Potatoes Au Gratin
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
No better potato recipe exists. Fantastic side dish for Christmas 2019 with the popular left-overs ever! Thankfully, we made two dishes of potatoes and enjoyed them for days!
My husband requested that I make Au Gratin potatoes to go with leftover Christmas ham. I found this recipe, and it feels like 13 degrees outside tonight, so this was a winner! A perfect combination of ingredients. Thank you for sharing this with me! It will become a part of our special meal menu! ~Peggy
Nobody could get enough of these potatoes! They were outrageous! And so so simple. I am sure they will be served at every holiday at our home from now on
Just prepared this for our family holiday party today. It was a hit. I used Gruyere and Colby cheese. It was a hit with the adults and kids. I used a cast iron skillet and it was empty at the end of the meal.
This recipe was a disaster. The cooking time was way underestimated which negatively impacted the rest of the meal. ☹️🎄
Oh my something went wrong because these were amazing! Maybe you sliced the potatoes too thick.
I found your recipe for these awesome potatoes.
Made them for Christmas dinner for the family. They were a huge success!! No leftovers.
This is a keeper.
Thank you
Made this recipe for the first time with thin sliced potatoes baked in 2.5 quart baking dish in 350 degree oven for one hour.Potatoes were not cooked fully..returned to oven for an additional 10 minutes..potatoes still not done.Delicious recipe! And easy.Any baking suggestions would be appreciated.Merry Christmas!
Hi Carrie, Sounds like you used a slightly larger baking dish — were the potatoes fully submerged in cream?
Carrie – I used a mandolin for an even slice and maybe the cast iron skillet hastened the cooking time.
Hi Jenn,
I need to make a double recipe of these potatoes and know that you have mentioned prepping ahead of time and covering with plastic wrap, but that I also could bake it ahead of time and reheat it. I need to prepare it two days ahead due to my work schedule. Would one or the other of these methods be preferable? Thank you!
Hi Kate, I really prefer to serve this dish fresh from the oven, as the cream can separate when it’s reheated. However, I worry that two days in the fridge is too long and the potatoes will get too brown. I’d probably select a different dish. Have you tried my make-ahead mashed potatoes?
This recipe did not work that well for me….way too much cream….I even poured out some before cooking it…I tried making it the day before but the potatoes discolored so much I discarded some before baking….just too unappetizing to look at….even after cooking I pulled a few slices of potato from the dish….
Outstanding!
I served the potatoes au gratin with beef tenderloin with red wine sauce. Everyone loved the potatoes. They were easy to prepare and delicious. Thanks Jenn for another wonderful recipe. ☺️