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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How thin is thin for the potatoes?
Hi Marjory, you basically want to get them as thin as you possibly can. I try to get mine sliced to be about 1/8-inch thick.
Hi Jenn,
I have made a recipe very similar for years – here are some comments. I first sauté a couple of thinly sliced large leeks in butter. Then assemble 4 layers. First layer spread leeks, salt and pepper (it’s important to season each layer). Second layer sprinkle shredded cheese – I like Mexican 4 cheese, season S&P. Keep making layers alternating as above. Put imported parmesan on top. Last slowly pour heavy cream in the corners pressing the potatoes down and tilt the dish back and forth to get the cream in the layers. Pour cream until potato is barley covered . Everyone likes it and I never have leftovers – drats.
I won’t have enough room in my oven this Christmas to make these. Would I be able to put them in a crock pot?
I don’t recommend it for these — sorry!
I’m making these tomorrow for our Holiday Dinner. I have pecorino-romano thinking was parmigiana-reggiano. Can I safely use the pec-rom or should I run to the cheese shop to get the parm-reg?
Anyone, in case Jenn isn’t able to respond by noon tomorrow PT.
Happy Holidays!
Hi Susan, No worries, I have made this dish with pecorino Romano and it’s equally delicious. Enjoy! 🙂
How would your recommend adjusting the recipe in order to double the servings?
Hi Kristin, for the best results, I’d bake it in two separate pans. That ensures that it will cook evenly. They may take a few extra minutes in the oven, but not much. Hope everyone enjoys!
This is one of our fav side dishes. A tip to share…I use a cheese slicer to slice the potatoes. It gives consistent and perfect potato slices every time.
I made this and it was delicious. I did need to bake a little longer but that may have been because I made 2 of these and had them in the oven at the same time.
Tasty but too much cream. Or maybe I used too few potatoes. 🙂 I had to use the longer cooking time as the potatoes were cooked but still a bit firm (for my husband at least). Heated up great for leftovers the next day!
When I discovered this recipe, my first thought was, “surely it will need another cheese besides Parmesan.” Wow. was I wrong! I substituted Romano and this was fabulous. The only problem is that it may be too good. I want more tonight. Everyone took seconds and it ended up serving four. Thanks for yet another great recipe, Jenn.
I did get a re-education on mandolin safety when preparing 🙂
Followed the directions exactly. Cooked for thanksgiving and sad to say the potatoes were not cooked all the way through. I was embarrassed no one ate them. Maybe my pan was too deep? I’m not sure what I did wrong. Glad it worked for others.
Sorry to hear they weren’t fully cooked! Did you slice them very thinly?
These potatoes are fabulous. I crispy fried a couple of shallots and sprinkled on the finished dish. I will make these again and again.
If preparing this the day before do you take out of the fridge & let it sit at room temp about 30 minutes before baking? And if needed about how many extra minutes would the potatoes need to bake in the oven?
Thanks….Mary
You don’t have to let them sit out at room temperature but it couldn’t hurt. And I’m not sure how much longer it will take in the oven, but I’d guesstimate about 10 minutes.