Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe – Love and Lemons
This au gratin potatoes recipe belongs in your vacation desk! A scrumptious, decadent aspect dish, it options thinly sliced potatoes, onion, and cheese baked in a wealthy, garlicky cream sauce.
Leap to Recipe
This primary time I made this au gratin potatoes recipe, Jack and I polished off half the pan ourselves. The thinly sliced potatoes are baked in a wealthy, garlicky cream sauce with onion and loads of cheese (cheddar, Gruyère, AND Parmesan for a tangy, nutty punch).
I developed the recipe with the vacations in thoughts. These creamy au gratin potatoes could be a completely excellent aspect dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. They style decadent and flavorful, but they’re easy to place collectively (and you’ll even make them forward). For those who’re searching for a show-stopping recipe in your desk this 12 months, you’re going to like these!
Au Gratin Potatoes vs Scalloped Potatoes
For those who’re pondering, Wait, how are these au gratin potatoes completely different from scalloped potatoes?, it’s a very good query. The 2 dishes are each creamy potato casseroles, in spite of everything. Historically, the distinction comes right down to cheese. Au gratin potatoes all the time have cheese, whereas scalloped potatoes typically don’t.
Nevertheless, I do use cheese in my scalloped potatoes (a household custom!), so different variations set my recipes aside. These au gratin potatoes characteristic a richer sauce made with heavy cream and no roux, plus the next ratio of cheese to potato. I took some inspiration from the French dish potatoes dauphinoise in creating this recipe, utilizing the cream and Gruyère cheese for delectably wealthy taste. It’s a easy, but elevated, aspect dish for a vacation meal.
Finest Potatoes for Au Gratin
I feel russet potatoes are finest for potatoes au gratin. Their excessive starch content material helps thicken the sauce, and as they take up the cream within the oven, they turn into extremely tender. I like that tender texture with the creamy sauce and cheese right here. Slicing them thinly (I take advantage of a mandoline for this) helps them prepare dinner evenly and absolutely within the bake time.
How you can Make Au Gratin Potatoes
One factor I like about this au gratin potatoes recipe is how straightforward it’s to assemble. When you thinly slice the potatoes and onions and grate the cheese, it has 4 major steps:
1. Whisk collectively the cream sauce. No cooking required! Simply mix the cream, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Due to the cream’s fats content material, it doesn’t want a roux to thicken it.
2. Layer up the gratin. Prepare a 3rd of the potatoes in a greased 2-quart baking dish. High with half the onions, a 3rd of the cream combination, and a 3rd of the shredded cheddar and/or Gruyère cheese. Repeat these layers, then high with the remaining potatoes and cream. Cowl with foil.
3. Bake, lined, at 400°F till the potatoes are tender. This preliminary bake will take 1 hour to 1 hour and quarter-hour.
4. Add the remaining cheese and broil to brown the highest. The gratin is prepared when the cream is effervescent and the potatoes are browned across the edges.
Tip: Earlier than serving, let the potatoes stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. This may give the sauce time to arrange barely. (The potatoes are additionally blazing sizzling once they come out of the oven!)
How you can Retailer and Reheat
I discover that these potatoes are surprisingly good leftover. Retailer them in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. They’re barely much less creamy after sitting within the fridge, however the taste remains to be unbelievable. Reheat them within the microwave or in a lined dish in a 350°F oven.
I don’t suggest freezing them. The cheese and potatoes have a grainy texture once they thaw.
Are you able to make au gratin potatoes forward of time?
Sure! You may prep these au gratin potatoes as much as 1 day forward. Absolutely assemble them and do the lined bake till the potatoes are tender. Don’t broil them at this level. Let cool to room temperature, then retailer within the fridge.
The subsequent day, let stand at room temperature for half-hour, then bake, lined, in a 350°F oven for about half-hour, till heated by way of. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and broil based on the recipe earlier than serving.
Extra Potato Facet Dishes to Attempt
For those who love this gratin, strive certainly one of these scrumptious potato recipes subsequent:
Au Gratin Potatoes
Serves 8
These potatoes au gratin are a creamy, tacky, and scrumptious aspect dish! Thinly sliced potatoes bake in a garlicky cream sauce with onion and plenty of cheese. This recipe is ideal for the vacations. Discover make-ahead directions within the weblog publish above!
Stop your display from going darkish
Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 2-quart baking dish with butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the cream, garlic, mustard, salt, and several other grinds of pepper.
Layer a 3rd of the potatoes within the ready baking dish. High with half the sliced onions, a 3rd of the cream combination, and a 3rd of the cheddar and/or Gruyère cheese. Repeat with one other third of the potatoes, the remaining onions, one other third of the cream combination, and one other third of the cheese. High with the remaining potatoes and drizzle with the remaining cream. (Stick the remaining cheddar and Gruyère within the fridge for now.)
Cowl and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and quarter-hour, or till the potatoes are simply pierced with a paring knife. Take away from the oven and activate the broiler.
Uncover the potatoes and high with the remaining cheddar and Gruyère and the Parmesan cheese. Broil for 8 to fifteen minutes, or till the cream is effervescent and the potatoes are properly browned. Take away from the oven and let stand for 20 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve.
*I like to make use of a mixture of cheddar and Gruyère on this recipe. The cheddar is tangy, whereas the Gruyère provides a pleasant nutty taste. Be happy to make use of only one or the opposite in case you choose!
