Au Gratin Potatoes start with thinly sliced golden potatoes that we layer in a luxuriously creamy and ultra-cheesy sauce. This deeply savory potato side dish is sure to be a hit anywhere it’s served!

Try some of our other favorite potato sides like these Smashed Potatoes, Creamed Potatoes, or Roasted Potatoes!

Table of Contents

My Favorite Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

In my mind, the best au gratin potatoes are ultra creamy with loads of cheese, perfectly tender potatoes, and plenty of rich flavors. These potatoes check all those boxes! Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • We’re using buttery Yukon gold potatoes.
  • There are three types of cheese — hello flavor nuance!
  • The most gorgeous cheesy-cream sauce makes these potatoes ultra creamy.
  • A touch of fresh thyme adds a wonderful earthy flavor that beautifully complements the potatoes and sauce.

Au Gratin Potatoes are the ultimate potato side dish (ok, yes, along with Mashed Potatoes) and the best type of comfort food around. They’re a must-have at every holiday table and this recipe is sure to be a new family favorite!

Say good-bye to Au Gratin Potato Box Mixes — you’ll never want to go back after trying them from-scratch! Au gratin is a French term for food that is sprinkled with breadcrumbs or grated cheese, or both, and browned. This recipe doesn’t include bread crumbs, but we more than make up for it with our three-cheese blend.

Quick Tip

We love Au Gratin potatoes so much we added them to this delicious Ham and Potato Pot Pie and this One Hour Easter Dinner

Au Gratin Potatoes FAQs

What is the preferred cheese to use for a gratin?

Gruyère, sharp Cheddar, and Parmesan make up my favorite combination. Here are some other options:

  • Fontina
  • Swiss
  • Havarti
  • Mozzarella

How do I know if the sauce is thick enough?

The sauce should coat the back of a wooden spoon. Trace a line on the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line holds, the sauce is thick enough; if not, cook it longer.

What goes well with Au Gratin Potatoes?

Au Gratin Potatoes are generally part of a big meal. They’re great for holidays and special occasions, so the sides are usually pretty substantial.

  1. A meat main course like beef, pork, or chicken.
  2. With this Cornbread recipe or dinner rolls on the side.
  3. Roasted vegetables like Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Asparagus, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
  4. A big green salad like this everyday Salad Recipe, Garden Salad, or Italian Salad.
  5. A homemade dessert to finish things off — try Crème Brûlée, Cheesecake Bars, or Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie.

How To Make Au Gratin Potatoes

This recipe is intended to show you how easy au gratin potatoes can be. Even though the name may seem fancy, the preparation is nothing too intricate or complicated. Here’s a quick overview:

  1. Prep potatoes (see “quick tip” box below).
  2. Prep cream sauce. We start with a roux (butter plus flour) and gradually add in some milk. Once the sauce is nice and thickened, we mix in some cheese–the perfect creamy, cheesy sauce to bathe the potatoes in!
  3. Assemble. The potatoes are layered alternating with (more) cheese and fresh thyme.
  4. Bake. These potatoes require a good amount of oven time, so this is a dish that requires planning ahead. After they’ve mostly baked through, we finish ’em off with (more) cheese and bake again to cheesy potato perfection.

Quick Tip

The potatoes require a bit of time to prepare, but if you’ve got willing kiddos to help (or a captivating podcast), the prep will fly by.

Preparation Tools

Set the Mandoline slicer at 1/8th-inch thickness and be impressed how quickly you’ll have the 6 cups of potatoes needed for this recipe.

Best Cheese For Au Gratin Potatoes

Sharp Cheddar, Parmesan, and Gruyère make for the winning combination in Au Gratin Potatoes.

Truly, I think I’ve tested just about every cheese (that is practical) for this potato dish and these are the three I keep coming back to:

  1. Sharp Cheddar — or extra sharp. Sharp (and extra sharp) indicates a more aged cheese that will deliver a richer and more pungent flavor.
  2. Gruyère. There is nothing that compares to the nutty, creamy, rich, and salty flavor this cheese brings to the table. Nothing beats it! That said, it is spend-y and can be replaced in equal parts with more Cheddar.
  3. Parmesan cheese. This cheese adds such a nice savoriness, saltiness, and complementary flavor to the Cheddar. It also adds a final layer of “seasoning” to the dish.

Quick Tip

Grate your own cheese! Already-grated packaged cheese will give the sauce a powdery texture and won’t melt as nicely (Pre-grated cheeses have a powder coating to keep shreds from clumping in the bag).

Au Gratin Potatoes With Yukon Gold

Similar to testing all the cheeses, I’ve also experimented with several varieties of potatoes.

Yukon gold (also called gold, Yukon, or yellow potatoes) are our hands-down winner in this recipe.

Yukon gold potatoes are small to medium-sized potatoes with a light yellow flesh, delicate skin, and an irresistible creamy flavor and ever so slight sweetness. They’re the perfect contrast to the deeply savory cheesy cream sauce.

Storage

Make It Ahead Of Time

Bake, covered in foil, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and cool at room temp with the foil still on (to retain moisture). Once cooled, remove foil and add the cheese on top. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

When ready to serve, set it out on the counter for about an hour to come up to temperature. Then cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for another 20-30 minutes or until hot. Remove foil and bake until topping is golden and cheese is bubbly, about 10-15 minutes. Broil for 1 minute at the end and voila — ready to go!

What To Serve With Au Gratin Potatoes:

Quick Tip

Want to save oven space? Try our Crockpot Au Gratin Potatoes instead!

Pin Print
5 from 1 vote

Au Gratin Potatoes

By Chelsea Lords
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

  • Mandoline slicer
  • Potato peeler
  • Baking pan 9 x 9-inch

Ingredients 
 

  • 6 packed cups gold potatoes 2 pounds, see note 1
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic 2 cloves
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups whole milk or 2%/1%, see note 2
  • 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese 3 ounces
  • 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese or more Cheddar, 3 ounces, divided
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese see note 3
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease a 9×9-inch (or 2-quart) baking pan with cooking spray; 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, prepare sauce by melting butter over low heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Sprinkle in flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute until smooth (don’t let it brown). Gradually whisk in 1 cup milk until smooth, then increase heat to medium-high and gradually add the second cup milk. Stir occasionally until mixture boils. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and stir constantly for 2 minutes or until thickened (see note 4). Remove from heat, let cool for 2 minutes, then stir in Cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Add prepared 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 pan with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Afterward, remove foil and test potatoes for tenderness by piercing with a knife. (If not, bake a few more minutes and check again.) Once tender, sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for 10–15 more minutes or until golden and bubbly. For extra color, broil for 1 minute at the end. Remove and let stand for 5–10 minutes before serving to allow sauce to thicken. Enjoy!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Yukon gold (also called gold, Yukon, or yellow potatoes) are hands-down my favorite potato to use. Russet potatoes will also work. Peel potatoes, rinse in cool water, then use a Mandoline slicer set at 1/8th-inch thickness to cut the potatoes.
Note 2: I like whole milk best; it delivers the richest end result. 2% and 1% will work, but I do not recommend skim milk or plant-based milk alternatives.
Note 3: Packaged grated Parmesan (in the can) is very salty and won’t melt as nicely in this recipe. I highly recommend grating a block of Parmesan cheese on the small holes of the grater for ultra-fine cheese shreds. Alternatively, use finely grated Parmesan cheese.
Note 4: The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Lift up the spoon and immediately trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line retains a clear track, the sauce is thick enough. If not, the sauce needs to be cooked a bit longer.

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.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Meet Chelsea

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

Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!

Read more

More Recipes You'll Love

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating