Au Gratin Potatoes are thinly sliced golden potatoes layered in a rich, creamy, and cheesy sauce. This tasty side dish is always a hit!

Need more oven space? Try my Crockpot Au Gratin Potatoes instead!

Au Gratin Potatoes are fresh out of the oven and ready to enjoy!

My Favorite Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe

The best au gratin potatoes are creamy, cheesy, and full of rich flavor—and this recipe has it all!

Here’s a quick overview:

  • Buttery Yukon gold potatoes
  • Three kinds of cheese for the best possible flavor
  • A creamy, cheesy sauce
  • Fresh thyme for a restaurant-quality flavor

Once you try these from-scratch potatoes, you’ll never want to go back to the boxed mix.

The ingredients for this recipe—potatoes, flour, butter, thyme, cheese, milk, and garlic—are prepped and ready for easy assembly.

Ingredients

  • Gold potatoes: Yukon golds are best for their buttery flavor and creamy texture.
  • Butter: Unsalted is best for controlling salt.
  • Garlic: Fresh minced gives the most flavor; jarred works too.
  • Flour: Thickens the sauce nicely.
  • Milk: Whole milk makes the sauce rich and creamy. Skip skim or plant-based options.
  • Cheddar cheese: Grate your own cheese or the best melt!
  • Gruyère cheese: The secret to the best Au Gratin! Creamy with a nutty flavor.
  • Parmesan: Fresh grated melts best and has great flavor.
  • Thyme: Fresh herbs add flavor, but dried works too. Don’t like thyme? Skip it!
Thinly sliced potatoes and a creamy sauce are being prepped for these au gratin potatoes.

How To Make Au Gratin Potatoes

  1. Preheat oven: Set to 350°F and grease a 9×9-inch baking dish.
  2. Slice potatoes: Peel and slice thinly.
  3. Make sauce: Melt butter, cook garlic, whisk in flour, then add milk. Boil, thicken, and stir in Cheddar.
  4. Layer potatoes: Layer potatoes, Gruyère, and thyme in the pan.
  5. Bake: Cover with foil, bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, then check tenderness.
  6. Add Parmesan and bake: Sprinkle Parmesan, bake uncovered 10–15 minutes. Let rest before serving.

Quick Tip

These prep tools make the time fly!

Set the Mandoline slicer to 1/8-inch thickness to get 6 cups of potatoes.

The cream sauce thickens as the cheese is added, along with the potatoes.

How To Make Ahead Of Time

Assemble and bake. Let cool with foil on, then add cheese, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

To serve, let sit at room temp for 1 hour. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20–30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes, until golden and bubbly.

What To Serve With Au Gratin Potatoes:

More Potato Recipes To Love:

5 from 1 vote

Au Gratin Potatoes

Au Gratin Potatoes start with thin slices of golden potatoes, layered in a rich, creamy, and ultra-cheesy sauce. This savory side dish is a comfort food guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings, as a side

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9-inch (or 2-quart) baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Peel and thinly slice potatoes (1/8-inch thick). I use a mandolin slicer for speed and accuracy (see note 1). Measure 6 tightly packed cups of sliced potatoes.
  • In a large nonstick pot, melt butter over low heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute until smooth (avoid browning). Gradually whisk in 1 cup of milk until smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and gradually add the second cup of milk. Stir occasionally until the mixture boils. Season with salt and pepper (I use 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper).
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and stir constantly for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens (see note 4). Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. Stir in Cheddar cheese, a handful at a time, until melted and smooth. Add the sliced potatoes and stir to coat.
  • Assemble the dish by layering 1/3 of the potatoes in the prepared pan, then sprinkle in 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese and 1/3 of the fresh thyme. In the same pan, repeat with another 1/3 of the potatoes, the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyere, and 1/3 thyme. Finish with the remaining potatoes and thyme.
  • Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the foil and check for tenderness by piercing the potatoes with a knife. If not tender, bake a few more minutes and check again. Once tender, sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese on top.
  • Bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. For extra color, broil for 1 minute at the end. Let stand for 5–10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Yukon gold potatoes are my favorite, but russet potatoes also work. Peel potatoes, rinse in cool water, then use a mandoline slicer set at 1/8th-inch thickness to cut potatoes.
Note 2: Whole milk works best for the richest result. 2% or 1% milk work, but avoid skim or plant-based milk alternatives.
Note 3: Grab a block of Parmesan cheese and grate on the small holes of a grater. Alternatively, use finely grated Parmesan cheese. Do not use shelf-stable Parmesan.
Note 4: The sauce should coat the back of a wooden spoon. If you can trace a clear line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip, and it stays, the sauce is thick enough.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 897mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 836IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 647mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 1 vote

