Potatoes Au Gratin
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Made simply with sliced potatoes, heavy cream, and grated cheese, potatoes au gratin is the ultimate comfort food.
This wonderful recipe for potatoes au gratin involves layering thinly sliced potatoes with heavy cream and grated cheese in a baking dish, and then baking until the cream thickens and blankets the potatoes in a rich, creamy sauce. I’d say the dish is worthy of a special occasion — it is! — but the truth is that eating it is a special occasion unto itself. The only consideration to keep in mind is that the dish is best assembled right before baking. Once potatoes are peeled and sliced, they discolor quickly. Similarly, it cannot be baked ahead of time, as the cream tends to separate when reheated. I hope this doesn’t discourage you from trying the recipe, as it is truly delicious and worth the effort.
What You’ll Need To Make Potatoes au Gratin
- The best potatoes to use for au gratin potatoes are russets; they have the most starch and make the creamiest sauce. (Russet potatoes are also ideal for making mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, and twice-baked potatoes).
- You may be tempted to cut calories by using half & half or milk in place of the cream. Please don’t! This is one of those recipes that really requires heavy cream in order to thicken up.
- It’s important to use authentic Parmigiano Reggiano rather than domestic parmesan. You can tell if it’s the real deal by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. (If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.”) If you can’t find it, Pecorino Romano makes an excellent and even more flavorful substitute.
How to make Potatoes Au Gratin
Begin by slicing the potatoes 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.)
Place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss with the salt and pepper. Be sure the potatoes are evenly coated.
Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Arrange some of the potato slices, 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 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. The top layer of the potatoes should be beautifully golden by the time the dish is done baking but if you want just a bit more browning, feel free to stick the baking dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes; just keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, if using, and serve. (Note: If you have a large crowd coming and plan to double the dish, you’ll get the best results by baking it in two 2-quart baking dishes instead of one larger dish. The potatoes will cook more evenly that way.)
You may also like
- Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Potatoes
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- Twice-Baked Potatoes
- Quick & Easy Polenta
Potatoes Au Gratin
Made simply with sliced potatoes, heavy cream, and grated cheese, 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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Comments
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Hello Jen, I have read many of the reviews for this recipe and still not sure if this can be made and fully baked ahead, and then reheated just prior to serving…
what say you??
Hi Kim, If you want to make this ahead, I strongly recommend assembling and refrigerating it but not cooking it. Just place plastic wrap directly over the potatoes so they don’t brown in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!
Hello Jen,
I recently discovered this website. I made this potato gratin recipe for Christmas Eve and it was flawless. Thank you for an easy recipe, made me feel like a Chef. 🙂
Although the recipe gives instructions for making these in advance, Do NOT make these in advance! I made this on Christmas Eve for family dinner the next day. When I removed them from the refrigerator, they were a soupy mess! I poured off a lot of liquid twice before I finally baked this. Salting the potatoes brings out a lot of water as this sits in the refrigerator overnight. After baking for an hour and a half to finally get potatoes that weren’t swimming in cream, the dish tasted good but I advise everyone that preparing it the day before should never be done!
Took 2.5 hours to cook at this temp and the flavor was bland.
Hi there! I am making prime rib and these delicious potatoes tomorrow for Christmas. Can I cook them at the same time? What temperature do you recommend? Thanks!
Sure, Maria — 350°F should work.
Hi Jenn. I have a mandolin to slice the potatoes. Do you recommend I set it at 1/4 inch or 1/8th inch? Thanks for your input.
Hi Heather, I’d go with 1/8 inch. Enjoy!
This recipe sounds wonderful but I only have one oven and plan to cook a beef tenderloin. Can I make and bake the potatoes a day ahead and then reheat for Christmas Dinner? OR can they be baked earlier in the day and then reheated for dinner? If so, can you provide details on the best temp and timing to reheat them?
Thank you,
Hi Lindsay, I wouldn’t do the potatoes ahead of time. Rather, I would bake the potatoes and the tenderloin together at 350°F. Both will take a bit longer (the roast because it is baking at a lower temp and the potatoes because the oven will be more crowded), so I’d keep a close eye on both and I’d use a remote or instant-read thermometer for the tenderloin to take any guesswork out of it. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Can you make the potatoes ahead of time and then stick in fridge when ready to bake?
Hi Meghan, I think you meant to ask if it’s okay to assemble them in advance, refrigerate, and then stick them in the oven when ready to bake? If so, yes, you can assemble these ahead — just place plastic wrap directly over the potatoes so they don’t brown in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!
Don’t make these much in advance of baking! The salt brings out water in the potatoes and you will end up with a watery mess as I did! What an embarrassment when these were supposed to accompany Christmas dinner.
