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
Sorry to hear of Dozer’s passing. I hope he meets my yellow lab Stubby across the rainbow bridge.
Love all your recipes!
This was so good I’ve made it 3 times since and tried other herbs, tamarind and sweet potatoes added in. This is a fab recipe!! Thank you!
These are delicious. I cook exactly to recipe
Super simple and really delicious. Thank you Nagi
Delicious! and a great accompaniment to leftover Christmas Maple Glazed ham,
served with steamed pak choi.
Love it, real hit with the family. Can if be made ahead and frozen does anyone know?
Superb! I used a mandoline on Vivaldi potatoes (NZ) for 3mm-ish slices, dried thyme, grated cheese off the most basic Woolworths cheese block, and a mix of dairy and non-dairy creams because that’s what we had left over after Christmas. Layered into a 20cmx30cm ceramic dish, slightly messed up the layering instructions so had a butty great wodge of a grated cheese stratum in the middle. None of it mattered – delicious, cooked up perfectly in the time stated, and I’m hoping the leftovers reheat ok from the freezer tomorrow.
I suspect the mandoline helped a lot, obviously faster and easier, but mostly because it doesn’t make even slices, they come out with a fatter end and a thinner end and you get gaps when layering them for the cream mixture to seep into and mix right through. Absolutely will make again.
Very yummy and easy to make. I even bought a slicer (where have you been all my life!!) which made nice consistent slices.
Amazing dish! Every time I serve it, folks want the recipe!! A holiday staple for me! I once didn’t have enough Gruyère on hand and did half Gruyère and half. Cheddar. And That has become my normal cheese mixture for this. So good!!!!
Thank you so much for this great recipe! The family absolutely devoured this dish. A perfect accompaniment to a baked ham on th3 day after Christmas. A definite keeper.
I made sure to use russet and followed the instructions explicitly. I baked covered for 90 mins then uncovered for close to 15 mins, the last 3 mins or so I turned the broiler on with the dish uncovered. These were a hit for our Christmas dinner. Highly recommend, thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. My husband has been asking for scalloped potatoes and these were perfect!
I’ve made this numerous times and always receive rave reviews. Your recipes are always a hit! Thank you!
This is our Christmas special every year. We order a prepared brisket from a local BBQ restaurant and compliment it with this glorious recipe. I double for a larger gathering so cooking takes a bit longer. Just the smell of them cooking is 5 stars. Perfect recipe!!
Can you make this to freeze? Made this last year and it went down so well!
I’ve made these for years and I found a way to cut the oil separating from the cream. I steam the potatoes until they’re half cooked! Works like a charm. It takes about 45 minutes in oven. I also use fresh grated Parmesan. Delicious! Thanks
Another really terrific recipe from your site! We love this! Making it now for the 2nd time!
Thanks!
Fantastic recipe. I made this last year for a New Years Day brunch and there was barely any leftover. My family was super impressed, and I’ll be making it again for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
Absolutely great recipe! Thanks for the video as well. You have made our holidays special!
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!