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9 Comments

  1. calliehowellhubert says:

    5 stars
    As Chelsea’s sister and employee I have made and LOVED this recipe! They are always a hit!

  2. Tiffany says:

    Hi, I have three questions. 1) If I wanted to add onions to this recipe how would I go about doing that? Should I sautรฉ them in butter before I add the garlic? Do I need to add more butter to the recipe in order to do that or should I stick to the amount of butter that is called in the recipe) 2) Does making this dish ahead of time, putting it in the fridge and then reheating it the next day change the texture or taste of the dish vs making it and serving it the same day? Which way is better? And then 3) if I needed to triple this recipe should I make it all together in the same dish or use separate dishes? Will this change the time it takes to cook? Iโ€™m so excited to try this recipe, it looks amazing! Iโ€™m sorry for all the questions! I have little to no experience cooking and this is my first time cooking for 22 people and Iโ€™m a little nervous lol any help is much appreciated ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Chelsea says:

      Hi! Iโ€™m so glad youโ€™re making thisโ€”what a great dish for a crowd! And your questions are totally valid. Hereโ€™s the breakdown:

      1) Adding onions
      Yes, you can! Dice 1 small yellow onion and sautรฉ it with the butter over low heat until soft (about 6โ€“8 minutes), then add the garlic and continue the recipe. No need to add extra butterโ€”the 3 tablespoons is enough.

      2) Making ahead vs. fresh
      This dish is best freshโ€”creamy sauce, crispy top. But you can make it ahead and reheat:

      Cool, cover, and refrigerate.

      Reheat covered at 350ยฐF for 25โ€“30 minutes, then uncover to crisp the top.
      Even better: assemble it ahead and bake fresh the day of for the best texture.

      3) Tripling the recipe
      For 22 people, triple the recipe but use 3 separate 9ร—9 pans (or 2-quart equivalents). Donโ€™t combine in one large dishโ€”it wonโ€™t cook evenly.
      Bake all at once, rotating halfway through. Time should be about the sameโ€”just check for tenderness before uncovering.

      Youโ€™ve got this! So excited for you to try itโ€”let me know if you have any other questions!

  3. Annmarie says:

    I am going to make these potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner. A bit confused on directions. It read layer 1/3 of potatoes with 1/2 cup of guyre cheese and then repeat. If you 2xโ€™s recipe it call for 2 cups of cheese. So I assume I add 1 cup of cheese on each layer. I hope you see this and have time to respond. Thanks. By the way all your recipes are the very best.

  4. barb says:

    Our family really loves potatoes with the skins on. Do you think this would be a problem? Canโ€™t wait to try your recipe for the upcoming holidays!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      With gold potatoes I don’t see this being a problem! ๐Ÿ™‚ Enjoy I hope you love whatever you try!

      1. barb says:

        Thanks SO much for responding – weโ€™ve always loved your recipes, and canโ€™t wait to try this one soon! Xoxo B

  5. Cathy says:

    Question: I see instructions for make ahead and refrigerateโ€ฆdo you think itโ€™d work to make ahead, cover the same way and freeze, then thaw before baking? They look amazing, Chelsea!

    1. Chelsea Lords says:

      Honestly I’m not sure! I’m so sorry Cathy! I’ve never tried freezing this recipe!