Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes (Printable Version)

Tender potatoes baked in rich cream and Gruyère cheese with a golden bubbly top.

# Ingredient List:

→ Potatoes

01 - 2 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

→ Cream Sauce

02 - 2 cups heavy cream
03 - 1 cup whole milk
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
07 - 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

→ Cheeses

08 - 1 1/2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated
09 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or parsley

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat over medium-low until just steaming, not boiling. Remove from heat.
03 - Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
04 - Sprinkle half of the Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses over the potatoes.
05 - Layer the remaining potatoes evenly on top. Pour the warm cream mixture evenly over all the potatoes.
06 - Top with the remaining Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses.
07 - Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
09 - Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chives or parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes restaurant-quality but comes together in your own kitchen without any fancy equipment.
  • The layers of creamy sauce and melted cheese somehow make potatoes feel elegant and comforting at the same time.
  • Leftovers are nearly as good as the first serving, so you get to enjoy it twice without extra effort.
02 -
  • Slice your potatoes as uniformly as possible so they cook at the same rate—uneven slices mean some pieces stay hard while others turn mushy.
  • Don't skip heating the cream mixture; cold cream poured over raw potatoes will make them take twice as long to cook and might not cook through evenly at all.
03 -
  • A mandoline slicer saves your hands and makes your potato slices uniform, which means everything cooks at exactly the same pace.
  • If your cream looks like it's about to boil, remove it immediately and let it cool slightly—there's no rushing this step without consequences.
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