Can You Freeze Scalloped Potatoes?
Are you looking for a make-ahead side dish for your family dinner? Scalloped potatoes are the perfect option! This recipe can be prepared and frozen, so you can simply bake them when needed.
Can you freeze scalloped potatoes? Yes, scalloped potatoes can stay fresh in the freezer for up to two months and easily reheated in the oven or the microwave. For the best result, make sure to undercook the scalloped potatoes before freezing so that they won’t become overcooked when reheated.
Keep reading to learn the best way to freeze scalloped potatoes and reheat them when you want a quick yet delicious side dish.
How Long Do Scalloped Potatoes Last?
Potatoes au gratin — what we call scalloped potatoes — is a super-simple yet delicious side dish for your family dinner.
You can make it with ham, bacon, onions, and even bread crumbs, and the result is always a golden-brown, cheesy, potato-filled dish that’s crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
Scalloped potatoes are quick to make and even easier to freeze for your enjoyment later.
Baked scalloped potatoes will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days, provided that you store them in an airtight container.
Here’s a fun video from Sam The Cooking Guy on YouTube that shows how to make some delicious scalloped potatoes!
Can You Freeze Scalloped Potatoes?
Make-ahead frozen scalloped potatoes can be enjoyed within two months after you freeze them. That’s why it’s best to always label your containers in the freezer so that you can keep track of your frozen batches.
Although the freezer may change the texture of the potatoes, the longer the dish stays in the freezer, the more the texture and flavors will change. Scalloped potatoes can stay fresh in your freezer for up to two months.
For the best result, we suggest undercooking the scalloped potatoes so that when you reheat your scalloped potatoes, they will be cooked just right, and the crispy texture will be restored.
If you want to learn more about the best way to freeze your scalloped potatoes, the next section will tell you!
How To Freeze Scalloped Potatoes
The best way to freeze your scalloped potatoes is in airtight, freezer-safe containers.
First, make your scalloped potatoes according to your recipe’s instructions, then bake your potatoes for about 10 minutes less than the recipe’s instructions.
You’ll want to remove the potatoes from the oven when they are undercooked with a light brown color. Cooked scalloped potatoes will have a crispy, golden brown color. Remember, we’re making ahead, not cooking today’s dinner!
Once you remove your baking tray from the oven, leave it to cool down at room temperature for about an hour.
This will make freezing the scalloped potatoes more efficient and prevent moisture from collecting on the lid of your container in the freezer.
Then, transfer your scalloped potatoes to a freezer-safe container.
If you want to pack several small portions, make sure to separate them into several small containers because you won’t be able to separate the small portions when they’re frozen and sticking together.
Alternatively, if you would like to freeze the entire dish, you can also freeze the potatoes in their baking tray.
To prevent freezer burn, make sure to cover the potatoes with parchment paper first and cover the entire dish with aluminum foil to create another airtight layer.
You can use masking tape to label the containers with the date to make sure that you always finish within the recommended time.
Place your container(s) in the freezer, and you’re done!
How To Thaw Frozen Scalloped Potatoes
You should never thaw frozen scalloped potatoes at room temperature. Although this method may be quicker, the cold container can collect moisture from the air, making the potatoes soggy.
The best way to thaw frozen scalloped potatoes is in the fridge. The cold temperature will thaw the ice slowly without damaging the texture of the potatoes.
To thaw frozen scalloped potatoes, put the frozen container in the fridge overnight before reheating them.
If the scalloped potatoes look a bit dense, you can add a tiny bit of milk to the potatoes to reactivate the liquids before baking them.
How To Reheat Scalloped Potatoes
There are several ways to reheat scalloped potatoes; each may affect the texture of the scalloped potatoes. Let’s take a look at each method below!
1. Using The Oven
The best way to reheat your scalloped potatoes is using the oven!
Preheat your oven to 325°F for about half an hour. During this time, you can leave your already-thawed scalloped potatoes on the counter to bring them to room temperature, which will make baking much faster.
Transfer the scalloped potatoes to an oven-safe tray and cover the entire baking tray with aluminum foil. The foil helps to distribute the heat throughout the baking tray so that the potatoes will be heated evenly.
Bake the potatoes for about 20 minutes so that it’s cooked thoroughly. You can check the texture by sticking a fork into the potatoes. If the potatoes are soft and the fork is hot, then the potatoes are cooked through.
Remove the aluminum foil and place the tray back in the oven for another 5 minutes to create a crispy, golden-brown crust for the potatoes. After that, the dish is ready to be served!
Alternatively, you can also reheat frozen scalloped potatoes in the oven, but it will take much longer to bring the potatoes from frozen to heated.
You will need to cover the entire baking tray with aluminum foil and bake it at 350°F for about an hour. You can check on the dish every 20 minutes to make sure that it’s warmed up evenly.
After about an hour, you can remove the aluminum foil and bake the potatoes for about 5 minutes to create a golden-brown and crispy crust.
2. Using The Microwave
Reheating your scalloped potatoes using a microwave is much more efficient, especially if you’re only reheating small portions of the dish.
The microwave tends to dry out the dish, so you will need to cover the dish with a damp paper towel to retain the moisture. In addition, the microwave won’t be able to create the crispy texture of the crust as the oven can.
You will need to thaw out your frozen scalloped potatoes in the fridge for about 24 hours before reheating. Then, transfer the portion to a microwave-safe container.
To keep the dish from drying out, add a few drops of milk to the container. Then, cover the potatoes with a damp paper towel.
Then, heat the container in the microwave, using a medium-high heat setting in 30-second bursts, waiting a few seconds in between. This will prevent the potatoes from overcooking and the sauce from separating.
After about 3 minutes, you can use a fork to check the potatoes to see if it’s evenly cooked and heated.
3. In A Pan
You can also reheat your scalloped potatoes in a pan if you want a lovely crust for the outer layer of the potatoes. This method is much faster than using the oven, and it’s also more suitable if you are heating individual portions!
Thaw your scalloped potatoes in the fridge for at least 24 hours before reheating them in a pan.
Bring your pan to medium-low heat, and melt a little bit of butter inside the pan. The butter will prevent the potatoes from sticking to the pan, and it can also help create a crispy texture for the outer layer of the potatoes.
Once the butter is melted, add your scalloped potatoes to the pan. You can also add a few drops of milk or water to the pan so that the sauce won’t dry out. Then, cover the pan with a lid, and leave it to heat for about three minutes.
After three minutes, you can turn the slice over to heat the other side and cover the lid to cook the potatoes for another three minutes.
The side that meets the pan will have a lovely crust that’s similar to cooking in the oven. Covering the pan will help trap the moisture inside, keeping the sauce from drying out while steaming the potatoes to heat evenly.
4. In The Air Fryer
If you have an air fryer, you can also use it to reheat individual portions of scalloped potatoes.
Air fryers are basically convection ovens, so they can heat your food super quickly and produce a crust around the potatoes in a much shorter time compared to the oven.
However, the air fryer tends to separate fat from your food, so you may find that the sauce can separate after heating.
As with the above methods, you will need to thaw the potatoes in the fridge before using this method.
First, preheat the air fryer to 300°F. Transfer your scalloped potatoes to a heat-safe container. You can also line the air fryer with aluminum foil and transfer the scalloped potatoes directly to the foil for heating.
Then, heat the scalloped potatoes in the air fryer for about 5 minutes. When you remove the potatoes from the air fryer, you can see a beautiful, golden-brown crust that’s similar to baking in the oven.
