Potatoes Au Gratin
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Creamy, cheesy, and indulgent, this potatoes au gratin recipe is perfect for holiday meals or any dinner that calls for something special.
This wonderful classic potatoes au gratin recipe is one of my go-to Thanksgiving side dishes, but it’s also perfect for any special dinner. It involves layering thinly sliced potatoes with heavy cream and grated cheese in a casserole dish, and then baking until the cream thickens and blankets the potatoes in a rich, creamy sauce. This dish is definitely worthy of a special occasion, but honestly, enjoying this au gratin potatoes recipe feels like a special occasion all on its own.
“I only gave this five stars because I couldn’t give it 10 stars. This may be my favorite side dish ever. It is amazing!”
What You’ll Need To Make Potatoes Au Gratin
- Russet Potatoes: Their high starch content makes them ideal for absorbing the cream and creating a soft, melt-in-your-mouth consistency. Russet potatoes are also ideal for making mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and twice-baked potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes are not recommended.
- Salt: Enhances the natural flavors of the potatoes and balances the richness of the cream and cheese.
- Black Pepper: Adds a mild, warming heat that complements the creamy, cheesy layers.
- Finely Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano: Provides a salty, nutty depth that melts into the potatoes, adding flavor and texture. Be sure to use authentic Parmigiano Reggiano (not cheese labeled as Parmesan), which can be identified by its rind or labeling. If it’s unavailable, Pecorino Romano is a flavorful substitute.
- Heavy Cream: Creates the velvety sauce that makes this dish creamy and indulgent. You may be tempted to cut calories by using half & half or milk instead of cream. Please don’t! This is one of those recipes that requires heavy cream to thicken up.
- Fresh Thyme (Optional): Adds a hint of herbal freshness to balance the rich, creamy flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by slicing the potatoes as thinly and uniformly as possible. You can use a mandoline slicer if you have one, but I never bother. (Pro tip: When slicing wobbly potatoes, it helps to cut a thin slice along the length of the potato, then turn the potato cut-side down on a cutting board so that it sits flat.)
Place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the salt and pepper. Be sure the potatoes are evenly coated.
Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Arrange some of the potato slices, edges overlapping, in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.
Sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the potatoes.
Pour a quarter of the cream over top.
Repeat with the remaining potatoes, cheese, and cream, forming four layers. Pour any leftover cream over top.
Place in the preheated oven and bake, uncovered, for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and golden brown on top. (Don’t cover the dish with foil or you won’t get the beautiful coloring on top.) The top layer of the potatoes should be golden by the time the dish is done baking but if you want just a bit more browning, feel free to stick the baking dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes; just keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, if using, and serve. (Note: If you have a large crowd coming and plan to double the dish, you’ll get the best results by baking it in two 2-quart baking dishes instead of one larger dish. The potatoes will cook more evenly that way.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Scalloped potatoes are typically made with thinly sliced potatoes baked in a simple cream or milk sauce, while potatoes au gratin include cheese, like Parmesan, Gruyere, or Cheddar, in the sauce and often have a crispy, cheesy topping. The addition of cheese is the key difference between the two dishes.
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Potatoes Au Gratin
Creamy, cheesy, and indulgent, this potatoes au gratin recipe is perfect for holiday meals or any dinner that calls for something special.
Ingredients
- Butter to grease the baking dish
- 2½ pounds Russet potatoes (3 to 4), peeled and sliced very thin
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup (4 oz) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 2¼ cups heavy cream
- Fresh thyme, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease an 8-inch (or 2-quart) baking dish with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes with the salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- Arrange some of the potato slices, edges overlapping, in a single layer on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the potatoes, and then pour a quarter of the cream over the cheese. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, cheese, and cream, forming 4 layers. Pour any leftover cream over top.
- Place in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and golden brown on top. Let the dish settle on the counter for about ten minutes. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, if using, and then serve.
- Make Ahead: If absolutely necessary, this dish can be assembled a day ahead and covered tightly with plastic wrap (pressing the wrap directly against the potatoes so they don’t discolor too much). Store in the refrigerator and bake before serving. Note that the potatoes on top will still discolor a bit in the fridge, but it shouldn't be noticeable after baking.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 399
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 518 mg
- Cholesterol: 101 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Sounds great, but I’d like to cut calories. Could I use 1C heavy cream and 1-1 1/2 C 2% milk?
Hi Sylvia, Unfortunately milk doesn’t work very well in this recipe. While it’s definitely an indulgence, I would stick with the cream.
This au gratin will be my contribution to a dinner for 11 this week and I wanted to know how much I can/should cook it in advance. Hostess has only one oven, so do I cook it entirely at home and ‘reheat’ it there? Or, should I cook it 2/3’s or 3/4′ or ? and finish it at her home? Should I modify the proportions with this caveat in mind? More cream, thinned with some water to help it endure the interruption in cooking?
I tried it for just we two this evening–it was excellent–and I greatly appreciate having a more predictable ‘go to’ than the ones I’ve been doing for the past 20 years.
Thanks very much for your guidance–I’ve only got 48+/- hours until her dinner,
Lynne
Hi Lynne, While this is best made fresh, you can make ahead if necessary. I would fully cook it and then reheat, covered with foil, in a 350 oven for 15-20 min.
I have a large stoneware rectangular baking dish, approximately 13x 9x 2. Would I be able to increase the recipe and use this dish successfully?
Hi Deb, I would think you could probably make 1 1/2 times the recipe and fit it in a 13x 9 x 2. Hope you enjoy it!
Amazing recipe! Tried it yesterday for a Pre-Christmas Dinner with couple of friends and they just love it!!! Cant wait to try it again! Just an advice I used lesssalt cz the cheese and the cream are already salty! Thank you For sharing amazing recipe with usss
After assembling the potatoes au gratin in baking dish can you “hold” it for a coupe hours prior to baking? Want to make this for Christmas dinner and trying to avoid a last minute rush. Many thanks.
Keith, you can assemble this ahead, but you need to cover it tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly against the potatoes so they don’t turn color. Hope everyone enjoys!
I was thinking about adding pancetta into this, would you suggest cooking the pancetta separately and then layering when i add the cheese and the cream? the cheese and cream should help the pancetta from overcooking/drying out, correct? also thought about topping off with scallions when it comes out of the oven. what are your thoughts?
Hi Meena, Yes, I would suggest cooking the pancetta before layering it in the gratin. And I think scallions or chives on top of the gratin would be delicious!
This looks absolutely delicious. I will be making this for our Christmas dinner. Can I use a 3 quart dish and do one and a half of the recipe? Thanks in advance.
Yes Mina, you could get away with making 1 1/2 times the recipe and using a 3 quart baking dish. You will likely need to increase the baking time a bit. I’d start checking it after about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Thank you. Would you suggest using a microplane or traditional grater for the cheese?
Hi Mina, Either will work fine. I use a traditional grater with fine holes.
I made this recipe and while it is quite good, and cooked up very nicely, it came out very salty. I think I’d either reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp or none at all. (Maybe the cheese was saltier than I expected?)
How would these be cooked a day ahead and reheated
Hi Tom, These are best made fresh but you can make ahead if necessary; reheat, covered with foil, in a 350 oven for 15-20 min.
I just wanted to let you know that I was reluctant to make this recipe, as I did not care for Potatoes Au Gratin from my childhood. I was testing this recipe for Thanksgiving, and I must say AMAZING!!!
Thank you so much for sharing such a simple, delicious recipe. I might want to add a slight amount of gooey cheese next time time, but not necessary, as it it perfect just the way it is, such a delicious flavor!