Italian potato casserole is a family favorite made from just a few simple ingredients.  Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with onions, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and Sicilian oregano and baked until toasty.  Perfect as a side to grilled meat, or pair with a salad for a light main course.

Italian potato casserole with spatula in baking dish.


This Italian potato casserole is one that has been passed down for generations in my family.

My grandmother’s family was from the Basilicata region which is where this dish hails from.

With its simplicity and explosive flavor, it’s no wonder why it’s spanned time and continents.

We love serving this as a side to grilled chicken thighs or seared ribeyes, and then use the leftovers for breakfast alongside some scrambled eggs.

If you’re looking for something lighter, you may like this zucchini tomato and onion casserole

Pair it with a green salad or a chopped salad for a full meal.

Ingredients shown: Pecorino, onions, potatoes, breadcrumbs, anchovies, garlic, oregano, and tomatoes.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

  1. Preheat your oven to 375f and set the rack to the middle level.  In a bowl, mix together 1 cup plain breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon Sicilian oregano, 5 anchovies turned into a paste, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 3 tablespoons Pecorino, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.  Set the seasoned breadcrumbs aside for the moment – they will be used for the top layer.
Italian potato casserole recipe process shot collage group number one.
  1. Slice 2 1/2 pounds of yellow potatoes (Yukon Gold work well),  2 medium or 1 large white onion, and 5 plum tomatoes (or about 1 1/2 pounds worth).  Top tip: If you have a mandoline, I strongly recommend you use it to speed up the process.  But always be careful using that type of kitchen tool.
  2. Drizzle a touch of extra virgin olive oil into a 9 by 13″ baking dish.  Wipe the sides of the dish with a paper towel to distribute the oil.
Recipe process shot collage group number two.
  1. Place 1 layer of potatoes, overlapping as you go, into the bottom of the dish.
  2. Then add 1 overlapping layer of onions and finally tomatoes.
Recipe process shot collage group number three.
  1. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil then season with a portion of the kosher salt, oregano, and Pecorino.
  2. Repeat the process along with the seasoning until all of the ingredients are used up.  Top with the seasoned breadcrumbs and drizzle a bit more extra virgin olive oil.  The breadcrumbs should be well moistened.  Note: 2 layers work better than 3 and allow a quicker and more even cooking.  You could put extra ingredients into a second smaller baking dish.  But, you can absolutely do 3 layers – which is what I am showing here in these pics.
Recipe process shot collage group number four.
  1. Bake for 50-70 minutes.  After 50 minutes check for doneness by piercing with a knife to make sure the bottom potatoes are soft.  If not, let it cook for another 10-20 minutes.  Most of the liquid should be evaporated at this point.  If the breadcrumbs aren’t golden brown you can broil for the last 1-2 minutes but watch very carefully.  Wait for at least ten minutes before serving so that the juices settle.  Enjoy!

Top tips

  • The potatoes.  We recommend using a waxier potato, such as Yukon golds.  Russets may be too soft and crumbly for this casserole.
  • The anchovies.  We used 5 anchovy filets for this recipe as they provide such an incredible burst of salty flavor.  If you’d like to omit them and make this vegetarian, you can do so.  You may wish to use another ingredient, such as capers, to add an additional flavor dimension.
  • The oregano.  Sicilian oregano is so good and really adds a ton of unique flavor to this dish.  It’s sold in Italian specialty stores or you can just buy it online.
  • The breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs are for the top layer only, but if you really want you can sprinkle them throughout.  We reserve them for the top so they can get brown and crispy.  Before baking, make sure they are moist enough, and when done baking if they’re not brown enough, you can broil for 1-2 minutes or so but be sure to watch very carefully so they don’t burn.
  • Let it sit.  As with other dishes that require baking, like lasagna or scalloped potatoes, Italian potato casserole is best when it sits after removing from the oven.  Letting this sit for at least 10-15 minutes will allow any juices to absorb back into the potatoes.

Italian potato casserole with spatula in baking dish on wooden cutting board.

More perfect baked sides

Here are a few of our very favorite baked side dishes to pair with any main course!

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Italian Potato Casserole

5 from 14 votes
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes are layered with onions, tomatoes, breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano, and Sicilian oregano and baked until toasty. 