Hi Jenn! I’ve made this recipe a few times and love it! I just got some new mini le crueset cocettes, do you think that I could make this recipe in them?
Glad you like it! Yes, I think you could make mini versions. 🙂
Literally, the best potatoes au gratin I’ve ever had in my life. A bit of work to slice the potatoes so thin, but absolutely worth it. Tasted like fettucine alfredo in a potato version!
Total comfort food. Best potatoes au gratin recipe yet. Tried it for the first time this fall and we are making it again for holidays. Thinking of adding some onions and crispy speck or bacon. Would turn it into the perfect cold snowy day meal.
Would a 2.5 quart dish work for this recipe? How will it impact the cook time?
Thanks – recipe looks amazing and am excited to make it.
Hi Mary, that should work. If the pan is wider (as opposed to deeper), it may take a little less time in the oven so keep a close eye on it. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn. I would like to make this with your beef tenderloin with red wine sauce as you recommend with that recipe but they both require oven time and I only have one oven. Do you have any suggestions on how I could make both of these dishes using one oven since it appears that neither dish is optimal being made ahead of time? I do have an electric roaster that I have only used a couple of times for turkey. Do you think I can use it for one of the dishes? Any advice for oven management would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Heather, I would bake both the potatoes and the tenderloin at 350°. Both will take longer (the roast because it is baking at a lower temp and the potatoes because the oven will be more crowded) so I’d keep a close eye on both and I’d use a remote or instant-read thermometer for the tenderloin to take any guesswork out of it. Hope you enjoy! (And while an electric roaster may work for one of the dishes, I’m not familiar with them so I can’t say for sure — sorry I can’t help more in that department!) 🙂
I made the recipe as written and it turned out very well. The only change I made was I lightly salted and put a bit of black pepper on each layer of potatoes before adding the cheese and cream instead of tossing the potatoes with salt in a bowl. Like a previous reviewer noted, I to found that the gratin was finished baking at about one hour and forty minutes. I do not have a convention oven, which I believe led to the longer cooking time. Everyone enjoyed this and I will make this again.
It’s always a good idea to read through comments to get a feel for a recipe before starting! More often that not it helps.
I used about 4-5 smallish russet potatoes, used pecorino romano and made sure with the heavy cream, to use only as much as needed to cover my layer of potatoes (about 2 cups). Overall turned out well. Once the potatoes were out of the oven, they soaked up all that goodness and were perfectly baked, no soupiness.
For next time I’ll make sure to use 4 large potatoes, seemed like I needed more of them to counter the amount of salt and pepper and to balance the saltiness out a bit.
Still loved them and enjoyed savoring every bite. Simple and delicious, can’t beat that!
Your gratin is perfect for cold nights. Another wonderful recipe! Merci Jen!
This is my kind of recipe! Simple and a few ingredients and tasted like it took hours of preparation. Thank you for this recipe, it turned out amazing and my family can’t wait for me to make it again.
Liked this even better than the popular New York Times potato gratin recipe with leeks (and I like leeks!). I agree with other reviewers that the cream in this recipe can be decreased by 1/2 cup. Otherwise perfect. Will be making this for years.
I made these for Thanksgiving and it turned out perfectly. Used a mandolin to cut the potatoes very thin and used both pecorino and gruyere for cheese, not too much. Also for those of you saying it ended up soupy, I did not use exact measurements for the cream. Instead I just eyeballed it by making sure each layer was just barely covered. It thickened very nicely. I also drew some of the water out of the potatoes by letting them sit in a bowl for a few minutes after salting, which might have helped prevent soupiness. Pulled the potatoes out of the oven after probably an hour and 20 minutes, when thick bubbles were popping on the side and it looked “done”.
Exactly what is was looking for!
I just made this yesterday as a side for Thanksgiving. And I needed to use a gluten free recipe for one of my guests. Wow! it really turned out fantastically great! the taste was spot on with the minimal seasonings and the chewiness of the cheese combined with just a hint of bite in the potatoes was quite gratifying. All the guests were amazed by this dish and the look of it as well. I did add Kasaggio Goudo as a small but thin layer at each layering and the cream densed up just fine since I used only about a cup of lite cream.
I made potatoes using this recipe today for the first time and the results were most delicious! I will say I used only 2 cups of heavy cream (solely because that’s all I had) and that was sufficient. I cooked my potatoes in a Breville toaster oven and they needed closer to 1:40 minutes to cook properly. Thank you Jenn for sharing your expertise with us. I love your cookbook!
