Potatoes Au Gratin

Classic potatoes au gratin is baked in a cream sauce enriched with cheese and topped with breadcrumbs. This favorite potato recipe is as easy to make as it is delicious.

By
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas

Sally is the author of four cookbooks and is a regular correspondent for the Boston Globe Wednesday Food Section. She also is a food photographer.

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Updated November 28, 2022
Sally Vargas
Potatoes Au Gratin in a Casserole Dish with Some Missing

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Sliced potatoes bathed in luscious cream and topped with golden cheese and breadcrumbs deserve a place at any holiday table.

Potatoes au gratin is a decadent but easy-to-make dish to serve alongside roast, turkey, or prime rib. Sliced potatoes layered with onion, thyme, and a little Gruyere cheese are baked together in cream until meltingly soft.

You can make quick work of the recipe by slicing the potatoes with a food processor slicing blade, then blanch the potatoes in cream, load them into a baking dish, and pop them in the oven!

Au Gratin Potatoes on a Plate with a Fork

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

The Potatoes: What Kind and How to Prep

I personally love the creamy texture of yellow waxy potatoes like Yukon golds in this gratin, but many people like floury russet (baking) potatoes because they soak up a lot of cream.

If you opt for russet potatoes because that’s what you have on hand or you just prefer them, you may have to adjust the amount of cream and the baking time slightly. When the gratin bakes, peek under the cheese. If the potatoes seem dry, just pour a little cream into the dish in the oven.

To prep the potatoes, peel them (or don’t if you want a more rustic dish) and slice them thinly (approximately 1/8-inch) with a knife, a mandoline, or the easiest by far, the 4mm slicing disk of your food processor.

The slices don’t have to be perfect since a golden layer of cheesy breadcrumbs blankets them, but for the best results, they should be of the same thickness so they cook evenly.

What Is the Best Cheese for Au Gratin Potatoes?

The cheese in this recipe does not overwhelm the potatoes, but if your people are extra cheesy (!) feel free to add more.

For this recipe, I parboil the potatoes in the cream, transfer the potatoes to the baking dish and add about half the cheese to the cream left in the pot to make a luscious sauce.

While a traditional French gratin of potatoes usually includes Gruyere, there are plenty of other delicious melting cheeses from which to choose:

  • Sharp cheddar
  • Oozy Fontina
  • Buttery Havarti
  • Nutty Swiss or Emmenthaler
  • Gouda – smoked or unsmoked
Potatoes Au Gratin in a Casserole Dish with Thyme

Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

Add-Ons and Variations for Potatoes Au Gratin

I love the simplicity of these potatoes, and to me, thyme is the perfect subtle herb to enhance them, but if you want to get fancy, switch up the herbs or add other ingredients.

Here are some of my favorites:

  • Rosemary
  • Marjoram
  • Savory
  • Oregano
  • Bacon
  • Ham
  • Cooked spinach, squeezed dry

How to Reheat Potatoes Au Gratin

If you want to get a head start on your holiday cooking, then it’s best to bake this the day before your dinner and reheat it the day of.

To make ahead and reheat: Assemble and bake it at 350°F, and then reheat it (350°F) covered loosely in foil to keep the crust from browning too much for 45 minutes, or until hot all the way through. Remove the foil for the last five or 10 minutes of baking so that the crust stays nice and crispy.

To reheat the leftover gratin: You will hope to have leftovers! Follow the same routine to reheat, but for a late-night potato craving that cannot wait, there’s always the microwave.

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Watch This Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe

More Tasty Gratin Recipes!

Potatoes Au Gratin

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 65 mins
Total Time 95 mins
Servings 8 to 10 servings

To prep the potatoes, peel them (or don’t if you want a more rustic dish) and slice them thinly (approximately 1/8-inch) with a knife, a mandoline, or the easiest by far, the 4mm slicing disk of your food processor.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon butter, for the baking dish

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese, divided

  • 2 1/2 cups heavy cream

  • 1/2 cup milk

  • 3 sprigs thyme

  • 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (see Recipe Note)

  • 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven and prepare the baking dish:

    Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a large (3-quart) shallow baking dish.

  2. Make the buttered breadcrumbs:

    In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and breadcrumbs together until combined. Stir in 3/4 cup of the grated cheese. Set aside.

  3. Blanch the potatoes in the cream:

    In a large pot combine the heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, and thyme. Add the potatoes and onions.

    Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often to separate the slices. Boil for about 1 minute, or until the potatoes release some of their starch. (You will see the cream thicken slightly.) Remove the pan from the heat.

    Au Gratin Potatoes are being made in a pot. Fresh thyme sits on top of thinly sliced potatoes nestled in a cream sauce.
    Sally Vargas
    A stock pot has a spoon held above it with a cream sauce covering thinly sliced potatoes to make Creamy Scalloped Potatoes.
    Sally Vargas
  4. Assemble the casserole:

    With a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes and onions to the baking dish in an even layer, leaving as much cream in the pot as possible.

    Stir the remaining 3/4 cup of cheese into the cream in the pot, and when the cheese melts, pour it over the potatoes in the baking dish. Sprinkle the cheesy buttered breadcrumbs over the potatoes.

    Homemade Aug Gratin Potatoes with thinly sliced potatoes layered in an oval baking dish.
    Sally Vargas
    Au Gratin Potatoes covered in a cream sauce in an oval ceramic casserole dish.
    Sally Vargas
    Easy Au Gratin potatoes in an oval baking dish and topped with breadcrumbs.
    Sally Vargas
  5. Bake the gratin:

    Bake the gratin for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is bubbly and golden brown.

    Check the gratin at the 40 minute mark. If the top is already brown, place a piece of foil loosely over it to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning and continue to bake for another 10 to 20 minutes. If the top isn’t brown at the 40 minute mark, continue baking uncovered until it is.

    Scalloped Potatoes Cooling on a Rack

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
  6. Rest and serve:

    Remove the gratin from the oven and let it rest on a cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

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    How to Make Potato Au Gratin

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
483 Calories
31g Fat
40g Carbs
12g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 483
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 19g 97%
Cholesterol 96mg 32%
Sodium 457mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 14%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 14mg 72%
Calcium 270mg 21%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 855mg 18%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.