Get ready to bake up the ultimate comfort side dish: Potatoes au Gratin. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with rich cream, melted butter, and gooey cheese, then baked until golden and bubbling. With crisp edges and a silky center, this French-style favorite is the perfect dish to lighten up on weekends or elevate any holiday spread.
Olivia’s Personal Note
You’ll love this cozy, indulgent potato side dish that’s practically the definition of comfort.
Creamy on the inside with crisp, golden edges, these potatoes au gratin are made entirely with wholesome, unprocessed ingredients. It’s the kind of dish that feels both rustic and elegant, just right for gathering around the holiday table.
This casserole is a true crowd-pleaser, pairing beautifully with classics like my Turkey Breast Recipe or Reverse Sear Prime Rib. For a complete Thanksgiving or Easter spread, serve it alongside Cranberry Sauce, Gravy Without Drippings, and a sweet finish of gluten-free Apple Crisp or Apple Cider Baked Donuts. It’s simple, comforting, and guaranteed to make everyone come back for seconds.
Key Ingredients
All ingredients and their amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Heavy Cream: I love using heavy cream because it gives the sauce that rich, velvety texture gratin is known for. I’ve tested this recipe with half-and-half as well, and it still turns out creamy, just a little lighter. If you’re looking to cut down on richness, half-and-half is a great option.
Butter: I use unsalted butter since the recipe already includes salt and pepper. After testing it with salted butter, I’ve found the dish can get too salty, especially with the cheese added on top. Unsalted gives you better control over the seasoning.
Starchy Potatoes: I’ve tested both Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes for this recipe. Yukon Golds are naturally creamy and you can leave the skin on because it’s thin and tender. Russet potatoes work beautifully too. They hold their shape and help thicken the sauce as they bake, but I recommend peeling them since the skin is thicker. Both varieties create that perfect soft-but-structured slice you want in a gratin.
Note: If using a mandoline to slice the potatoes, be sure to use gloves to protect your fingers. If you do not have one, slice them as evenly as you can with a sharp knife. It will take much longer to get even layers, but it works!
Mozzarella (or Other Melting Cheeses): Fresh mozzarella melts into the most delicious, gooey layer. I’ve made this recipe with cheddar, sharp cheddar, Gruyère, fontina, havarti, colby, gruyere, Swiss or gouda cheese and they all melt beautifully. Each one brings a slightly different flavor profile, so you can choose your favorite or even mix a couple for extra depth.
Instructions to Make Potato Au Gratin
1: In a medium glass bowl, add heavy cream, garlic, butter, salt, and black pepper. Whisk all well until combined.
2: Place sliced potatoes in three rows in the casserole dish. Pour the cream butter sauce evenly over the potatoes.
3: Sprinkle more salt, pepper and herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary on top.
4: Cover the dish with foil to prevent the top from burning, place it in the oven, and bake for about 50 minutes.
5: Then, remove the foil, top with mozzarella cheese, and return to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes more or until potatoes are done and tender, nice and golden brown on the top layer. If it’s not brown, stick the baking dish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?
You sure can! You can store this in the fridge baked or unbaked a few days ahead of time. If baked, you can reheat the potatoes in the oven. If unbaked, you can bake it as directed but with a few additional minutes as the dish will be cold.
Potatoes Au Gratin
Video
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream you can use half-half cream too.
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 lb starchy potatoes peeled and sliced about 1/8” thick
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
- 1 tsp thyme leaves chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350F. Grease with butter or olive oil a rectangular baking dish (9 x 13).
- In a medium glass bowl add heavy cream, garlic, butter, salt and black pepper. Mix all well until combined. Set aside.
- Place sliced potatoes in three tight slanted rows as you can see in the photos and make sure the potato slices are slightly slanted. Pour the cream butter sauce evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle more salt and pepper on top.
- Cover them with foil, place it in the oven and bake for about 50 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove the foil, top with mozzarella cheese and return to the oven again. Bake for 20 minutes more minutes or until potatoes are done, nice and golden brown on top.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh thyme. Enjoy!
Notes
- To store: You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: I like reheating potatoes au gratin in the oven but you can reheat them in the microwave as well.
- To freeze: While you can freeze this recipe for up to 2 weeks, I find it’s best to make this recipe fresh.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
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I like au gratin potatoes so I’m going to use your recipe
You’ll love this 😉
We love this recipe, have made quite a few times now. It freezes well too if there are leftovers
Awesome! Happy you like this recipe. It’s delicious and we love it too!!