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
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!
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!
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.
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