Look no further for the BEST au gratin potatoes recipe! Perfectly creamy, cheesy and flavorful, this recipe continually gets rave reviews and is destined to become your go-to from now on!
One of the cardinal rules of good potatoes au gratin is that it cannot be dry. The cheesy cream sauce needs to ooze out. Not run out all over the plate in a big wet mess, but just slowly oooooze out. Here is a classic creamy potatoes au gratin recipe at its very best!
I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who doesn’t like potatoes. I’ve met plenty of picky eaters, but even the pickiest will eat potatoes in one form or the other. However they’re prepared, they’re the perfect comfort food. And combined with cream and cheese, they’re simply heavenly.
Au Gratin Potatoes vs. Scalloped Potatoes
The two have come to be confused and are often used interchangeably as any online search will show. But they are two different dishes. Similar but different. The primary difference lies in the addition of cheese. Au gratin potatoes include cream and cheese whereas scalloped potatoes are simpler, featuring only cream.
One way to look at it is that with au gratin you get everything scalloped has plus more – deliciously more! Au gratin potatoes are always my first choice.
Which Potatoes Are Best For Au Gratin Potatoes?
Many recipes call for Russet potatoes. My favorite is the Yukon Gold potato and I’ll tell you why. You want to select a potato that has a moderate amount starch in it so that it both absorbs and thickens the sauce. This will prevent the sauce from running all over the plate. Potatoes that are very low in starch, like some varieties of fingerlings and red potatoes, will have a hard time absorbing the liquid which increases the risk of ending up with something more akin to au gratin soup (though this can be mitigated by adding a little more flour and/or increasing cooking time). You also want a potato that will to some extent hold its shape and doesn’t fall apart and turn to mush. And that’s the challenge with using Russets for things like au gratin potatoes and scalloped potatoes. Russets Potatoes are really high in starch and as a result do not hold their shape. That’s why they’re not a good option potato salads and it’s for that same reason that they’re really not ideal for au gratin potatoes. Yukon Golds, having a moderate amount of starch are a great choice. They’re not so low in starch that they won’t absorb the liquids and they not so high in starch that they’ll fall apart. In other words, they’re kind of a “Goldilocks” variety of potatoes, which is why they’re so versatile in use.
In the picture below are some lovely Yukon Golds from my garden.
Can You Make Au Gratin Potatoes Ahead of Time?
YES! Au gratin potatoes are the perfect make ahead potato side dish! Simply assemble the dish a day ahead of time, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and then bake it the next day. Increase the baking time a little to account for the dish being cold. You can also set it out on the counter and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour before baking while you’re prepping other things. And don’t worry if the potatoes are a little discolored, you won’t notice it once the potatoes are cooked.
For even better results we recommend par-baking the dish first. That means you’ll bake it 3/4 of the way, remove it from the oven, let it cool completely, cover and refrigerate, and then bake it the rest of the way the following day. The potatoes will absorb more of the liquid but you can mitigate this by adding about 1/4 cup extra cream.
What to Serve With Au Gratin Potatoes
Au Gratin potatoes makes a great versatile side dish that can be served with just about anything. And of course it’s practically a staple at the holiday dinner table. Here are things you can serve au gratin potatoes with:
- Roast Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Beef or Lamb
- Ham
- Steak
- Pork Chops
- Salmon or other fish
- Grilled Portabello Mushroom Steaks
- Grilled or Roasted Vegetables
- Green Salad
This potatoes au gratin recipe is wonderfully creamy, cheesy and flavorful and has received tons of rave reviews over the years. Several of our friends and family make this every year on holidays and other occasions and have passed the recipe on to their friends who usually request it after tasting it.
Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
Let’s get started!
Dice the onions, mince the garlic, and thinly slice the potatoes. You can slice the potatoes by hand or you can use a kitchen mandolin to do the slicing. It makes the job faster and easier and ensures they’re sliced the same width. THIS ONE is the same one I bought in Germany and took back to the States with me – I love it. It’s also Cook’s Illustrated’s “Top Choice”.
THIS ONE is about half the cost and will also do the job just fine.
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for a minute or two.
Add the milk and cream, stirring continually to prevent clumping. Slowly bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened.
Add the cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese and salt and stir until melted.
Add the potatoes and stir until thoroughly combined.
Pour the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil.
Bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender (time can vary depending on thickly the potatoes are sliced).
Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley for garnish if desired.
Enjoy!
