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 Jenn, I’m planning on making this Easter Sunday and have a quick question. The recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of heavy cream, but several comments including your answer to one of the questions say 2 1/2 cups. Which is the correct amount? Thanks.
Sorry for any confusion, Sally — the recipe is correct — you need 2 1/4 cups of heavy cream. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen! Love all your recipes so much. Would this be good with Gruyere cheese? Trying to use ingredients I have instead of going to the store!
Yep, it should be delish. 🙂
Thank you for the clarification, Jenn. I made this yesterday for Easter and we all loved it!
Can I do this with cheddar? My son loves cheddar cheese. Thinking of making for Easter….
Sure! Hope you enjoy – happy Easter!
Made these at Christmas with a beef tenderloin and they were delicious. Making them again for Easter with ham. Love every recipe I’ve made of yours.
Can I use white or red potatoes instead as have lots of?
Hi Jill, For the best results, I’d stick with russet potatoes.
Can this recipe be doubled? Any special to steps to accomplish this request?
Hi Carol, Yes, you can double it. For the best results, I’d bake it in two separate pans. That ensures that it will cook evenly. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
I am fairly new to your blog, but have found every recipe I have tried of yours has been excellent. This one in particular has had outstanding reviews from everyone I have made it for. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your recipes and answer questions!
I would give it 10 stars if that were an option…
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! 💗
In response to Ann Marie KM: Jen, I follow your website and have been doing so for years. I have such success with your recipes and I appreciate the feedback you give for those of us who have questions. You are both professional and friendly in your responses. I feel that you take each comment/question seriously in the hopes that your readers will have success with each recipe. Having said that, the response from Ann Marie KM was unkind and uncalled for. I am always taken aback at rudeness and unkindness from others. One positive from a remark such as this, is knowing that most of your readers are considerate and respond with goodwill.
*And the recipe is delicious!
❤️
WOW! Made these tonight and they were AMAZING!!! Highly recommend them!
This is good, as are most scalloped potato recipes. this is not an au gratin recipe. As someone who is classically trained you should know the difference Au gratin potatoes are made with gruyere cheese Ms fancy pants restaurant chef person! Why you are a FRAUD!!!
My goodness Ann Marie, you certainly are quite rude. Jenn creates very thoughtful and accessible recipes. Most definitely not a fraud.
Loved this recipe! I used 5 russet potatoes, a mixture of Parmesan and gruyère, and added a bit of garlic. Garnished with parsley and it was fantastic!
I don’t usually comment on Jenn’s blog as much as I use her recipes, but your comment is so uncalled for, Ann Marie. This site has changed my cooking life, it has given me the confidence I never had before in the kitchen. Especially during these strange times, maybe we can show a little more compassion and support one another? There’s nothing good that comes of your rant, except to make others feel bad, and perhaps feel bad for you.
Jenn does a fantastic job on this blog (this easy to follow, beautiful recipe included), let’s continue to uplift and support!
I really enjoyed this recipe both with PR and a second time with PR and Gruyere. Now time to curl up with a good book on grammar.
OMG! Jenn, I love your recipes. Thank you.
Wow, that’s a mean spirited and unnecessary remark. As others have mentioned Jenn, this website and her books have changed the way I cook and have given me tremendous confidence in my own kitchen. I have always found the recipes to be well tested and I love the fact that she includes step-by-step instructions accompanied by photos. Also, she provides a comments/feedback section where she answers questions for readers (for real, where else do you see that happening.) To top it off you’re comment isn’t even accurate! The modern, acceptable difference between potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes is that au gratin potatoes have cheese whereas scalloped potatoes are simply potatoes cooked in cream. So maybe spend a little more time on google before posting a negative comment like that in this lovely and educational community. And to Jenn, many thanks for providing us with these wonderful recipes and this community. 🙂
Loved how quick and simple this was to make! It needed to be left in the oven a little longer (1hr20mins). Do I spread out the cream with a spoon between layers or just put lines of it on potatoes… it felt a little sparse and thick. Regardless, tasted lovely and was so much more simple to do! Thank you! Love from Ireland
Glad you enjoyed this! If you felt like the cream was a bit inconsistently distributed, next time I would spread it around a bit more with a spatula.
This is really an outstanding recipe. Have never made potato gratin before and looked at other recipes which were really troublesome like having to melt butter and make a roux. This was so simple to make. I modified with half the cream and the other half with milk just so its not quite so rich. Of course it didnt turn out quite as creamy but kids loved it and 1kg of potatoes disappeared just like that.
Any advice on cream and milk portions? for a less creamy option
Hi Jennifer, glad you enjoyed the potatoes! You mentioned that you used half cream and half milk – – glad to hear you were still happy with the results, but I don’t think I’d change the proportions any more than that as the liquid will not thicken up as it should.
I made this recipe first with the potatoes and it was delicious. I have been making potato au gratin by making a white sauce for years but this is easier and I think tastes better. It really is a winner.
I also decided to try it with carrots to try to lower the starch and carbs. I did everything as recipe directs except used thinly sliced carrots instead of potatoes. I cut the carrots kind of on a diagonal and layered them in casserole dish just as I did the potatoes. It makes a really nice side to go with chicken or pork or any protein.