The Best Potatoes Au Gratin
Rich, creamy and very cheesy, this is the Best Potatoes Au Gratin recipe around. Thinly sliced potatoes are combined with butter, cream and tons of cheese before being baked to a bubbly, golden perfection. Simple to prepare and fantastic for entertaining.
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The holiday season is really around the corner and, I’m ready to dive headfirst into all the comfort dishes! Anything in a casserole dish, covered with cheese and swimming in heavy cream is fair game and so this easy Potatoes Au Gratin recipe is instantly on repeat.
I grew up eating cheesy potatoes but, most of the time, they were from a box. Which is totally OK in my book, I’m not judging anyone if you have ever made box potatoes but these are amazing and completely from scratch.
I mean, seriously, what’s better than paper thin potato slices baked in a rich creamy sauce of butter, garlic and cream with tons of cheese tossed in for good measure. Comfort food doesn’t get any better than this my friends. It’s so good we even include them for a special occasion and on the holiday table.
Ingredients
- Potatoes – I love to use Yukon Gold potatoes because they’re buttery and light. You can substitute yukon golds with russet potatoes or another variety of starchy potatoes, the starch in the potato helps thicken the creamy cheese sauce. Red potatoes are waxy potatoes and will not work well for this recipe.
- Garlic – The sauce is made with simple ingredients so we used a fresh garlic clove, or three, to infuse the cream sauce with mellow flavor.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch helps the sauce thicken while keeping the recipe gluten free. If you prefer to substitute the cornstarch with flour, that will work, as well.
- Milk – We used low fat milk to create the recipe but whole milk, heavy cream and half and half all work well.
- Cheese – I love a white cheddar cheese for the meltability but sharp cheddar, provolone or even Swiss cheese are all fabulous choices for the cheesy sauce.
For a full ingredient list and instructions see the recipe card below.
How To Make Potatoes au Gratin
It seems pretty fancy to say, but this recipe is super simple to make and even easier if you can slice them up using a mandoline (I love this one!) or your slicing blade of a food processor.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the cornstarch, salt and black pepper until smooth.
- Gradually add the milk, or half and half, and bring to a boil. Cook the cream mixture stirring constantly until thickened, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese until melted. Stir the potatoes into the cream sauce.
- Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is golden brown and bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and allow to stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
What Cheese To Use for Potatoes au Gratin
This recipe calls for cheddar but sometimes I like to make my Potato Gratin with gruyere cheese for an extra sharp and swiss cheesy bite. I believe the Potatoes au Gratin Ina Garten makes use gruyere and sharp cheddar cheese…..the more cheese, the better if you ask me!
Sometimes we even add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to add more depth of flavor and make it the best potato side dish ever.
The Very Best Potatoes Au Gratin is just that…the very best…baked until bubbling like a cheesy lava pool with a golden brown crust on top, this is the perfect side dish to your Sunday prime rib dinner….or your Easter ham.
How to Make In Advance
You can assemble your potatoes in advance, cover with plastic wrap and foil, store in the refrigerator and bake it just before serving, it’s perfect for entertaining! For best results, allow the potatoes to come to room temperature before baking.
We also love them with this Crock Pot Meatloaf recipe and this super simple Filet Mignon.
The Difference Between Au Gratin and Scalloped Potatoes
While the base of Scalloped Potatoes and Potatoes Au Gratin are, basically, the same….Au Gratin is commonly made with layers of cheese in between the layers of potatoes. Then, it’s commonly topped with a crispy crunchy topping of breadcrumbs or crackers (or not, it’s up to you) before baking to a cheesy, golden brown crust.
Scalloped potatoes, on the other hand, are usually just thinly sliced potatoes baked in cream without cheese, you can make your own homemade scalloped potatoes HERE.
How to Store Leftovers
If you have leftover potatoes, you can transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I do not recommend freezing Potatoes au Gratin.
What to Serve with Potatoes au Gratin
- The Best Oven Fried Chicken
- The Best Meatloaf Recipe
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
- Crock Pot Pot Roast
More Easy Potato Recipes
- Truffled Potatoes au Gratin
- French Lyonnaise Potatoes Recipe
- Fondant Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Baby Potatoes
- The Best Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
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Get the Recipe: The Very Best Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces Butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar
- 5 cups thinly sliced yukon gold potatoes
Equipment
- baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the cornstarch, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Gradually add the milk and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce stirring constantly until thickened, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese until melted. Stir in the potatoes.
