Easy Au Gratin Potatoes

A spoon scooping creamy potato gratin from the baking dish.

5 from 2 votes

A French-style side with thinly sliced potatoes, cream, and a browned cheese topping, this Potatoes Au Gratin works well for family dinners, holiday meals, and special occasions.

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 and thinly sliced
¼ cup butter melted (reserve 1 tbsp. for greasing the baking dish)
2 cups heavy cream
1½ cups Gouda cheese shredded
1½ cups Gruyère cheese shredded
4 large garlic cloves minced
2 tsp. fresh thyme chopped
1 tsp. fresh rosemary chopped
¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Peel and wash the potatoes. Slice them very thinly, about ⅛ inch or 2-3 mm thick. Rinse the potatoes and keep them in cold water to prevent browning.
Shred the cheeses, chop the herbs, and melt the butter.
In a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl, combine the heavy cream, minced garlic, herbs, melted butter, and black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute to infuse the cream with the flavors of the garlic and herbs.
Rub a large baking dish with butter. An 8 x 10-inch oval baking dish works well.
Set aside ¼ cup of each cheese for the topping.
Stir the cream mixture well, then pour ¼ cup into the bottom of the baking dish. Add a layer of potatoes, followed by some of both shredded cheeses and another ¼ cup of the cream mixture. Repeat until you have 3-4 layers of potatoes. Pour any remaining cream over the top layer.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the reserved cheese, and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes or so, until the cheese is golden brown.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the potatoes rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Notes

Choose similar-sized potatoes when possible so the slices are easier to arrange evenly in the baking dish.
If the cheese starts to brown before the potatoes are tender, loosely cover the dish with foil and continue baking until the potatoes are cooked through.
The size and depth of your baking dish can affect the cooking time. A smaller, deeper dish may need more time, while a wider, shallower dish may cook faster.

Nutrition