Potatoes Au Gratin is an easy cheesy favorite potato recipe! Thinly sliced potatoes and onions are smothered in a quick cheesy sauce and baked until golden.
Au Gratin Potatoes are a family favorite recipe and perfect for Sunday supper or as a make-ahead holiday side dish!
This Potatoes au Gratin recipe makes easy cheesy potatoes, similar to scalloped potatoes but loaded with rich cheesy flavor. They are the perfect holiday dish next to a baked ham or even Roast Beef Tenderloin or pork tenderloin!
Cheese for Potatoes au Gratin
What is the best cheese for potatoes au gratin? When making Gratin potatoes, choose cheeses that have lots of bold flavors. Our top choices are varieties with a sharper flavor such as sharp cheddar, parmesan, and/or Gruyere (or swiss).
Gruyere cheese adds a rich flavor to au gratin potatoes that truly cannot be matched; if you can get it, I highly recommend that you do! If Gruyere isn’t available use provolone or swiss for a similar flavor!
PRO TIP: For a smooth sauce and best results, shred your own cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheeses will work but don’t melt as nicely.
The Best Kind of Potato to Use for Potatoes au Gratin
Just like when making scalloped potatoes, the best potatoes for gratin are red-skinned or Yukon gold potatoes. These two waxy potatoes can hold their shape well and because they’re thin-skinned, they do not require peeling (extra bonus!).
Scalloped potatoes vs Potatoes au Gratin
So what is the difference between the scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes? They’re both very similar containing potatoes (and often onions) baked in a creamy sauce. Au Gratin is defined as covered with breadcrumbs or cheese, scalloped refers to “bake with milk or a sauce”.
In the case of this recipe, the difference is the cheese. That being said, the term scalloped potatoes is still often still used if there is cheese within the dish!
How to make Potatoes Au Gratin
Potatoes Au Gratin has tender potatoes in a creamy, cheesy sauce for a dish that everyone loves.
1. Prepare potatoes and onions by thinly slicing. For even thin slices, I use an inexpensive mandoline. You can find them for under $20 it and saves a lot of time.
2. Make the cheese sauce per the recipe below with flour and butter. Add in a little bit of milk to make a white sauce and finally lots of cheese. If desired other additions such as garlic and fresh thyme or herbs can be added.
3. Assemble the gratin. Stack the potato slices and onions in little piles and then stand them on their sides in your casserole dish (instead of laying them flat like a traditional gratin). This is easy to do and makes this potatoes au gratin recipe really pretty!
It adds both extra flavor and texture with the crispy edges on the potatoes (and who doesn’t love the crispy yummy cheesy bits)!! Sprinkle a little bit of extra cheese on top if desired.
Bake these Potatoes Au Gratin for about 90 minutes and garnish with parsley.
Time Saving Tip
If you’re a little short on time, set the potatoes and onions in the dish as directed and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on full power for about 10 minutes (be careful, it will be hot when removing the plastic wrap). Add the cheese sauce and bake as directed below for about 45-55 minutes. Equally delicious… just a little bit quicker!
Make-Ahead
This dish can be made 24 hours in advance. Ensure the potatoes are completely covered in the sauce as any exposed bits of potatoes will discolor slightly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking. You may need to add 10 minutes to the baking time.
While we most often eat these as a side, I sometimes make Potatoes Au Gratin with ham by including slices or diced leftover ham (from our favorite Crock Pot Ham) before baking.
More Classic Potato Dishes
-
- Scalloped Potatoes Recipe – Classic.
- The BEST Mashed Potatoes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Twice Baked Potatoes – Make ahead and freeze.
- Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Perfect Baked Potatoes – Simple and easy.
Did you try this recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!
Potatoes Au Gratin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds red potatoes
- 1 onion
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup gruyere cheese shredded
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Wash potatoes and slice into ⅛" thin slices. Slice onion as thin as possible.
- Layer potatoes and onions in little stacks. Place stacks upright in a greased casserole 2.5qt to 3qt dish.
- Melt butter & flour in a saucepan and cook 2-3 minutes. Add seasonings and milk. Whisk over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses until melted.
- Spoon cheese sauce over potatoes. Cover with foil (sprayed with cooking spray) and bake 60 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned and potatoes are cooked. Cool 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, French© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Well Miss Holly! Thank you so much for this Au Gratin Potato recipe. I had not planned ahead to make this. It was Hubby request to have with the Ham. So I had most of the ingredients, but not enough milk, and being 13 or 17 miles from the nearest store, I had to substitute. Used 1 can of No MSG Cream of Mushroom soup and completed the milk to the 2 cups with Organic Half and Half. (oh how rich and calorie laden. Yummy.) The Ground Mustard, how unique. I have in the past, just threw all the ingredients together in the casserole dish. But, I made the cheese sauce per your instructions and much prefer Your way . I also had a 3rd of an Orange Bell Pepper and a hand full of Parsley that I HAD to use before it went on the edge and have to be fed to the resident Opposum that shows up at night with it’s pointed face self when the temperatures are about 20° (North Cental Minnesota) looking for scraps of food or empties the bird feeders. Used the Sharp Cheddar and Gruyere.
Anyway, The dish is in the oven and smelling Great! It is not Beautiful like yours, I had to just go for function (too big a hurry for the Artistic expression Hahaha! or… too lazy. Ha!).
Looking forward to checking out some of your other Recipes now. You’re a Good cook! Thanks for working so hard to Share!!! Appreciate it.
Sounds wonderful Olivia! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I followed the instructions to a T I even used the tip to shred my own cheese. I just didn’t like this recipe and neither did my family. :/
It had a strong onion taste and not a lot of any other flavor. Plus it felt like there wasn’t enough sauce. I bought a 5lb bag if potatoes and used half so I had the right measurements.
Ended up making a different recipe a few days later using a combo of this recipe and that one. melting butter and sautéing a few garlic cloves, adding the flour and then adding 1.5 cups of heavy cream and a half cup of whole milk, melting in the 1c sharp cheddar and .5c Gruyère with 1.5 tap salt and a bunch of pepper, a tsp of bouillon and some onion powder and left out the onions. It was amazing.
Sorry I didn’t like the original but stealing some of the instructions and applying them to a different recipe helped make something I loved.
I halved the recipe and it made a delicious, comforting lunch for my husband and me, along with a nice glass of chardonnay. I used Jarlsberg and parmesan, and added some thyme. Wonderful recipe, thank you!