Scalloped Potatoes For A Crowd

Creamy, cheesy and so tender, these Scalloped Potatoes For A Crowd are easy to make in an electric roaster oven using boxed potatoes.

For more tips and over 30 other recipes for a crowd see our Food For A Crowd and Graduation Party Food Ideas.

Scalloped Potatoes for 50 People

This is a super easy recipe for Scalloped Potatoes for a crowd of 50 people.

We appreciate that the ingredients are easy to keep in the pantry. This is a great potato side dish for big holiday meals or even a funeral meal at church if needed.

Our Pasta Salad for a Crowd and big batch of Macaroni Salad take a lot of room in the refrigerator. If you have several dishes to make this recipe takes very little storage space.

We have made Spaghetti in a roaster and Chicken Noodle Soup for a crowd as meals to share a homeless shelter. These potatoes would be great to serve with Shredded Chicken or Pulled Pork Sandwiches too.

Ingredients Needed

• Dehydrated potatoes – look like potato chips and are shelf stable. We get a box at GFS – Gordon Food Store or on Amazon.
• Butter
• All Purpose Flour
• Milk
• Granulated garlic
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 4 quarts boiling water – measure a couple hours early to save time

Funeral Meal Schedule

The first time I made these scalloped potatoes in a roaster was for a funeral meal that was served at 4 p.m. Here is the schedule that I used.

Measure out water and put in a stock pot to boil on stove – this can be done a couple hours before turning on the heat.

Get roaster out of storage, make sure it’s clean. Generously grease roaster. I like to cut the cheese and slice butter ahead time too and just set it aside for up to an hour.

1 p.m. – Start boiling water and add dry ingredients to roaster.

1:15 p.m. – Add milk and turn to 325℉ (can go up to 350℉ for fastest cooking, but will also burn the fastest at a higher temp).

1:20 p.m. – Add boiling water and be ready to cover the roaster quickly.

2:20 p.m. – Very gently stir four corners only. Do NOT at any point stir the entire roaster of potatoes!!

After one hour of cooking check every 20 to 30 minutes. The edges starting to brown, so turned down to 300℉.

3 p.m. – done cooking – turned off as potatoes would be served at 4p.m. This allowed me time to transport to the church.

4p.m. – Could turn to keep warm or even off if guests were not quite ready to eat yet.

How to Make Scalloped Potatoes in A Roaster Oven

Use a whisk to incorporate flour into milk well. Mix until smooth to avoid having lumps in the sauce.

Whisk salt and pepper into the milk or sprinkle it on top of the potatoes later.

Heavily coat an electric roaster with non-stick cooking spray, including well up the sides and in the corners.

Pour dehydrated potatoes in the roaster.

Pour milk and flour mixture over the potatoes. At this point the water should be heating up as you don’t want the milk cooking alone in the roaster very long.

Then sprinkle granulated onion over the potatoes.

If using Velveeta sprinkle cubes over the top of the seasoned potatoes.

Stir gently and try to keep the cheese about an inch from the edge of the roaster.

Finally sprinkle slices of butter as evenly as possible over top of the potatoes.

Pour boiling water evenly over the top. Cover quickly with the lid.

Do not uncover or stir for at least one hour. After one hour simply stir the corners of the roaster very gently.

DO NOT STIR THE ENTIRE ROASTER OR THE POTATOES WILL BREAK UP.

Cook for a total of 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 325℉.

At one hour the potatoes should be bubbling and cooking, cheese should be softened – if not the heat needs turned up. 

Cooking Temperature and Stirring Notes

• After 1.5 to 2 hours of cooking you will likely turn the heat down to keep warm or all the way off if the potatoes are done. Check every 15 minutes if the heat is on and the potatoes are close to being done.
• Watch the corners (only stir minimally to prevent burning) and try to avoid stirring if possible. 
• If cooking well (potatoes are getting tender, edges are turning brown) turn down heat 25 to 50 degrees.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Stirring the slices of thinly sliced fresh or dehydrated potatoes will cause them to break. This will detract from the visual appearance.
• The potatoes are burning if the chips curl or separate. They should look covered in sauce. 
• Avoid burning by keeping the lid in place as much as possible. Avoid lifting the lid to trap steam and liquid inside the roaster keeping the potatoes moist and in a nice sauce.
• Cheese is optional – add 16 ounce block of Velveeta cut into small cubes before beginning to cook. Shredded cheddar can be used too. 
• Butter – Can use anywhere from 1 to 4 sticks based on personal preference.
• Could easily stir in 2 to 3 pounds of diced ham cubes when gently incorporating the cubes of Velveeta cheese.

More Recipes For A Crowd

Corn Casserole for a Crowd is another warm side dish that’s super easy.

Corned Beef in a Roaster is a popular meal at St. Patrick’s day.

Fruit Salad for a Crowd is a way to lighten up a meal and add plenty of color.