Potatoes Au Gratin

Potatoes Au Gratin is an easy cheesy favorite potato recipe! Thinly sliced potatoes are covered in layers of fresh grated gruyere & cheddar, and then baked until golden.

Easy and cheesy potatoes au gratin in a clear glass dish

Au Gratin Potatoes are a family favorite recipe and perfect for Sunday supper, a make-ahead side dish, and a Holiday side dish your family and friends will love! Like that one time Stephen and I had our first ever Thanksgiving.

I love potatoes. I love cheese. Put them together, and I’m in cheesy potato heaven. At least, for me it I am! I made this yummy side dish for one of other amazing side dishes that we made for Thanksgiving. Yeah, we ONLY had about 16 people (family and friends) come and eat…and it was pretty amazing! I love being able to feed a lot of people, and definitely love sharing my passion for cooking. However, there’s just something so comforting about a potato and cheese side dish.

Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe: Easy & Delicious

The one secret to this dish is to make sure that when you slice the potatoes on the mandolin slicer, to cut them nice and thin. Not potato chip thin, but almost close to it. You want the potatoes to absorb the heavy cream and cheese that’s layered through out! 

cheesy potatoes au gratin with fresh thyme

What’s the difference between Potatoes Au Gratin and Scalloped potatoes?

Well, not really, to be honest. Traditionally, scalloped potatoes didn’t contain any cheese. Over the years, people have added their love for cheese to it! I don’t blame them at all. Au Gratin potatoes are literally layered with a sprinkling of cheese in the layers and then baked in a cream sauce.

Is There a Best Potato to use?

Actually, there is! You want to use a starchier type of potato. Those that work the best are: Yukon gold, Red, and Russet. Why? Because they tend to absorb the cream nicely. Want to try something a bit different? Try using Sweet potatoes! They’re divine!

How to make au gratin potatoes

The bulk of the work to make these yummy potatoes au gratin will come from peeling and slicing the potatoes.

  1. Prep your pan. Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a 2 quart square or an 8×12 baking dish, I love using non-stick spray, but you can also use softened butter and smear it around the pan.
  2. Add your potatoes, cheese, and cream. Place sliced potatoes layered in the bottom. Then sprinkle with your Salt & pepper. Add 1/2 cup grated gruyere and then 1/3 cup grated cheddar. It’s best to use fresh grated and NOT bagged cheese, as bagged cheese has a potato starch coating and won’t melt well. Finish with the heavy cream mixture in between the layers. Cover with foil and bake.
  3. Cover those potatoes & bake. Once the first round of baking is done, remove the foil and add remaining layer of cheeses. Bake again until golden and bubbly!
  4. You Gotta Be chill and not eat it yet. Okay. Play it cool. You gotta let it rest before serving. It allows the cheese and cream to settle and bind. Garnish with some fresh thyme leaves or not care, and just eat it.

More Easy Recipes and Side Dishes to Make:

Yield: 8 servings

Potatoes Au Gratin

Potatoes Au Gratin

Potatoes Au Gratin is an easy cheesy favorite potato recipe! Thinly sliced potatoes covered in layers of gruyere and cheddar!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds Russet, Yukon Gold, or Red Potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
  • 1 1/2 Cups of Heavy Cream
  • 2 Cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 Teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 Teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 Cups Gruyere, fresh grated (divided into 3 equal parts)
  • 1 Cup sharp cheddar, fresh grated (divided into 3 equal parts)
  • 2 Teaspoons Thyme, fresh preferred

Instructions

  • Pre heat oven to 400
  • With the mandolin, slice all of your potatoes Approximately 1/8th " (you can throw away the end pieces).
  • In a medium sized bowl, whisk together heavy cream, garlic, and melted butter
  • In a 9 x 12 pyrex dish and spray with a non-stick spray. Put a layer of sliced potatoes first. Sprinkle with a little salt & pepper. Use 1/3 portion gruyere & cheddar.
  • Repeat the previous step until all potatoes are done and are finished with a top layer of potatoes. You should have about 3 - 4 layers of potatoes and cheeses. Pour 1 /3 cream mixture over.
  • Repeat process for 2 more times. Do NOT cover with remaining cheese. We'll save this for the last step.
  • Cover with foil and bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
  • Remove foil and cover top with the remaining cheese. Place back in oven for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.
  • Once removed from oven, allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
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