, dried thyme, salt and pepper, and shredded cheddar cheese.
A few notes. Use Russet potatoes, sliced thin and evenly, so they cook at the same rate. The combination of heavy cream and milk gives a rich but not overly heavy sauce; using all cream would make it richer, while all milk would make it lighter. Fresh minced garlic and dried thyme build the savory, herby backbone. And use freshly shredded cheddar rather than pre-shredded for the best melt.
How to make it
Gather all your ingredients.
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes, then set them aside.
In the Instant Pot, add the heavy cream, milk, minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
Add the sliced potatoes to the pot and stir until they’re well coated with the cream mixture.
Seal the Instant Pot and set it to manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
Once the cooking time is up, do a quick pressure release.
Open the lid and gently stir the potatoes. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
Close the lid again and let the residual heat melt the cheese for about 5 minutes.
Open the lid, and serve the scalloped potatoes hot.
Tips, serving, and storing
A few things help. Slice the potatoes evenly and thinly so they cook uniformly under pressure. Stir gently once they’re cooked so the tender slices don’t break apart. Do a quick release (rather than natural release) to stop the cooking at the right moment. And let the cheese melt with the lid closed rather than opening it partway through, so the heat stays trapped.
A couple more. If you’d like an extra-golden top, you can transfer the finished dish to an oven-safe dish and broil it for a minute or two, though it’s delicious straight from the pot too. And feel free to swap in Gruyère, Swiss, or a cheese blend in place of (or alongside) the cheddar for a different flavor.
This dish is a wonderful side for holiday meals (it’s a natural fit alongside a Sunday roast, ham, turkey, or roast chicken), and it works just as well for a simple weeknight dinner with grilled or roasted meat. It’s rich and comforting enough to be the highlight of the plate, so keep the rest of the meal simple, a green vegetable or salad rounds it out nicely.
For storing, keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a covered dish in the oven, adding a splash of milk or cream if it needs loosening up. This dish doesn’t freeze particularly well, since the cream sauce can separate upon thawing, so it’s best enjoyed within a few days of making it.
This makes about 8 servings. Creamy, cheesy, garlicky, and perfectly tender, this Instant Pot scalloped potatoes recipe brings all the comfort of the classic dish to the table in a fraction of the time, and it’s likely to become your new go-to method for potatoes. Once you’ve made scalloped potatoes this way, going back to babysitting a casserole in the oven for an hour will feel like a lot of unnecessary waiting.
WP Tasty (Tasty Recipes Premium) field values
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Pressure Cooking (Instant Pot)
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian (contains dairy, so not vegan. Naturally gluten-free.)
- Keywords: instant pot scalloped potatoes, pressure cooker scalloped potatoes, easy scalloped potatoes, creamy cheesy potatoes, instant pot side dish
- Serving Size: 1 serving (recipe serves 8)
- Calories: 350 (from source; the source’s partial nutrition, calories/fat/carbs/protein, is in the JSON.)
- Equipment: Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker)
Easy Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes
Equipment
- Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker)
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg Russet potatoes about 3 lbs, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prep: Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Set aside.
- Mix the Cream Base: In the Instant Pot, add the heavy cream, milk, minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Add the Potatoes: Add the sliced potatoes and stir until well coated with the cream mixture.
- Pressure Cook: Seal the Instant Pot and cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Release: Once the cook time is up, do a quick pressure release.
- Add Cheese: Open the lid, gently stir the potatoes, and sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
- Melt and Serve: Close the lid again and let the residual heat melt the cheese for about 5 minutes. Open the lid and serve hot.
