Name: Potatoes au Gratin
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 4 lbs Russet potatoes (1800g); ½ stick butter (unsalted); 1 leek; 5 cloves garlic; 2 cups heavy cream (480mL); 1 teaspoon salt (6g); ½ teaspoon pepper (3g); ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (.25g); 4 oz gouda (120g); 1 oz parmesan (30g)

This intoxicating potatoes au gratin features paper thin slices of potato floating in a bath of cream, cheese, and caramelized leeks and garlic; it’s a very special potato treat.

A photo of potato gratin in a white oval casserole dish

It’s REALLY hard to beat potatoes au gratin, it might be the ULTIMATE comfort dish. You can serve it at the fanciest dinner party or a backyard BBQ and it’s equally at home.

Pro Tips for making the best potatoes au gratin

I find the most common mistake in making a gratin is not baking long enough. Make sure you test the tenderness of the potatoes before turning that oven off!
The second thing to keep an eye on is the last step where you remove the foil and broil. Some ovens heat unevenly so you might need to rotate the dish halfway through and definitely keep an eagle eye on it!
Thin slices of potato are important. I found out that my mandolin sucks, it is not sharp enough or large enough to cut the potato slices properly so I sliced them by hand, It took a few minutes longer but that’s no big deal really especially since I didn’t have to peel the potatoes!
Gouda and parmesan are two favorites of mine but you could easily add your own cheeses like the more traditional gruyer.
This is a great dish for dinner parties and potlucks because to can make it a day ahead and bake the day of.

So creamy and luscious! This dish is a total crowd pleaser. Just make sure to keep a close eye out at the end of the bake when you increase the temp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make potato gratin the day before?

Potato gratin is an excellent make ahead dish. Bake the day before, or even two days ahead, and heat up before serving. Make sure you cover well before refrigerating.

What’s the difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes?

Potato gratin, otherwise known as “potatoes au gratin,” contains cheese in between the layers of potatoes. Another difference is scalloped potatoes are usually a bit thicker than they are in a gratin.

Can you freeze potatoes au gratin?

This dish doesn’t freeze well. You can make it a a few days ahead of time and refrigerate before baking though.

What’s the best way to reheat potatoes au gratin?

Reheating in an oven at 350F for about 10-15 minutes until warm and bubbling is the best way but you can rehear individual portions or the whole dish in the microwave as well.

Overview of Steps to Make Potatoes au Gratin

1. Preheat to 365 degrees F. Scrub and clean potatoes. Cut paper thin slices of potatoes at a diagonal. Keep in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning.

2. Clean the leek and chop into thin slices.

3. In a saucepan, add butter. Sauté chopped leeks until translucent. Mince garlic cloves. When leeks have cooked down, add garlic. Cook for a few minutes.

4. Reduce heat to a simmer, add cream. Add salt, nutmeg and pepper.

5. Separate the cream and leek mixture by straining.

6. In an 8×8 baking dish, arrange potatoes.

7. Pour cream over.

8. Add leeks and garlic between potato slices. Sprinkle salt. Tightly cover dish with tin foil. Bake 1 hour. Pull off the tin foil, top with cheese. Broil for 5 minutes.

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If you’ve tried this potatoes au gratin recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

5 from 4 votes