For more delicious side dishes be sure to try our:
- ULTIMATE Green Bean Casserole
- Zucchini Au Gratin
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Creamed Spinach
- Waldorf Salad
- Mashed Potatoes with Parsnips and Horseradish
- Baked Endives with Ham and Bechamel
- Rotkohl (German Braised Red Cabbage)
- Old Fashioned Baked Beans
- Loaded Colcannon
- Ultimate Corn Pudding
- Pea Salad
- Broccoli Salad
PERFECT Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds moderate starch potatoes like Yukon Gold , thinly sliced (Russets are high starch and get mushy/do not hold their shape)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black or white pepper (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (do not use pre-shredded, it's dusted with cellulose and doesn't melt as well; another fabulous option is half Gruyere/half Emmentaler)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided in half
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for a minute or two. Add the milk and cream, stirring continually to prevent clumping. Slowly bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Add the cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese and salt and stir until melted. Add the potatoes and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender (time can vary depending on how thickly the potatoes are sliced).Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley for garnish if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 3, 2013
Christina Mullan says
Oh this looks simply delicious! Thank you!! Now, how do I do this for mac and cheese? Mine always comes out dry…
Kathryn Meyer says
Wondering how it travels. I want to take to a gathering, but it is a two trip. Take it warm and then heat for a few minutes? Or cook earlier in the day and reheat in microwave?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kathryn, it travels well and either way you mentioned will work great.
Terri T says
Thank you for this recipe! Made them last night to go with a smoked ham. They were so creamy and delicious! Loved the onion and garlic flavors. Used Yukon gold and sharp cheddar. My new go-to tators!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Woohoo, that’s awesome, Terri, thanks so much!
Bonny S. Cottonwood, AZ says
Hi Kimberly, I made this for Easter dinner with a spiral ham. I did not put onions in as we do not like them but used your suggestion to use slightly less than a teaspoon of onion powder and it worked great. Also, I always have trouble getting the potatoes cooked in all potato casseroles, so I slice the potatoes and cook them half way in water before putting the casserole together. It seems to work better for me. The potatoes are done after an hour. Loved this recipe. Thank you for the post.
PS Did you fix the glitch with the stars, or was I able to give the 5 star rating because I had already signed up for the newsletter?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Bonny, thank you, and YES, the star rating worked, thanks so much for that! :)
Karina von Byern says
This recipe was the easiest & best potato-gratin I’ve ever made!! I assembled in the morning and cooked at dinnertime. Will be my go-to for scalloped potatoes and part of every Easter dinner from now on! Thank you Kimberly!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad, Karina, thank you! And I love your last name! :) Bayern, I’m assuming? My mom is from Bavaria and having grown up in southern Germany it’s my favorite region :)
KAy says
Delish! I used all half-and-half, a little more onion, used mozzarella and cheddar, and a bit of ground mustard.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Kay, thanks so much for the feedback!
Cindy says
Made these potatoes tonight and they were creamy and delicious! Everyone loved them! I used Yukon gold potatoes and made a few slight adjustments . Used a little less onion and added a few shakes of black pepper in the cheese sauce . I didn’t have whole milk so used 1 c. Heavy cream and 1 1/2 c. 2% milk. I sliced the potatoes as thin as I could but still needed an additional 10 minutes covered baking time . Came out perfect ! Will definitely be making these again soon.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Cindy, thanks so much for the feedback!
James Regan says
We’ve made this twice now. And between four of us in the house the casserole dish gets cleaned out at one sitting. One teenager and one young adult who are picky eaters eat 2/3s of this dish. I’m now asked to make this every couple of weeks. Maybe once a month should do it
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, James, I’m so glad to hear it, thank you!
Tammy Worden says
These are the best au gratin potatoes I’ve tried! Followed your recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly with compliments from the guests!
Daniel says
Made this for Christmas yesterday – excellent recipe!
Theresa says
I made these yesterday for Christmas dinner and they were excellent, thank you!
Cathy T. says
These truly were perfect, thank you!
Natalie Loftus says
It’s in the oven now! I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it so we’re having it again today for Christmas dinner! Merry Christmas!
Cori Landon says
This is our third year making this, always a smash hit, thank you!
James Basinger says
Great dish. I substitute BaliShannon sharp white cheddar cheese fro ireland. You can get it at same. Fantastic addition to the already great dish. It has become our Christmas Eve Tradition.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, James, and white cheddar is a great choice!