Easy Au Gratin Potatoes

spoon scooping out some au gratin potatoes

5 from 2 votes

Creamy, Easy Au Gratin Potatoes is a classic side dish that's so easy to make! Potato slices are baked to perfection with a dreamy creamy cheese sauce and a crispy cheesy layer on top.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 50

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, French

Servings: servings

Author: Mariam Ezzeddine

Ingredients

2 lbs. Russet potatoes peeled, thinly sliced
¼ cup butter melted, (save 1 tbsp. for the rubbing dish)
2 cups heavy cream
1½ cup gouda cheese shredded
1½ cup gruyere cheese shredded
4 large garlic cloves minced
2 tsps. fresh thyme chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped
¾ tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel and wash the potatoes. Slice potatoes very thinly, about 1/8 of an inch or 2-3 mm thick. Rinse the potatoes and keep in cold water to prevent them from browning.
Shred the cheeses, chop the herbs and melt the butter.
In a Pyrex measuring cup or bowl, add in the heavy cream, minced garlic, herbs, melted butter, and black pepper. Cover with saran wrap and microwave for 1 minute. This will infuse the flavors of the garlic and herbs together.
Rub a large baking dish with butter, mine was an 8 x 10 inch oval dish. If you use something smaller it may take longer to cook. If you used something larger, it may take less time to cook. You can use your judgement.
It's time to layer up the potatoes. Save 1/4 cup of cheese from each kind for topping later.
Mix the heavy cream mixture well and pour in 1/4 cup of the sauce to the bottom. Add a layer of potatoes, then some shredded cheese (from both), and another 1/4 cup of the heavy cream mixture and keep repeating until you get 3-4 layers of potatoes. Pour in any extra cream on the top layer.
Cover with foil wrap and bake in the over for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove the foil wrap and then top with the extra cheese you saved and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes or so. The cheese should be golden brown before removing from the oven.
Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with some fresh herbs and serve.

Notes

Use a preheated oven.
Make sure you slice your potatoes nice and thin, otherwise the dish will take longer to cook.
Rinse your potatoes and place them in cold water, while you prep the other ingredients, this will stop the potatoes from browning.
Ideally shred your on cheese. Pre shredded cheese has anti-caking agents in it, so it doesn't melt that well.
I used an 8x10 inch oval dish. If you use something smaller it can take a bit longer to cook, if you use something bigger, it can be a bit quicker.
The cheese should be golden brown before removing from the oven. You can always broil the top a little to achieve the desired color.
Use a mandolin to make potato slices easily.
Make sure to sprinkle some cheese on top for a crispy cheesy crust
Garnish with fresh herbs for a pop of freshness and color.
To speed up cooking time, you can always par-boil the potatoes until slightly tender before assembling in the baking dish.

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