Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe (VIDEO)

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes are an easy, impressive Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish that we make every year. Thinly sliced potatoes are tossed in a rich and velvety cheese sauce and baked until bubbly and golden. Every bite is delicious!

Golden baked au gratin potatoes in a rectangular baking dish with a scoop missing.

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If you love Scalloped Potatoes, you’re going to love this leveled-up recipe for the creamiest Au Gratin Potatoes made with lots of melted cheese.

Au Gratin Potatoes Video

Watch Natasha make these creamy and cheesy au gratin potatoes. These potatoes are so luxurious, yet so easy to make! Here’s why you’ll love them, too:

Gruyere Cheese – Gruyere cheese brings sophisticated flavor to this super-simple potato recipe. If you’ve never tried Gruyere before, you’re in for a treat.
Easy Technique – Tossing thinly sliced potatoes with the cream sauce before adding them to the casserole dish allows each potato to be coated with sauce, for the tastiest gratin potatoes.
Perfect for the Holidays – Cheesy potatoes au gratin are great to make ahead for a delicious Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish.

Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

This Au Gratin Potatoes recipe is a showstopping potato side dish that we make every year for the festive season. Just like our Creamy Mashed Potatoes, this potato casserole is absolutely holiday-worthy, but simple to prepare, especially with our quick method for thinly slicing the potatoes (more on this later).

Serve up this delicious Potato Gratin for your next holiday dinner. We guarantee that everyone will be impressed.

What’s the Difference Between Scalloped and Gratin Potatoes?

The two are very similar and often used interchangeably, but technically scalloped potatoes are made from sliced potatoes baked in a simple mixture of milk and heavy cream. Meanwhile, “au gratin” (also called Gratin Dauphinois) is a French cooking technique that involves baking the potatoes in cream along with decadent layers of grated cheese.

Freshly grated Gruyere cheese on a plate next to a box grater.

Ingredients

The secret to making the perfect au gratin potatoes is in this recipe’s simple yet flavorful ingredients. Below is an overview of what you’ll need, with the full details available in the recipe card.

Butter and Flour – You’ll whisk together melted butter and flour to form a roux, which is the base for the cream sauce. I prefer to cook with unsalted butter, as it gives me more control over the saltiness of the recipe.
Milk and Heavy Whipping Cream – Using milk and heavy cream makes the cheesy sauce rich and creamy without becoming too heavy.
Seasoning – We season the cream sauce with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Gruyere Cheese – Freshly grated is best. If you don’t have Gruyere, use grated cheddar cheese instead.
Potatoes – We love using Yukon gold potatoes for this au gratin recipe, but other starchy potatoes, like russets, will also work. You can peel the potatoes, or leave them unpeeled, it’s up to you.

Pro Tip: We found that Costco had the best pricing on Gruyere, but it’s available in the cheese section of most grocery stores. I’ll buy Gruyere by the block and then shred it with the large holes of my box grater.

How to Thinly Slice Potatoes

Below are our tried-and-true methods to achieve perfect, thinly sliced potatoes for this recipe:

Knife – We love our santoku for slicing potatoes. It has handy grooves that keep the potatoes from sticking to the knife.
Food Processor – The food processor is our favorite method for thinly sliced potatoes. It’s definitely the fastest and most efficient. We use Level 1 on our Cuisinart model which has an adjustable blade.
Mandolin Slicer – We recommend using the food holder that comes with a mandolin, as well as a safety glove to protect your fingers as those blades can be sharp! Begin by slicing off one end of the potato to create a flat surface for the holder to grab onto, and make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when slicing.

Thin potato slices on a wooden cutting board below a mandolin.

How to Make the Best Potato Gratin

Here’s how easy it is to make creamy Au Gratin Potatoes (or Gratin Dauphinois):

Make the Cheese Sauce – Whisk butter and flour in a large pot or dutch oven until golden. Whisk in the milk and cream, then season to taste and continue to stir until the sauce has thickened. Once the pot is off the heat, stir in about half of the shredded Gruyere.
Slice the Potatoes – Slice your peeled or unpeeled potatoes into rounds about ⅛” thick (see above).
Combine – Toss the potato slices in cheese sauce until well coated, then transfer the potatoes to a buttered casserole dish. Cover everything in a generous layer of the remaining grated cheese.
Bake – Cover the potatoes with foil and bake at 350ºF for 1 hour then uncovered for 15-30 minutes until tender.

Photo collage showing the process for making au gratin potatoes.

Pro Tip: For even more browning on top of your au gratin potatoes, set the oven to broil for the final minute or two. Make sure to keep a close eye, as you don’t want them to burn.

Common Questions

What is Gruyere?

Gruyere (pronounced “groo-yehr”) is a hard Swiss Alpine cheese made from cow’s milk. It’s smooth and great for melting.

Can I use a different cheese?

Medium or sharp cheddar cheese will work well here. You can also substitute with white cheddar or a blend of mozzarella and parmesan.

Can I add onion?

We found adding ground onion powder makes the cooking easier and imparts the right amount of onion flavor. However, you can add sautéed onions if you’d prefer.

Can I add fresh garlic?

Yes, you can saute freshly minced garlic in the butter for 30-60 seconds before adding the flour.

Can I omit the heavy cream?

The heavy cream can be substituted with half-and-half or even more milk if you’d prefer a lighter sauce.

What to Serve with Potato Gratin?

We love to serve these au gratin potatoes with a sprinkle of fresh chives, as a satisfying Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish or with family meals throughout the colder months. Here are some ideas to build your menu:

Turkey – Serve as a holiday side dish with Juicy Roast Turkey with Turkey Gravy.
Roasts – Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Prime Rib or Spatchcock Chicken.
Veggies – Pair with Oven-Roasted Broccoli and Roasted Carrots.
Salad – As a tasty side next to a fresh Beet Salad or Cobb Salad.

Au gratin potatoes on a white plate with a fork.

Make-Ahead

This cheese-filled potato bake is perfect to make ahead, and easy to store for delicious leftovers.

To Refrigerate: Once the baked casserole has cooled, cover and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing: Baked and cooled gratin potatoes can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw the potatoes in the fridge before reheating.
To Reheat: Reheat baked au gratin potatoes in the oven covered in foil, at 350ºF for about 20 minutes or so, until hot throughout.

Golden baked au gratin potatoes in a baking dish.

Hearty homemade Au Gratin Potatoes are the best comfort food. We’re sure that you’re going to love making these this holiday season, and all winter long!

More Potato Recipes

If you love this au gratin recipe, below are more must-have potato recipes.

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.