Creamy Potato Gratin
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This creamy potato gratin is guaranteed to be a crowd favorite side dish for all dinners and holidays! So amazingly rich, creamy and buttery!
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why you’ll love this creamy potato gratin
- No mandolin required. Since the potatoes are peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, a mandolin is not needed here, cutting down prep time substantially.
- Make-ahead friendly. Potato gratin can conveniently be made ahead of time – prepped or completely baked – depending on your time constraints, making entertaining and hosting stress-free.
- An absolute crowd-pleaser. This is such a lovely, decadent side dish, and always a guaranteed hit with the masses no matter the occasion – holidays, casual get-togethers, dinner parties, or weekend company. Who doesn’t love an indulgent, tender potato dish covered and bubbling with a creamy cheese sauce?
How to make potato gratin
- Prep the potatoes. Peel and cut the Yukon Golds into even-sized 1-inch cubes.
- Parboil the potatoes. Boil the peeled potato cubes in cold salted water in a Dutch oven until slightly soft on the outside but firm in the center, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
- Sauté the aromatics. Sauté the garlic and shallot in melted butter in the Dutch oven until tender.
- Make the roux. Whisk in the flour (to break down its raw, starchy taste) until lightly browned. Then slowly stir in the chicken stock and heavy cream. Reduce the heat and bring to a gentle simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pro tip: the longer it simmers, the more it will thicken.
- Combine. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, Dijon, parboiled potatoes, salt, and pepper.
- Bake. Transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish in an even layer, baking until the potatoes are completely tender, about 35-40 minutes.
- Broil. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and broil until golden brown and bubbly, about 3 minutes.
- Let it rest. Let the potatoes rest for 5-10 minutes before serving, allowing the sauce to thicken further.
- Serve. Sprinkle with chives or parsley and serve warm.
how to make potato gratin ahead of time
Prep ahead of time
You can cut the potatoes ahead of time, storing them in a large bowl of water, completely submerged, with 1 tablespoon acid (ex. white wine vinegar or lemon juice) in the fridge for no more than 24 hours. This will prevent the potatoes from turning brown and gray. Drain the water and pat the potatoes completely dry when ready to use.
Bake ahead of time
Potato gratin can be made, assembled, and baked 1-2 days before, without the remaining 1 1/4 cups white cheddar cheese, covered with aluminum foil for the entire cook time, and placed in the fridge.
How to reheat
Allow the potatoes to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to reheating at 350°F for 20-30 minutes, or until warmed through, sprinkling with remaining 1 1/4 cups white cheddar cheese and broiling until golden brown.
what to serve with potato gratin
Tools For This Recipe
Creamy Potato Gratin: Frequently Asked Questions
Use starchy potatoes such as Yukon Golds or russet potatoes as these will yield more tender potatoes, and their natural starches will help thicken the cream sauce. Avoid waxy red potatoes as they are much less starchy and are best for boiling, roasting, or frying.
This really depends on personal preference. Yukon gold potatoes are thin-skinned and can be left unpeeled, if desired.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
This will ensure that the potatoes cook evenly, and will also significantly cut down the bake time.
Yes! This can be both prepped and baked ahead of time (detailed instructions above).
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Creamy Potato Gratin
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 shallots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large stockpot or Dutch oven; cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken stock and heavy cream. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly, until reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese and mustard. Stir in potatoes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until potatoes are tender and mixture has thickened, about 35-40 minutes.
- Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups white cheddar cheese. Place into oven and broil until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Use the right potatoes. Starchy potatoes, such as russet or Yukon gold, is ideal. They will bake up very tender, absorbing the cream sauce, while still holding up its shape.
- Start with cold water. When parboiling the potatoes, always start with cold water to ensure even cooking throughout.
- Freshly grated cheese goes a long way. Use a flavorful cheese such as cheddar or gruyere, or a combination of both.
