Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes (Printable version)

Tender potatoes layered and baked with creamy sauce and golden cheese topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 grated Gruyère cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ 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, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat over medium-low heat until steaming, being careful not to boil. Remove from heat.
03 - Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
04 - Sprinkle half of the grated Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses over the potato layer.
05 - Layer the remaining sliced potatoes evenly on top. Pour the warm cream mixture evenly over all potatoes.
06 - Top with the remaining grated Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses.
07 - Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
08 - Remove foil and bake an additional 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
09 - Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives or parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The whole dish comes together in under 90 minutes, which means you can have an elegant side ready without spending all day in the kitchen.
  • Those golden, bubbly cheese layers on top deliver that satisfying crunch that makes people ask for seconds.
  • Yukon Gold potatoes stay creamy inside no matter how long they bake, so there's almost no way to mess this up.
02 -
  • Slice your potatoes to the same thickness, roughly a quarter-inch, because even one potato slice that's too thick will stay firm while the others turn to butter.
  • Don't skip the resting period at the end—those 10 minutes make the difference between creamy layers and a loose, soupy finish.
03 -
  • Use a mandoline slicer if you have one—it creates uniform potato slices faster than a knife and guarantees even cooking.
  • Taste the cream sauce before pouring it over the potatoes and adjust the salt and pepper then, because you won't get another chance to season it.
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