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
I made this for Easter dinner with rack of lamb. It is by far the best au gratin style potatoe recipe I have ever made. I used sharp cheddar which I shredded in the food processor and I also sliced the potatoes in the food processor. Definitely use full fat cream, as Nagi says.I prepped the fridge the day before, per Nagi’s directions, which was very convenient. It was a gorgeous dish to present. I will make this recipe for holidays from now on. The family loved it. Thank you, Nagi.
I found this recipe very bland unfortunately. Probably the first recipe I haven’t really gone for.
Made these today for Easter. Tasted great, but looked terrible! My sauce curdled. I used half and half, melted unsalted butter, crushed garlic and thyme. Trying to figure out what I did wrong. The flavor was delicious, just not too pretty on the eyes.
I made these for my in laws tonight as a side dish to steak and omg it was so yummy. I followed the recipe exactly ! I also made your asparagus side dish and they said the meal tonight was 10/10. I love all your recipes and everything I’ve ever made from your website has always come out so delicious I just know I can’t go wrong if I use one of your recipes. Thank you !!
To use just milk or a non-dairy milk, start by melting 1 stick (non-dairy) butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Once melted, add about 2/3 cup flour and whisk together. It should look fairly dry. If it’s still considerably liquidly, add a few more tbs flour. Slowly add about 2.5 cups milk (you can use more/less milk for a thinner/thicker sauce). I usually add about half a cup of milk and stir until fully combined, etc. Once fully incorporated, add garlic, salt, and pepper, and use in place of the cream when assembling. If you are skipping the cheese, you can add 1/4-1/2 cup nutritional yeast for a kinda cheesy flavor.
No adjustments needed for cook time. You still would want to remove the foil for the last 15 minutes.
Great recipe.
Picture homer simpson salivating – that was me after making/tasting this recipe. Thanks Nagi, you’re the best xx
I made these tonight for dinner to go with a beef meal and a salad. I followed your recipe exactly as stated. They turned out perfectly. I did let them rest for about 15 minutes when I took them out of the oven so they could settle a little bit. I was a little skeptical that they would take so long to bake in the oven but I followed the recipe and Shernoff, they were so nice and tender. Can’t wait to make these again and again. Thank you for your recipe.
Oops! Excuse the typo. Should be sure enough 🙂
The recipe was very easy to follow and I highly recommend it! It’s beginner friendly as well. Thank you!
Just superb Nagi. Made it tonight and my partner happily conceded her potato bake crown
This is an amazing recipe! Half the goodness is the way the kitchen smells while it’s baking.
The family voted this the best potato dish I’ve made!
Made this and it was great. Super thick, creamy and potatoes were yummy.
I made this and it was delicious – however lots of oil/butter in the bottom. – is this normal
If you would want to freeze this ahead of time how long would you recommend baking it to reheat it? Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
Absolute heaven! We served this as one of the sides with our prime rib recently. Such a huge hit! Thank you!
The potatoes were not all cooked through. I think the oven temperature should be higher. Julia Child’s recipe said 450 F. Very disappointed and embarrassed as it was for a dinner party.
Made this for Christmas day lunch it was such a hit. I used cheddar cheese and worked well. I also made your Mexican corn salad and Nutella cheesecake. Every single recipe outstanding just like you
Thank you so much. Have a great 2024.
The cream
Sold at my supermarket has many added emulsifiers and preservatives.
Is there any substitute to cream?
This was really spectacular. They might have upstaged my prime rib! Interesting that Sebago potatoes are popular in Australia…I actually had some from my farmer’s market but never seen them sold widely here in Canada.
After using Gruyere last time which was very yum, as a more economical alternative, I used Havarti and a tasty in equal portions. Everyone absolutely loved it. I guess the only thing was the Havarti was a little more difficult to grate, being a semi-soft cheese. Harder cheeses make for a little more ease and less mess. Also followed the instructions for making ahead of time. Worked well! Thanks Nagi!