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 know I can always rely on you to find the perfect recipe. This will be made today to accompany my prime rib. Merry Christmas, Nagi and Dozer!
Made for Christmas lunch with sharp cheddar… came out great! Thanks… will definitely make again!
I made this today for Christmas lunch, it was fantastic. Didn’t have gruyere cheese so used mozzarella instead. Thank you Nagi. Merry Christmas! X
Cast iron ok to use as dish!
Her name is Julia Child. No “s.”
You’d think as a cook you would know that!
Apparently YOU don’t understand that the apostrophe (‘) before the “s” indicates possession. Meaning that Julia Child is the owner of the original recipe. Try not to be an a$$hole every day, but I’m sure that’s an impossible task given you’re clearly an illiterate moron. 🙂
Could just be a typo? No reason to be so rude about it.
I think you’ll find Nagi wrote Julia Child’s and not Julia Childs
Look up the differences between apostrophe S and plain old S at the end of a name. The author is correct… only one instance and that was probably a typo. Get a grip
can I use colby jack? i’m not a fan of swiss or gruyere.
Super recipe and easy to follow! I used 5 cloves garlic instead of 2 as I love garlic. My only issue was my potatoes were not cooked sufficiently. I will try to cook at 400F in the future.
I’m not seeing my comment on here.. did this get posted?:
These google adds blocked part of this recipe when I went to print. Why do these adds need to be all over the place?! I’ll just try a different recipe from another website.. I imagine it’s prob just as good.
I don’t understand why you felt the need to post a complaint not once but three times….seriously just rude and ridiculous. The easiest solution would have been to just go to the other sites you speak of because those of us that enjoy this site could care less about your opinion or the ads.
These google adds blocked part of this recipe when I went to print. Why do these adds need to be all over the place?! I’ll just try a different recipe from another website.. I imagine it’s prob just as good.
Sorry to break it to you, M, but no other recipes are as good as Nagi’s 😉
Feel free to M, adds are a part of how I generate income and sometimes unfortunately a few extra cheeky ones sneak through. Feel free to go to another website to browse recipes – don’t worry about coming back! Nagi
These google adds blocked part of this recipe when I went to print. Why do these adds need to be all over the place?! I just try a different recipe from another website.. I imagine it’s prob just as good.
Can I double this recipe and changes are required if any?
Hi Ann, cook time will be slightly longer, make sure you have a big enough dish to cater for it all 🙂 N x
How far in advance can I make this?
Hi Mpho – a day or two should be fine. See the recipe notes on how to make ahead 🙂 N x
Can I prepare my salad Christmas eve for lunch 25th without it going soggy?
Hi Gavin – which salad are you referring to sorry? N x
Hi,
Looking forward to making this for Christmas. One question though, will a heavy whipping cream work?
Hi Lea, yes I use thickened cream which is 35% fat! N x
Dear Nagi,
The au gratin was delicious and the perfect accompaniment to the roast chicken and red apple salad from the Christmas recipe collection. Cooked this last night for an early Christmas dinner with family and everybody absolutely loved it all. Thank you so much for all your fabulous recipes. Wishing you and Dozer a peaceful Christmas. As an ex Northern Beaches resident, thinking of you at this difficult time. xx
I love hearing that Deb, thanks so much for letting me know, I hope you have a great Christmas! N x
Hi, Nagi!
I’ve been trying to find a good au gratin recipe and this here looks like it could be the one!
Can you provide insight on adjusting baking times, temp, etc. for making this in individual ramekins? The ones I have are 12 oz.
Thanks!
I make this every Christmas. I soak the sliced potatoes in the cream or 1/2 and 1/2 with roasted garlic s&p and thyme overnight. Then layer with the cheese and bake.
Yum Jeanette! N x
What size pan fir doubling this recipe please?
Hi Samara, I use a 1.5L / 1.5 Qt / 6 cup – so double this would equate to 3L / 3qt or 12 cups. N x
Do the slices of potato have to be patted dry or can they be damp/wet? Thank you!
Hi Maria, I don’t bother patting dry after slicing 🙂 N x
My one tip would be to use a mandolin with a glove on the slicing hand. This way you have even thinness of each potato slice. Without shredded fingers.
Oh no Carla, I hope you didn’t take a finger off!! N x
Hi Nagi! That looks fab. In France (where I am from) authentic gratin dauphinois has no cheese. Only full fat cream, bits of garlic, salt and pepper in between the layers… And yes, baked for 90 minutes on gas mark 5…I’ll try your addition of thyme for Christmas for an interesting change. No cheese… 😊. Thanks for all your recipes. Happy Christmas🎄
The addition of Swiss cheese is a brilliant evolution of the traditional recipe.
And cheese makes everything better doesn’t it Dee 😂 N x