The Easiest Potato Gratin Recipe
This easy Dauphinoise potato gratin recipe uses only 6 ingredients and makes a wonderful side dish, especially during the holidays. It's a classic French recipe with irresistibly rich, creamy, cheesy potatoes and a buttery crunchy top. It's simple to make but is sure to impress everyone at the dinner table.
This is one of my OG recipes that I learned to make in culinary school and has been a staple in my repertoire ever since.
I love making vegetables au gratin, if you do too, try my cauliflower gratin, kale gratin or zucchini gratin!
Dauphinoise potatoes, or potato gratin, is an iconic, classic dish that's been around for centuries. You can find hundreds of different variations of this recipe, which is similar to scalloped potatoes or cheesy au gratin potatoes.
This luxurious potato side dish requires just 6 ingredients and a little bit of prep work, then the oven does the rest of heavy lifting.
With layers upon layers of thin, tender potatoes in a nutty, oozy, creamy cheese sauce with a golden, buttery, crunchy top, it hits all the best textures and flavors in one bite.
My version of gratin Dauphinois is a lot simpler than others because it doesn't require making a separate cream sauce or cooking the potatoes first.
Simply layer the potato slices in a baking dish with cheese and seasonings, smother with cream and breadcrumbs, then bake until golden brown and bubbling.
These creamy au gratin potatoes with melty Gruyere cheese, creamy sauce, crispy edges and golden brown crust will be the best potatoes you ever make!
It's an ideal side dish to make for special occasions and holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, but it's also easy enough to prepare for an indulgent comfort food weeknight dinner at home.
Why We Love This Potato Gratin Recipe
- A delicious make-ahead side dish perfect for special occasions.
- Only 6 basic ingredients needed.
- No need to boil the potatoes first, they cook right in the cream!
- Adaptable and customizable.
- A crunchy, caramelized, cheesy Panko topping takes it over the top!
Ingredients For Dauphinoise Potatoes
- Potatoes - Yukon Gold potatoes or other waxy potatoes are ideal for this recipe. Yukon golds get ultra creamy when they cook, not grainy like russet potatoes or other more starchy potatoes. Red potatoes, fingerling and creamer potatoes would also work for this recipe.
- Cheese - Traditionally, Dauphinoise potato gratin is made with Gruyère cheese, which is a nutty aged cheese, but you can substitute a good quality Swiss, cheddar cheese (especially a really good sharp cheddar), Muenster, Fontina, Jack, Parmesan cheese or any other good melting cheese. A combination of cheeses would be delicious too! Really, any kind of cheese can work in this recipe - you really can't go wrong.
- Heavy Cream - Instead of pre-cooking the potatoes, dauphinoise potatoes cook in the heavy cream while they bake, making them extra luscious. Do not substitute half and half, whole milk, chicken broth or alternative milks. Using anything with less fat than heavy cream will not work in this recipe.
- Seasonings - Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper and some nutmeg are all you need. The nutmeg helps to bring out the creamy notes in this dish and is classic in an au gratin potatoes recipe. I prefer to use whole nutmeg and grate it in fresh for the best flavor. If using ground nutmeg, I prefer to mix it into the heavy cream first.
- Panko Breadcrumbs - These light and airy Japanese breadcrumbs add a beautiful crunch to the top of the gratin. A traditional gratin doesn't usually have breadcrumbs, but I love the added texture and crunch. You can substitute regular plain breadcrumbs or homemade breadcrumbs or opt not to use any at all.
*Full ingredient list with quantities is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Helpful Equipment
- Mandoline slicer - I love using a mandoline slicer for these gratin potatoes. While a sharp knife will work, a mandolin will give you incredibly thin and uniform slices with minimal effort.
- Cut Proof Glove - Absolutely essential when using a mandoline slicer to prevent accidents and cuts. It allows for much more control than the guard that most slicers come with.
- Food Processor with Slicing Attachment - This is an easy option for slicing the potatoes, but they wont get as thin as they will with a mandoline, and will take a bit longer to cook.
- Baking Dish - This recipe calls for an 8x8 baking dish, but can be doubled in a 9x13 baking dish or casserole dish.
How to Make Potato Gratin
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible.
Tip: Use a mandoline slicer or a very sharp knife to achieve thin, even potato slices.
- Rub the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish with softened or melted butter, then place a single layer of potatoes on the bottom.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then sprinkle with a little bit of grated cheese.
- Repeat in layers until all of the potatoes and cheese are used up.
Tip: Make sure cheese is the final layer on top so it creates a nice crust!
- Pour the heavy cream over the potatoes, pressing down with your fingers to release any air pockets.
- Freshly grate nutmeg over top, then spread panko breadcrumbs out in an even layer.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°, then cook for 30 minutes more.
- Remove the foil and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a knife can be easily inserted in the center.
Tip: Garnish with chopped fresh chives, parsley or thyme leaves if desired.
Make in Advance
This recipe can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and baked off right before serving.
First, assemble the recipe as directed, then bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Allow the potato gratin to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Let the casserole come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before reheating.
When ready to serve, bake at 350° for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is bubbling, golden and crisp.
Dauphinoise Potatoes Recipe Tips
- If using ground nutmeg instead of fresh, stir it into the heavy cream before pouring over the potatoes.
