Potatoes Au Gratin
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Tender, golden, and irresistibly creamy, potatoes au gratin is the kind of crowd-pleasing side that makes any meal feel 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.
For more easy gratin recipes to round out your dinner rotation, check out my cauliflower gratin and Brussels sprouts gratin.
“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: With their high starch content, russets soak up the cream beautifully and bake into soft, melt-in-your-mouth layers. They’re the best choice for this dish. Skip the Yukon Golds here—they won’t give you the same texture.
- Heavy Cream: The secret to the luscious, velvety sauce. You might be tempted to swap in milk or half-and-half, but don’t—this recipe really needs heavy cream to thicken properly.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Adds a salty, nutty depth that melts right into the potatoes, creating incredible flavor and texture. Be sure to use true Parmigiano Reggiano. If you can’t find it, Pecorino Romano makes a great substitute.
- Salt, Pepper & Thyme: These simple seasonings bring everything to life—the thyme is optional but adds a subtle earthiness that pairs perfectly with the creamy potatoes and cheese.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Slice the potatoes. It’s key to cut the potoates 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.
Step 2: Season the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the salt and pepper. Be sure the potatoes are evenly coated.
Step 3: Assemble the gratin. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Arrange some of the potato slices, with their 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 the top—you want to use it all.
Step 4: Bake. Bake the gratin for 60 to 75 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and golden brown on top. Don’t cover the dish with foil — you want that beautiful color to develop. The top should be nicely golden by the time it’s done, but if you’d like a little extra browning, pop it under the broiler for a minute or two (just keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn). Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, if you like, and serve warm.
More Potato Side Dishes You May Like
Potatoes Au Gratin
With layers of thinly sliced potatoes baked in cream and melted cheese, this potatoes au gratin is the ultimate comfort food.
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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Hi, I made this yesterday for Father’s Day and it was a huge hit. Had about 20 ppl. Was worried about doubling or tripling the recipe so I made 3 batches. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Has anyone tried this recipe with cheddar cheese? How do you think that would taste? Cannot find the cheese listed in recipe..
Thank you
Hi Brooke, A number of readers have commented that they’ve used Cheddar here and have been happy with the results. Hope you enjoy!
Wonderful recipie, my hubby loved them.. only had 1-1/2 cups of heavy cream so I added 1/2 and 1/2 and to the Parmesan cheese I sprinkled in 1/2 Tbs of flour. Cooked for 70 minutes…..ate too much but worth the calories. Do you think I could add a clove of minced garlic to the layers?
Definitely, Margaret – I think garlic would be wonderful.
These potatoes are off the charts!!!!! We could not stop eating them.
This is absolutely bar none the best and easiest potato dish I have ever made, the smell in the house as this cooked was maddening it smelled so good! The taste is fabulous. I added deli ham because I wanted more of a main dish. Next time I will add onions. Definitely a recipe I will make over and over again.
Tried your black bean salad yesterday and there were cheers all around the table.
Thank You
Tom Bembinster
Plano TX
I made 5 lb of potatoes (thin-sliced with mandolin) and heated in a 9×13 pan for our Easter dinner. I only had 2 cups of heavy cream, so added 1 cup of whole milk for a total of 3 cups milk mixture for 5 lb potatoes. I simmered the milk before drizzling lightly over each layer of potatoes, hoping this might cut-down a bit on oven time. Time in oven was about 1.5hr at 375 degrees (covered during first half). The parmigiano-reggiano cheese is great on this! They were soft and creamy with a wonderful crust. I received rave reviews – thanks for recipe!
Made this for Easter dinner and my family loved it. Simple to make and the taste is wonderful. After cooking for an hour, though, the potatoes were al dente. I used the conventional 350 setting versus convection. Maybe next time I will cook longer or try the convection setting. I am wondering which is recommended.
Hi Pam, Glad everyone enjoyed it! I test and publish all my recipes using the standard oven setting (because not everyone has ovens with a convection setting). Sounds like next time it may need to stay in the oven a bit longer.
Your potatoes au gratin are by far the best. Simple to make and incredible flavor and texture. This recipe is perfect and I would highly recommend to make it as is. Wonderful!
We love these potatoes and I am going to make them for Easter dinner. I just realized, however, that I don’t have enough cream on hand. I have just shy of 2 cups (I have 473 ml) and the stores are closed today. Can I make up the difference with 2% or should I reduce the other ingredients slightly? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, I think I’m probably getting back to you too late to be helpful (sorry!) but, because you have the majority of cream necessary, I think it would be fine to supplement the cream with a bit of milk. Hope it turned out well!