Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

Caramelized melty cheese over this Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe is an easy side dish for any occasion.  Rich cheesy sauce layered throughout overlapping potatoes that will become a dinner staple!

These potatoes pair well with anything, but they are a staple with our Honey Mustard Glazed Ham and our Tuscan Grilled St Louis Style Pork Ribs.

One of the most popular recipes on my site is this recipe for Extra Creamy, Easy Scalloped Potatoes.  Now don’t get me wrong, they are truly delicious.  But today’s recipe for Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes is even better!  It is made the same way but has one small addition to the recipe. The difference is the addition of cheese into the sauce then even more cheese sprinkled over the top to caramelize have gooey melty cheese in every creamy, saucy delicious bite!

What is the difference between Scalloped Potatoes and Au Gratin Potatoes 

The definition of Au Gratin (Oxford dictionary) is sprinkled with breadcrumbs or grated cheese (or both) then melted. Scalloped potatoes are a potato dish that is baked with milk or sauce.  So essentially when you have a scalloped potato you have a velvety sauced potato dish and if you want au gratin you add cheese to it!  Either way you make them, your company will love them.  They are a true easy comfort food!

What Kind of cheese works best with Au Gratin Potatoes

• Cheddar
• Mozzarella
• Gruyere
• Swiss
• Ementhallier
• Some Soft Cheeses Blended

You want to select a cheese that when melted will caramelize, like the hard cheeses like cheddar.  You can use more soft moly cheeses such as goat cheese or brie cheese, but those usually work best in the sauce only and then you can use one of the hard cheeses to sprinkle over the top.  Parmesan Cheese is a good cheese to use to sprinkle over the top.

Need more ideas for what to serve along side your meal? Find all the SIDE DISH recipes you need here!

WHAT KIND OF POTATO SHOULD YOU USE?

The best potatoes to use for scalloped potatoes are either a russet potato or Yukon gold potatoes.   They both have a higher starch content and will give you a creamy potato.  Russet potatoes can break down and fall apart if you boil them too long, but this recipe accounts for that by boiling, then baking for short times.

You can peel them if you want, but leave the skin on (after scrubbing them clean) for a rustic potato dish.

How do you make Au Gratin Potatoes

Slice potatoes into small discs. Being consistent in the sizing will help with even cooking of all of the potatoes.  To make sure the potatoes are completely cooked you will boil them in the heavy cream/whole milk after they have been slices until they are just shy of being done.

Then you will place the potato slices into a baking dish and layer the potatoes (making sure they overlap.). If you really like cheese you can sprinkle some of the grated cheese in between the layers for more cheesy goodness.

Looking for a little more zing in your potatoes? I have a Green Chili Au Gratin Potato that is a twist on this recipe you will love. It’s not hot at all, but has a subtle heat you won’t get enough of!

PRO TIP for ENTERTAINING:  Make these potatoes a day ahead and do the final baking at the time you want to serve them.  You will need to remove the potatoes from the fridge an hour before you’re ready to bake to allow them to come to room temperature.  The baking time may need to be a few minutes more to heat them throughout!

More Side Dishes for Entertaining

• Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower Puree
• Smashed Lemon Garlic Potatoes
• Mushroom Rice Pilaf
• Moroccan Rice
• Chili Lime Corn Salad
• Garlic Sugar Snap Peas~ made in 20 minutes!! 

Pin this to your Side Dish or Potatoes Board on Pinterest! Let’s Be Friends …. follow me on Pinterest for more ideas for stress-free entertaining with confidence!  

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Yield: 8

Creamy Au Gratin Potato Recipe

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Caramelized melty cheese over this Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe is an easy side dish for any occasion.  Rich cheesy sauce layered throughout overlapping potatoes that will become a dinner staple!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled
• 1 quart heavy cream
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter optional, for extra thick creamy sauce
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour optional for extra thick creamy sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Take the peeled potatoes and cut them to 1/4 inch thick rounds. Pay attention that all potatoes are cut on the same diagonal so the potatoes are all similar in shape. (Either cut them as coins or across more diagonally -- Both are pictured in the post just so all potatoes are cut the same.)
3. Place potatoes into a large stockpot. Then pour heavy cream until they are just covered. Add salt and pepper  over the top. Use a large stock pot so they don't boil over, using too small of a pan will boil over and create a big mess on your stove.
4. Turn burner onto high and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, remove pan from burner. The potatoes will not be all the way cooked at this point, they will continue to cook when they go into the oven.
5. Scoop out carefully the potatoes and place them in a baking dish.  Turn the heat back on to medium heat.  Add 2/3 of the shredded cheese into the mixture.  Then pour the cream/cheese mixture over the top.
6. Sprinkle last 1/3 of grated cheese over the top of the potatoes/cream mixture in the baking dish.
7. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and golden top brown.
8. This dish is even better if made early in the day or a day ahead. If you make It ahead, do the final bake right before serving. Remove from fridge 1 hour before you are ready to bake (to allow it to come to room temperature.). Bake at 325° for 20-30 minutes until heated throughout.
9. OPTIONAL: If you want extra thick creamy sauce. Melt one tablespoon of butter on medium heat in the pot you will boil the potatoes in. Once it is melted, add the flour and stir to incorporate completely. Let the flour cook for 90 seconds to cook out the flour taste. Add 1/4 of heavy cream and keep stirring until flour/butter cream mixture starts to thicken. Then add the balance of cream and whisk until all mixed completely. Then add potatoes and continue from step number 3 above.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

8 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 656Saturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 191mgSodium: 229mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 13g

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