- Try your best to cut the potatoes as thinly an evenly as possible. Thicker potato slices will take longer to cook, so the thinner the better. A mandoline slicer is the best way to achieve perfectly even, thin slices.If your slices are uneven, you could end up with a few bites of hard potato.
- If the potatoes are still undercooked and the top is getting too brown, cover them with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
- Allow the gratin to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting to allow it to set up.
Variations of Potatoes Dauphinoise
This easy recipe is also really nice made with sweet potatoes or other starchy vegetables instead, like this celery root and parsnip gratin. It's also great with butternut squash!
Bump up the flavor even more by infusing the cream with different herbs and spices.
I love to simmer the cream for a few minutes with a few smashed cloves of garlic and 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme. Pour the garlic-infused cream over the potatoes before baking for a garlicky, herby potato gratin.
If you're a cheese lover, try it with goat cheese, blue cheese or another pungent cheese for an extra intense flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Dauphinoise potato gratin pairs especially well with meat, which is why you'll often see it on steakhouse menus.
Serve it next to a bold and meaty main dish like oven-roasted beef tenderloin, herb-crusted rack of lamb or red wine braised short ribs for a truly special dinner.
Because these potatoes are so rich, I love serving it alongside something green and fresh, like this steakhouse inspired warm spinach salad, a kale caesar salad, sautéed broccoli rabe or escarole.
It's also the perfect starchy side dish to serve alongside the roasted turkey, gravy and other food at Thanksgiving!
This is a great recipe for bringing to potlucks and parties because you can make it ahead and reheat before serving. I often make a double batch when serving a crowd!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover potato gratin in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the baking dish. Make sure it’s cooled to room temperature, then keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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How to Reheat Au Gratin Potatoes
Reheat leftover potatoes in a 375 degree oven until warmed through and crisp on top, about 15 minutes. You can also reheat individual servings in a microwave, toaster oven or air fryer, but note that the microwave will not get the crust crispy.
FAQ
Gratin Dauphinoise is a French potato dish made from thinly sliced raw potatoes, heavy cream, seasonings and sometimes cheese (I’m on team cheese). It's typically baked to cook the potatoes and then sometimes broiled to achieve the gratinée or crispy top.
The main difference between potato gratin dauphinoise and scalloped potatoes is how they're cooked. In this dish, raw sliced potatoes get cooked in the cream as they bake, releasing starch as they cook, which helps to thicken the cream sauce. On the other hand, a scalloped potatoes au gratin recipe would typically call for potatoes that have already been cooked and tossed with a cheesy sauce before being bake.
If the oven is too hot, the cream in this potato dish could start to curdle. Don’t try to save time by increasing the heat. Leave the oven at 350 degrees so the potatoes cook and the cream stays creamy.
Yes! If you cook dauphinoise potato gratin too long, the potatoes will likely stick to the bottom of the pan and can become mushy instead of holding onto some shape and texture. Keep an eye on it and remove it from the oven as soon as the potatoes can easily be pierced with a knife.
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The Best Dauphinoise Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon gold or waxy potatoes peeled
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese or good melting cheese coarsely grated
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg*
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- Finely chopped fresh chives or thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° degrees.
- Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible, about ⅛ inch or less, using a mandoline slicer or a sharp knife.
- Rub the bottom and sides of an 8x8 (or similar sized) baking dish with softened butter, then place a single layer of potatoes on the bottom.
- Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and then with scant layer of grated cheese. Repeat with layers of potato, salt, pepper and cheese until you’ve used up all the potatoes and cheese, making sure cheese is the final layer on top.
- Pour heavy cream over the potatoes, then use your fingers to gently press out any air pockets. Freshly grate nutmeg over top, then cover with panko breadcrumbs.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven to 350° and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and or until the top is golden brown and a knife can be easily inserted in the center, indicating that no raw pieces of potato remain. If the potatoes are still underdone and the top is getting too brown, cover with foil for the remainder of cooking time.
- Allow the gratin to cool down for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with chopped fresh chives if desired.
Notes
- If using ground nutmeg instead of fresh, stir it into the heavy cream before pouring over the potatoes.
- Try your best to cut the potatoes as thinly an evenly as possible. Thicker potato slices will take longer to cook, so the thinner the better. A mandoline slicer is the best way to achieve perfectly even, thin slices.If your slices are uneven, you could end up with a few bites of hard potato.
- If the potatoes are still undercooked and the top is getting too brown, cover them with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
- Allow the gratin to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting to allow it to set up.
Just made these last night to have with steaks and omg were they good. I agree they took a little longer to make, like 1:45 maybe? but totally worth it. I will follow your directions and make them ahead for Chritmas thisyear. Great recipe!!!
So glad to hear, Courtney! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Can I assemble this a day ahead of time , refrigerate it, and bake it the next day?
I would assemble and bake, at least partially, then cover/refrigerate, and finish baking or reheat the next day. I'm not sure how the raw potatoes would hold up, but I know it's great reheated!
This has become one of my go to recipes. I absolutely love it! I have to bake it longer though, about two hours. And I've learned after a foolish mistake that you have to use freshly cut potatoes. I submerged them in water because I cut them ahead and the gratin turned out crunchy, like I was chewing raw potatoes.
Thank you so much for the comment! I'm so glad you love the recipe. That is good to know about putting the potatoes in water first - I know that would remove some of their starch, which helps thicken the sauce as it bakes, but didn't realize it would make the potatoes hard. I'll add your notes to the recipe. 😀
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