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My creamy Au Gratin Potatoes recipe is a holiday game-changer! Filled with creamy garlic potatoes and topped with a cheesy crust, this is an amazing potato bake with so much flavor. Prep in just 10 minutes, bake, and serve. It's even gluten-free!
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Best Au Gratin Potatoes
Out of all of the holiday recipes I love to serve every year, au gratin potatoes has to be one of my family's top favorites. There is nothing like a dish of herby, garlicky sliced potatoes in a cheesy, creamy sauce, baked to perfection in a skillet. This is the best recipe for au gratin potatoes ever!
Potatoes au gratin are for more than just the holiday season, too. You can make them for special occasions or as a side dish for weekday meals, and everyone at the table will love the treat. My family asks me for these fairly often, and once you try them, you will know why.
You can make these potatoes au gratin in just one pan following my recipe. Plus, they're gluten-free!
Serve up this delicious scalloped potato gratin with classic holiday dishes like turkey, roast beef, and ham, or as a side dish for weekday dinners like steak and roast chicken. It's easy to make ahead of time and the leftovers heat up beautifully.
FAQ
The difference between au gratin and scalloped potatoes is the inclusion of cheese. Au gratin potatoes include grated cheese between the layers of potatoes, which makes for a richer and creamier dish. Scalloped potatoes may or may not include cheese. However, the recipes are so similar, you will often hear scalloped potatoes referred to as potatoes au gratin, and vice versa.
The best cheese for au gratin potatoes is gruyere. Gruyere melts well and is richly flavorful and creamy. If using a substitute, use swiss or cheddar cheese instead of gruyere. These cheeses also work well for making a creamy potato au gratin.
Although this recipe for potatoes au gratin calls for peeling the potatoes, it is not necessary to peel them. If you would rather leave the skin on, you can. Just make sure to wash your potatoes before slicing them.
Yukon gold potatoes work the best for au gratin potatoes. They are buttery and soft and hold up well to baking in a dish like this. If you need a substitute, use russet potatoes, but Yukon gold really are the best.
Just like scalloped potatoes, potatoes dauphinoise and au gratin potatoes have more in common than not. Dauphinoise potatoes are a potato casserole dish consisting of thinly sliced potatoes with a flavored cream sauce and cheese. The primary difference is the inclusion of breadcrumbs in au gratin potatoes.
How to Slice Potatoes for Au Gratin
There are two ways you can easily slice potatoes for au gratin:
- Use a food processor with the slicing attachment
- Use a mandoline to quickly thinly slice the potatoes
If you don't have a food processor or a mandoline, use a sharp knife to cut the potatoes into thin, even slices. Although we peel the potatoes for this recipe, it is not necessary. You can peel them or leave them unpeeled.
Recommended Tools
Along with a food processor or mandoline, I also recommend:
- A garlic press with silicone peeler: This is a life-changing device that makes it so easy to peel and smash your garlic.
- Herb scissors for cutting fresh herbs like thyme. They are such a time saver!
Ingredient Substitutes
- Gruyere cheese: Use cheddar or swiss
- Yukon gold potatoes: Use russet potatoes
- Fresh thyme (optional): Use ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
How to Make Potatoes Au Gratin
- Heat your oven to 350°F. Thinly slice your potatoes and place them in cold water for 5 minutes. Toss them in the water to clean them, then drain the water and set aside. Melt butter in a hot oven-safe skillet. I use a 10-inch cast iron skillet with 2-inch sides; this works best. When the butter melts, remove the skillet from the heat and add freshly minced garlic. Stir the garlic to coat it with the butter.
- Spread half your sliced potatoes on the bottom of the skillet. Top with heavy whipping cream, Gruyere cheese, salt, pepper, half of your cubed butter, and thyme (if using).
- For the next layer, add the remaining potatoes, cream, salt, pepper, butter, and thyme. Finish up by topping with the leftover Gruyere cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil or the pan lid (if it is oven-safe) and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the foil or lid and check the tenderness of the potatoes using a fork. Once tender but still a bit firm, remove the foil completely and bake another 15-20 minutes until the top has a golden brown crust. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- The potatoes should be fork-tender with a little firmness to them. You can bake them for longer if you would like them softer.
- I use a cast iron skillet for this recipe. You can use a foil pan or a baking dish if you prefer. To use a foil pan, prepare the butter and garlic in a skillet, then add them to the foil pan and layer the ingredients. Bake as instructed.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make potatoes au gratin up to 3 days ahead of time. Simply prepare as instructed, wrap with foil, and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Because they will be cold, you will need to bake them for 15-20 minutes longer.
Storing Instructions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also tightly cover the entire pan and store that way.
Reheating Instructions
To reheat potatoes au gratin, microwave individual portions or place the entire pan back into the oven at the original baking temperature until heated through, about 15 minutes or so (use a thermometer to check).
Best Potato Recipes
Try more of the best side dishes:
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- Easy Scalloped Potatoes
- Riced Potatoes
- Pesto Gnocchi
- Papas con Chorizo
- Grilled Potatoes
- Grilled Potatoes in Foil (Oven or Grill)
- Roasted Small Potatoes
Try this side dish for the holidays, along with my other Best Side Dishes for Thanksgiving!
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Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon garlic freshly minced
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ pound Gruyere cheese shredded about 1½ cups
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into little cubes
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 350°F. Thinly slice your potatoes and place them in cold water for 5 minutes. Toss them in the water to clean them, then drain the water and set aside. Melt butter in a hot oven-safe skillet. I use a 10-inch cast iron skillet with 2-inch sides; this works best. When the butter melts, remove the skillet from the heat and add freshly minced garlic. Stir the garlic to coat it with the butter.2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon garlic
- Spread half your sliced potatoes on the bottom of the skillet. ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, ¾ cup Gruyere cheese, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, half of the cubed butter, and 1 teaspoon thyme (if using).2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, ½ pound Gruyere cheese shredded, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- For the next layer, add the remaining potatoes, cream, salt, pepper, butter, and thyme. Finish up by topping with the remaining Gruyere cheese.2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, ½ pound Gruyere cheese shredded, 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- Cover with aluminum foil or the pan lid (if it is oven-safe) and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the foil or lid and check the tenderness of the potatoes using a fork. Once tender but still a bit firm, remove the foil completely and bake another 15-20 minutes until the top has a golden brown crust. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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