The flavor of this dish is excellent – I did add shallots to each layer. Why I did not give it 5 stars is because the cream did not tighten up; the potatoes were a bit soupy.
I basically followed this recipe except I used two turnips in addition to potatoes and I used gruyere as well. So good. One of my favorite things on the table tonight.
Oh I love that idea !
I’m am prepping this now for Thanksgiving. No where do I find an oven temp or baking duration
Hi Colleen, Click on the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page (or scroll down beneath the step-by-step photos) and it will take you to the actual recipe.
Hi
I’m confused with the cheese measurement. On the recipe it mentions 1 cup of cheese or 4 oz , but one cup equals 8 oz.
Can you please Clarify. Looking forward to making this recipe !
Hi Teresa, the 4 ounces refers to the weight of the cheese and the 1 cup is the volume of cheese. Hope that clarifies!
Hello. If I make a smaller portion, half, do I adjust cook time or cook for same amount of time?
Hi Josie, It should be about the same, but keep a close eye on it. Enjoy! 🙂
These are delicious. They have been a Go To item on my families table for years. Although the recipe is perfect just the way it is, I sometimes shake it up a little with the cheese and mix in a little shredded Gruyere. Pairs nicely with a Cesar Salad and a fresh baguette for a vegetarian dinner.
I made this last week as a test run and it was great. I read through the comments and adjusted the cream to 2 cups.
I used the parmesan that I had on hand but bought the good stuff to make this for company today. It was so good I printed out the recipe and put it in a plastic sleeve to protect it.
(PS am serving w/ Roast Beef and your shrimp appetizer.)
Dangerously good! I wouldn’t change a thing. Great paired with the turkey meatloaf.
Can I sub half and half for the cream?
Hi Sara, Unfortunately, half and half won’t work here. Sorry!
Absolutely delicious!! This is the perfect au gratin recipe and turned out exactly right the first time. We couldn’t stop eating these potatoes!
Hi Jenn,
I would like to make these potatoes ahead of time, including baking them.
Would you suggest I bake according to your directions, with cover off…or do you suggest I cover them for baking, then leave the pan uncovered when reheating? In any case, how long would you suggest I put them in the oven to reheat them?
Love ALL your recipes, by the way!!
Hi Jackie, I really recommend this dish fresh from the oven, as the cream can separate when it’s reheated. That said, if you do want to bake them ahead and reheat, I’d cover them with foil and heat in a 350-oven for 15-20 min, or until heated through. Please LMK how they turn out!
Hi Jenn. Thanks for your feedback. I did decide to cook this dish ahead by 1 day and they were reheated Covered, for 45 minutes. The cream did not separate and they were so delicious!!
So glad it came out well — thanks for the follow-up! 🙂
I’ve made these several times now. My fiance told me this is his favorite side dish he makes!!! Well done Jenn and thankyou for sharing this recipe!!
Hi Jenn~ I made this recipe tonight and didn’t change a thing! We loved it! Thank you!
Second time making these, the first they took a little longer to cook because I sliced the potatoes a little thicker, today I sliced them super thin and also added a layer of onion in the middle. I will admit that I didn’t measure anything out and probably added double the amount of cheese but oohhhh so yummy. Thank you
With so many excellent reviews for this recipe, I decided to break my own rule and try it on guests without testing it on my family first. I followed your directions – made sure the potatoes were thinly sliced, used Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and cooked it uncovered. What a success! I was so proud when everyone raved about it. We ate so much of it that no one wanted dessert. Will definitely make again and again. Thank you!
Is it possible to make this with dairy-free milk? It sounds so good but I can’t tolerate dairy. Thank you for your response.
Hi Terry, Thanks for your note. For a non-dairy option, some readers have commented that they’ve used Rich’s non-dairy coffee creamer (frozen) and Trader Joe’s unflavored non-dairy creamer in recipes that require heavy cream. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried it with either of these.) Also, as you mentioned you’ve got a problem with dairy and this contains a fair amount of cheese. Hope that helps!
Well, I’m reviewer number 611 and can add nothing new except to say that this is an exceptional dish and friends are begging that it be served again at our next get-together. 😍 Bravo, Jen! Thanks for all you do!
If I wanted to double the recipe, what do you recommend for baking pan and cooking time? Would you stick with 4 layers and use larger pan?
Hi Sherry, For the best results, I’d bake it in two separate pans. That ensures that it will cook evenly. They may take a few extra minutes in the oven, but not much. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
This recipe is by far the best tasting and easiest recipe for au gratin potatoes ever. I especially love the fact that no flour is used. Everyone was asking for the recipe. This is definitely my GO TO‼️
What went wrong? After 60 minutes potatoes still very, very raw and the cream split. Having spent 80 minutes cutting the potatoes to ensure PERFECTION I’m pretty gutted.
