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Potatoes au Gratin Recipe

Easy Potatoes au Gratin Recipe

If you’re looking for the ultimate comfort food side dish, these Potatoes au Gratin are pure perfection. Thin, tender potatoes layered with a rich, creamy cheese sauce and topped with golden, bubbly Gruyère—what’s not to love?
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cheese Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 cup Gruyère cheese freshly shredded
Potatoes:
  • 1 tablespoon softened butter to grease the casserole dish
  • 4 large russet potatoes thinly sliced
  • Salt and pepper to season layers
  • 1 cup Gruyère cheese freshly shredded (for topping)
  • Chopped chives optional, for garnish

Equipment

Method
 

Prepare the Cheese Sauce:
  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant, about 1–2 minutes.
  2. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour with ⅓ cup of water until smooth. Slowly add this mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
  3. Return the saucepan to heat and stir in salt, pepper, and thyme. Once the sauce thickens slightly, remove it from the heat and mix in the shredded Gruyère until fully melted. Set aside.
Assemble the Dish:
  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a casserole dish with softened butter.
  2. Arrange a layer of thinly sliced potatoes in the dish, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Repeat with additional layers until all the potatoes are used.
Bake:
  1. Pour the prepared cheese sauce evenly over the layered potatoes, ensuring every slice is coated. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Broil for 3 minutes!
Finish with Cheese and Broil:
  1. Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining Gruyère cheese over the top, and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes. For a golden, bubbly finish, broil on high for 3–5 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
Serve:
  1. Let the dish rest for 5–10 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired, and serve warm. (Watch full video below!!)

Notes

Note: If the cheese sauce gets too thick while you’re layering the potatoes, simply add ⅓ cup of water and reheat over low heat, whisking until smooth and pourable again.

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