Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes (Printer-friendly)

Tender potato layers baked in a creamy sauce with golden melted cheese topping. A flavorful, cheesy side dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Potatoes

01 - 2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

→ Cream Sauce

02 - 2 cups heavy cream
03 - 1 cup whole milk
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

→ Cheeses

08 - 1 1/2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat over medium-low heat until steaming, approximately 5 minutes. Do not allow to boil. Remove from heat.
03 - Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
04 - Sprinkle half of the Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses over the potato layer.
05 - Layer the remaining potatoes evenly on top of the cheese layer.
06 - Pour the warm cream mixture evenly over all potatoes, ensuring even distribution.
07 - Top with the remaining Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses.
08 - Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
10 - Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives or parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks fancy enough to impress but tastes like pure comfort, which is honestly the best combination.
  • The potatoes cook directly in the cream, so every bite is saturated with buttery, garlicky richness.
  • You can assemble it hours ahead and bake it right before serving, making it perfect for stressful holiday cooking.
02 -
  • Slice your potatoes uniformly thin—a mandoline slicer is a game-changer here because uneven slices mean uneven cooking, and no one wants a raw potato chunk hiding in their cheese.
  • The cream mixture must be warm, not boiling, when it hits the potatoes; boiling cream can cause the milk solids to separate and give you a grainy, broken sauce instead of something silky.
03 -
  • Assemble the whole dish hours ahead, cover it with plastic wrap instead of foil, and refrigerate it; just add 10 to 15 minutes to the initial covered baking time if it goes straight from fridge to oven.
  • If your cheese top isn't browning as fast as you'd like in the last 10 minutes, bump the oven temperature up by 25 degrees to speed things along without overcooking the potatoes underneath.
Go Back