Oh no, Louisa! I’m so sorry you had trouble with this. Did you slice the potatoes thinly? What type of potatoes did you use? Could your oven temperature be off?
I had the same. Mine took 2 hours to cook. After an hour I took the foil cover off and put back in oven. It then took another hour and was good.
Same here, an hour is not nearly enough. Also there is too much cream – I would reduce by at least a 1/3, maybe 1/2. A dish like this should be creamy and not soupy. Tastes great though (of course, cream and cheese and potato)!
I followed this recipe exactly as specified, as I always do the first time I make something. After the hour, time for dinner, the potatoes were cooked but very, very soupy. I was embarrassed and surprised as I’ve never had a failure with one of your recipes. My oven is accurate.
Hi Barbara, Sorry you had a problem with this! It shouldn’t be soupy. Did you use Russet potatoes? If so, next time, try cutting the cream back by 1/2 cup.
Can ham be added to this recipe?
Hi Brian, a few other readers have commented that they’ve added ham to this and that the moisture from the ham added a little bit too much moisture to the dish. If you want to try it, I would reduce the cream to 2 cups. Hope that helps!
This is the best and only way to make Potatoes Au Gratin. Yes only use full cream. Excellent recipe Jenn.
Excellent. My toddler helped me layer the potatoes and it was an easy recipe to do together. Next time I will try adding a little nutmeg.
These look amazing! Can’t wait to try them. I would like to serve them for a nice adult family dinner birthday party. What meat options would you recommend to go with them? What about salad dressings? Thanks!!
Heather, these would be delicious with Beef Tenderloin, Grilled Flank Steak with Garlic and Rosemary, or Pan-Seared Steaks. Salad dressing-wise, the first thing to comes to mind is my Balsamic Vinaigrette. Also, I have a feature on the website– for all main dishes, I suggest one or two sides that I think would pair nicely with them. To see what I’ve suggested, scroll down to the bottom of the recipe. Immediately under the recipe, you’ll see the dishes that I’ve suggested. Hope that helps!
What an amazing and EASY recipe! We made this for friends and it was a huge hit! Thanks for sharing it!
My family absolutely loved these! Thank you for such an easy recipe.
Was amazing! I added a thin layer of onions fresh from my neighbors garden and a shrinking of cheddar cheese on each layer. My friends devoured it. Thanks for sharing. Will definitely make again.
This is what my grandmother and mother used to make. It is a wonderful dish that is so simple. Love it!
This is so simple to make, and soooo delicious! It is not, I repeat, it is NOT a low calorie dish. If you have high cholesterol, I suggest skipping it. But if you can handle a ton of cream and parmesan cheese, it is sinfully delicious!
My family and I love this recipe! I’ve made it at least 6 times and its always a hit.
I have made this dish twice recently and the family love it! It is the best recipe out there for pototoes au gratin and I would highly recommend that you give it a go. It is very easy to follow and simple to make. Excellent.
Made this exactly as directed and it was DELICIOUS. It was super easy too! Initially, I was scared I wouldn’t be able to find Parmigiano Reggiano, but I’m so glad to have found it at the cheese/deli counter at my local market. Your recipes are hit after hit in my house, thank you!!
I’ve made this several times and learned the following; use Idaho potatoes. I didn’t have any and the result was soupy. Don’t freeze heavy cream. It just does not reconstitute well. That said, the results were tasty!
I followed the recipe exactly except that I used a little more cheese.
I weighed the potatoes to get the amount to match your instructions.
I used russets as per your instructions.
I used a mandolin to get perfect thin slices.
There ended up being WAY too many potato slices.
I set my oven to 350 for an hour as per your instructions.
Separate thermometer confirmed the temp.
After an hour the potatoes were still very undercooked and they were swimming in an extreme excess of liquid.
I used a turkey basted to suck out more than a cup of liquid.
I upped the temp to 400 and cooked it another 20 minutes and it was still a soupy mess.
It tasted good but what a let down.
This recipe needs a lot of tweaking in my view.
Everything Mitch said is dead on unfortunately but tasted pretty good.
Ditto. So much liquid collected at the bottom and the potatoes were not fully cooked.
I made this recipe after having au gratin potatoes from a high-end restaurant in our area. Although we enjoyed the restaurant’s dish, we all preferred this one! It was delicious, easy to make, and didn’t have an aftertaste that we noticed in the restaurant dish. I’m sure there are lots of good potato au gratin recipes out there, but you won’t go wrong with this one!