The Best Easy Dauphinoise Potatoes (Potato Gratin)
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.
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Servings: 7 servings
Calories: 487kcal
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.
Video
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 689mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1366IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 393mg | Iron: 1mg