- Place the baking dish in the center rack. Placing the potatoes on the top rack of the oven will cause your potatoes to brown too fast.
- Add bacon or pancetta. Bacon, ham or pancetta would all be great additions to mix things up.
- Let it rest. This will allow the potatoes to absorb all the sauce, giving it some time to thicken. This will also make it easier to serve with less mess.
Did you make this recipe?
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Fantastic! It went terrific with Filets off the BBQ.
Nope, no death by mandolin here… LOL, good one! Those things are scary!
I made these the day before, without adding the cheese on top as that’s done after 35-40 minutes of baking. Refrigerated them overnight and baked them the next day- delicious!! The chives are essential on top for color. I used Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe’s, which was perfect. Thanks for a great recipe, Damn Delicious!
Can I freeze this?
I rarely leave reviews and I’ll be honest, I’m a traditionalist with the mandolin sliced potatoes but I figured, what the heck I am going to do this recipe as is. WOW!!!! It was just what I was looking for, creamy and cheesy!!! I didn’t have any shallots so I used a small sweet onion. I also didn’t have dijon mustard so I used regular yellow. It all came out so good! My husband loved it and so did I! I don’t think I will make these any other way. Try it, it is delicious!!!!
Any issues with halving this?
I make a lot of cheesy potatoes and this is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I’ve tried. Superb and fabulous!
This were a hit at Thanksgiving dinner and easy to make. Made it in the afternoon and popped it into the oven in the evening when we were ready to eat. The leftovers still taste amazing just warmed up in the microwave.
I didn’t have Yukon so I used Russet, I also didn’t have white cheddar so I used an Italian blend and Sharp Cheddar. My husband raved over this dish. DEFINITELY going to be repeat recipe.
Can you 1/2 this recipe for same results?
Sure you can cut this recipe in half! Why not?
These potatoes are amazing!!! Thank you so much!
This sounds delicious! I plan on making it for my “Friendsgiving” dinner. Could I use russet potatoes instead?
Sure! 🙂
I adapted it slightly because I had to clear the veggies out of my fridge. Added fresh Brussels sprouts, broccoli and carrots and used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. It was a complete hit! I will make the original recipe next time, since it was so creamy and delicious. I had been looking for a good au gratin recipe, all others I’ve tried seem very dry and flat. This one is by far the best I have ever tried.
Wondering if you can make this in the morning and bake it in the evening.
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without having tried this myself, I cannot answer with certainty. But if you get a chance to try it, please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Hi! Wondering if you tried to make it ahead, and bake later?
Wow! This are the best aux gratin potatoes I ever made!!! Excellent!!!
We’re so glad this was a winner for you, Mariana! 🙂
I love this recipe. Thank you. I especially appreciate cubing the potatoes instead of slicing them with a mandolin.
Makes it so much easier, right? 🙂
This dish was Amazing!! I added cubed ham and the family Loved it! My mom said it was better than hers!
Great addition! Thanks for sharing with us, Amy!
Just made this for Christmas dinner and it is delicious. I substituted the cheddar with gruyere & parmesan since I had it on hand. This is definitely going in my tried & true recipe book! Thanks so much!!
This was the hit of my Easter dinner. Everyone loved it. Including my cheddar cheese hating husband. He was raving about the dish. Thank you!
That’s a true compliment – turning a cheddar cheese hating husband! You can’t beat that!
Looks amazing! Could this be cooked in the slow cooker?
Thanks!
Mary, you can try this recipe instead:
https://damndelicious.net/2016/11/17/slow-cooker-cheesy-scalloped-potatoes/. 🙂
Looks delicious!! Any advice on making this ahead of time? I want to make this for Easter but I have to transport it to my parents. Should I follow up to step 6 and then do step 7 when I get to my destination? Or cook fully and just warm up in the oven when I get there?
Thank you!!
Yes, this can absolutely be baked 1 day ahead, covered and chilled before reheating prior to serving. 🙂