- Transfer to a 2 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30-45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is golden brown and bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and allow to stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
Video
30 Comments on “The Best Potatoes Au Gratin”
I made these potatoes yesterday for Thanksgiving to go with ham and asparagus. I don’t really do these “rate the recipe” things but I felt that this one deserves it. The recipe pretty much starts out typically and where it changes is the sauce. I make my gravies, etc with a typical flour roux where this recipe uses cornstarch. I will be adding this recipe to my custom cookbook for future use again. Not only did everyone love the potatoes but because it’s made with cornstarch, the clean up is a little easier than what you have with a typical flour roux.
I’m so glad you liked it! I use cornstarch to keep it gluten free. Plus, I feel like it has a lighter texture.
Why white cheddar?
It’s personal preference. We love a sharp white cheddar but you can use your favorite.
Hi, can you use oil instead of butter and get the same result?
Hi! You can use oil, we just prefer the flavor of butter in this recipe. Most oil doesn’t have the richness of butter.
have yet to try this recipe- I will let you know how it turns out!
It’s our favorite! I hope you like it!
Oh my goodness, these potatoes are the best . I have not found an au gratin recipe (or a Mac & cheese) that I have ever been able I really liked, until this one! I will be making often. Thank you!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you liked it!
Hello! I want to make this for a Friendsgiving. Looks like a 2 quart dish is about the size of an 8×8 upon Google search. Should I double the ingredients and increase bake time if I want to use a 9×13 pan? Thank you!
I’ve made this in a 9×13 pan, as well, it’s just a little thinner. You can definitely double the recipe and increase the bake time y 10-15 minutes.
I only have a small convectional oven, and this recipe turns out great every time! I live alone, so I cut all the recipe ingredients in half, and cut the baking time in half as well. This makes enough servings for 2 people, or 4 side servings. I tried experimenting with this recipe by adding some shredded onion, but it didn’t taste quite right. Take my advice and just follow the ingredients to a T, trust me lol! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Thank you so much, Julia! I’m so glad you like it!
your sight is the best for a single male who cooks a female friend. And of course myself.
Thank you so much!
This was a hit at my dinner party. I substituted flour for the cornstarch and added onions sautéed in the butter before adding the flour. I didn’t have Yukon gold potatoes so used russet. They worked very well. This is about the 5th time I have tried to make cheesy potatoes and this is the 1st time it was successful. Everyone couldn’t quit commenting on how good the were!
This makes me so happy! I’m thrilled you love this recipe because it took a lot of time to develop so the potatoes didn’t fall apart in the sauce. Thank you so much for your comment and including your modifications. Other readers will appreciate it, as well! Have a great day!
Can you par boil the potatoes first??? Then mix the cheese sauce and bake
It’s not necessary to par boil the potatoes first.
by doing that does that make them less starch which would make less carbs right?
Ummmmm, not sure that is the case unfortunately.
It’s just my husband and me. A lot of potatoes! Don’t want to waste one yummy slice! Can I divide into two, bake, and freeze one portion?
You can definitely freeze a portion of it. I usually freeze it before baking for best results.
I’ve made this recipe 2 times already this week! Both times there are no leftovers. Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!
These are so good that I was tempted to forgo the chicken and salad I served and just fill up on potatoes! Haha.
This is the 2nd time I post a comment…ever. I couldn’t stay silent. This recipe is the best and it’s at least the 5th one I try for potatoes au gratin and the first everyone loves in my family. I did a mix of extra sharp cheddar & gruyere (all I had in hands) and it was fantastic. It’s a keeper!
I love your comment so much! Thank you for leaving your thoughts and I’m definitely going to mix in some extra cheese next time I make it!
Love these potatoes. I use whipping cream instead of milk and add extra cheese. Also I use breadcrumbs to make a crispy topping and everyone just absolutely loves these. Very easy as well.
Love the idea of a crispy topping! Definitely trying that next time, for sure!