Potatoes au Gratin – forget scalloped potatoes, THIS is the creme de la creme of all potato recipes!! Also known as Dauphinoise Potatoes, this French classic is adapted from a Julia Child’s recipe. With layers upon layers of finely sliced potatoes baked in, cream, butter and cheese with a hint of fresh thyme, it’s luxurious and thoroughly indulgent.
Bonus: It’s the ultimate make ahead potato side dish! And next time, try Brie Dauphinoise…
Potatoes au Gratin
Potatoes au Gratin? Or Scalloped Potatoes?
If you’re wondering what the difference is between Scalloped Potatoes and Au Gratin Potatoes, scalloped potatoes are made with a flour-butter-milk roux, whereas Potatoes au Gratin are made with 100% indulgence: cream, butter and cheese.
So I ask you again: Potatoes au Gratin? Or Scalloped Potatoes?
There’s no contest. Cream trumps flour Every. Single. Day. 😂
Potatoes au Gratin for the win!!!
All the essential food groups present
I was going to say that it’s quite remarkable how so few ingredients can make something so luxurious. But the reality is, it’s pretty hard to go wrong when potatoes, cream, butter and cheese are involved.
We’re working with all the good stuff today!
Best kind of potatoes for au gratin
This is the sort of potato dish where we want the potatoes to breakdown and become lovely and soft under that golden cheesy crust, so we need to ensure we use starchy potatoes. Australia – I use Sebago (those dirt brushed potatoes). America – Russet is perfect, and for those of you in the UK, King Edward or Maris Piper are perfect. Or any other starchy potatoes – Dutch creams, King Edwards or red delight.
To be honest, as long as you do not use a waxy potato then it’s going to work great – I’ve used all sorts over the years. Waxy potatoes are the kind used for potato salads and if used in Potatoes au Gratin, the layers sort of slip apart and you’ll have paper-thin-potato UFO’s flying all over the place.
Been there, done that. Not good, my friends.
How to make potatoes au gratin
Thinly sliced potato is layered with a cream-butter-garlic mixture, sprinkled with thyme and the mandatory cheese in every layer. Bake covered for 75 minutes (yes really, it takes that long), then uncovered just to make the cheese on top lovely and golden.
While it might seem daunting to thinly slice 1 kg / 2 lb of potatoes, this is the sort of task where you’ll quickly get into a rhythm. By the 3rd potato, you’ll be slicing like a pro!
Though having said that, a mandolin will make short work of it….
I am yet to meet a form of potato I don’t like. And of all the ways to cook potato, this is my favourite. (UPDATE: Though the newly invented Brie Dauphinoise version is also a hot contender!).
Sure, sometimes I stray and get excited by my latest obsession. I went mad for Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes, and crazy over Parmesan Crusted Potatoes. I thought Twice-baked Stuffed Jacket Potatoes were the ant’s pants.
But Potatoes au Gratin are a classic that I’ll love forever and ever. First made using Julie Child’s recipe which then evolved slightly over the years to what it is today. A slightly more streamlined assembly process, the addition of garlic and… I upped the cheese.
Do you think Julia would approve?? 😂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cream , full fat (Note 1)
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb starchy potatoes , Russet, Sebago, Maris Piper (Note 2)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 1/2 cups gruyere cheese (colby, cheddar, havarti or tasty), freshly grated yourself (Note 3)
- 2 tsp thyme leaves , fresh (optional – but highly recommended)
Instructions
- Cream Mixture: Place butter, cream and garlic in a jug. Mix until combined.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (both fan and standard ovens).
- Slice potatoes: Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8"/3 mm thick. Or use a slicer!
- Layer 1: Spread 1/3 of the potatoes in a baking dish (Note 3), then pour over 1/3 of the Cream Mixture, scatter with 1/3 of the salt, pepper and thyme. Sprinkle with 3/4 cups cheese.
- Layers 2 & 3: Repeat for the 2nd and third layer, but do not finish with cheese on the top layer (will add later).
- Cover & bake: Cover with lid or foil, and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the potatoes in the middle are soft (use knife to test), it might take 1 1/2 hours. (Note 5)
- Top with cheese, bake again: Remove foil, top with cheese. Bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until golden and bubbly. Stand 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Au Gratin Potatoes recipe originally published December 2014. New photos, recipe video and updated post in December 2018, then some tidying up done in December 2020. No change to recipe!