Ingredients 

Seasoned breadcrumb mixture (mix together)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375f and set the rack to the middle level. In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the seasoned breadcrumbs and set aside.
  • Drizzle a touch of extra virgin olive oil into a 9 by 13 baking dish. Place 1 layer of potatoes, overlapping as you go, into the bottom of the dish. Then add 1 overlapping layer of onions and finally tomatoes. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil then season with a portion of the kosher salt, oregano, and Pecorino.
  • Repeat the process along with the seasoning until all of the ingredients are used up. Top with the seasoned breadcrumbs and drizzle a bit more extra virgin olive oil. The breadcrumbs should be well moistened.
  • Bake for 50-70 minutes.  After 50 minutes check for doneness by piercing with a knife to make sure the bottom potatoes are soft.  If not, let it cook for another 10-20 minutes.  Most of the liquid should be evaporated at this point. If the breadcrumbs aren't golden brown you can broil for the last 1-2 minutes but watch very carefully. Wait for at least ten minutes before serving so that the juices settle. Enjoy!

Notes

  • A large shallow baking dish with only 2 layers works better and cooks quicker than a deep dish with 3 to 4 layers of ingredients, but both will work.
  • Distribute a portion of the seasoning on each level.  Depending on how many levels are made, a bit more or less seasoning might be required.
  • Cooking times are a rough estimate.  Bake until most of the liquid evaporates and the bottom potato layer is tender.
  • For more browning, the dish can be broiled for the last 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully.
  • Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven or microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 48.3g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19.5g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 924mg | Potassium: 1122mg | Fiber: 7.8g | Sugar: 8.7g | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 14 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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28 Comments

  1. Elizabeth Ruggiero says:

    Where would you get Sicilian oregano? I’m from LI and married to a Sicilian/Naples 1st generation Italian (I’m Irish) and I’ve never seen this in a recipe or in a store. Is Sicilian oregano that different from the oregano one would buy in the grocery store?

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Elizabeth, If you’re on Long Island, you can find it in Uncle Giuseppe’s grocery store, but often it’s in the produce aisle and not the spice aisle. It’s whole dried bunches of oregano in a plastic wrap. You can also find it in the shop that’s linked here on the webiste. It’s in the Ingredients section. Hope that helps!

  2. Marie says:

    Looks delicious. Husband can’t have seeds. Any suggestions for a substitute for the tomatoes?

    1. Tara says:

      You can just omit the tomatoes if you can’t have them.

  3. Lynn Cappiello says:

    Do you think this could be prepared the night before and then topped w breadcrumbs and baked the next day???

    1. Tara says:

      Hi Lynn, yes, you can prepare this the night before and bake the next day.

  4. Bev says:

    5 stars
    Perfect main dish with a salad on the side for a Friday during Lent dinner. Thanks, Jim!

    1. Jim says:

      Hi Bev, so happy you enjoyed this one! Thanks so much for the comment and the review!

  5. Peter says:

    5 stars
    I can’t wait to make this during this week. Thanks

    1. Jim says:

      Hi Peter, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy!

  6. Gosia says:

    5 stars
    Love everything about this dish 😋

    1. Jim says:

      Hi Gosia, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed!

  7. Jean Galante says:

    5 stars
    I made this in Christmas Eve as as side dish for chicken and fish. it was a big hit with my family. I am definitely keeping this recipe.

    1. Jim says:

      Hi Jean, I’m so happy you enjoyed this one, thanks for the comment!

  8. Nora says:

    I plan on making this, but I have people in my household that will eat anchovies or capers. Any other suggestions? It looks delicious to me!

    1. Jim says:

      Hi Nora, you can just omit the anchovies entirely. It will still be great!

  9. Marie says:

    5 stars
    I made this potato casserole tonight, layered just as you suggested and OH! received rave reviews. I will definitely be making it again before the week is over.
    So very delicious! Thanks for the recipe. I’ve tried many of your recipes and never disappointed!

    1. Jim says:

      Thank you, Marie! It’s great to hear that you enjoyed this one!

  10. Virginia says:

    5 stars
    Another great dish. Thank you

    1. Jim says:

      Hi Virginia, thanks for the comment and happy you liked this one!

  11. Phyllis says:

    5 stars
    In the past week I have made this 3 times for various gatherings, it has been a big hit every time.

    1. Jim says:

      Hi Phyllis, thank you for the comment and so happy everyone is enjoying the recipe!

    2. Jean Galante says:

      I made this for Christmas Eve to have with Chicken and Baked Fish. It was a big hit with my family, so yummy. Definitely a keeper to my recipe box. Thank you for sharing this.

      1. Jim says:

        Hi Jean, I’m so happy you enjoyed this one and appreciate the comment!

  12. Martha Cavanagh says:

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday. I knew it would be good but I didn’t know it would be THAT good!! BTW, I did use a mandolin for the potatoes and sliced them very thinly. I had multiple overlapping layers of potatoes and it worked out just fine. I did the two layers of ingredients as you suggested. Delicious recipe. Grazie!

    1. Jim says:

      Thanks, Martha! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!

  13. Lori Flynn says:

    5 stars
    made this on the weekend – SO good. Heating up the leftovers tonight!!

    1. Jim says:

      Great to hear, Lori!