Feed your potato obsession
Life of Dozer
I have never left a review for a recipe before, and have made fantastic meals in the past…. These potatoes were phenomenal! Garlicky, creamy, tender and flavorful. I used yellow potatoes, and cooked them with a slow and low roasted chicken (300° for 2 1/2 hrs), once I pulled out the chicken I bumped up the temp to bubble up the cheese on top. Even my 6 yr old said he wished he could eat it all up in one bite it was so good. This is getting added to my recipe book, under favorites!! Thank you!!
These were delicious! After 1 hour 15 minutes and then another 30, the potatoes still weren’t cooked through so they were a little crunchy. They were 1/8th or smaller – I used my mandolin. I might try to par-boil them first next time. I used half mozz/half parm. super tasty. I meant to crumble bacon on top, but forgot!
The calorie count in this is way off. I scaled the recipe to 10 people. The total weight of the ingredients in about 2.4kg. The total calories about 4,900.
There will obviously be some water loss during cooking but lets say the end result was 1.8kg, the calories wouldn’t change (much).
So for 10 people a serving would be 180g (not 110g) and each serving would be about 490kcal (not 167kcl).
I would love for it be far less (it is delicious) but these numbers are just wrong.
Great recipe, though I like to go overboard and put sliced onion and anchovies between the layers!
I used 725g potatoes with 25g butter, thyme, 300ml double cream and two grated garlic. Not sure the proportions were correct but I tripped over the cat on the way to the oven and lost a good dollop. I forgot the cheese too. But despite all this it was delicious. I don’t think the cheese is necessary – or maybe a light sprinkle but not a blanket. More salt required without cheese.
Amazing recipe! Super fast and easy to prepare and then just threw it in the oven to cook and left it. Turned out wonderfully!
Dinner party was canceled after I put this together. Can I freeze it, unbaked???
My bother gave me his recipe that is incredibly close to this one. I found it can also be made in muffin tins, with paper liners. It freezes well and the individual serves can be reheated so you can have a decadent potato hit even after a busy day.
This recipe slays every time. I add a bit more garlic (to suit my own taste, not a game changer in the least) but that’s my only ingredient shift. The potatoes are always perfectly cooked and the end result is completely unified. No single ingredient stands out too much or over powers in any way. I’ve used other recipes in the past that end up with either crunchy or mealy textures, or over oily with too much cheese. The mouth feel is perfection and the flavors are complimentary to the point of not being able to really discern one from the other. It never lasts 3-4 days in the fridge because it gets devoured in minutes!! *chefs kiss*
Very tasty. Tried it using the make-ahead directions. Loved it! Other than peeling and cutting the potatoes it took no time at all and was simple. Also used oregano instead of thyme because that’s what I had in the garden.
Good to know the plan ahead instructions Work. Can I ask if you made this the day before? Then reheated it with the final 30 minute part of the instructions? Or did you make it in the morning?
Great recipe! I don’t have easy access to fresh herbs so I used dried thyme and the results are still amazing. I used combo of mozzarella and Colby Jack cheese then added Parmesan to Colby at the end. Definitely a keeper
This is by far the best potato bake recipe I have made. Mixing the garlic, cream, and butter makes it!! After several good results, I decided to try something different – Don’t peel the potatoes. As the potatoes are peeled wafer thin, the taste of the skin doesn’t come through, and the skin is very good for you. I know it’s going against all the recipe recommendations, but the unpeeled potatoes really taste nice and best of all – Saves Time In A Busy Day.
I have planted thyme now so I always have it ready for this gorgeous dish. I missed adding cheese by accident once and still so good that I just leave this out and cook a little longer after the foil is off to crisp the top.
Divine to the letter!
Yummy!! And your tweaks to Julia Child’s recipe (which I was using previously) are brilliant!
Love your recipes! This dish is yummy.
Yum, yum and triple yum. I made this in advance using floury potatoes, some Spanish hard cheese and lots of garlic and thyme. Its useful having the scale up bar as I was feeding 16. I reheated it on Easter Day. It was polished off and all thought it was fabulous. Nagi – you are a gifted recipe creator- thank you
I have not made this yet but I will try it. I have been making Julia Child’s version for 45 years and it is great wich calls for only 4 ingredients: boiling potatoes (which I think are the waxy type), milk (not cream), butter and garlic. No cheese, only one layer and bake for 25 minutes. Otherwise, it’s the same. It is delicious. Your recipe sounds like its up another notch. Can’t wait to try it.
Forgot to add the rating! 5 Stars!
Delicious! It was a hit at Easter dinner.