Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin

Every time we start discussing the plan for Christmas or Easter dinner, my mom always says “can’t we do something a bit lighter this year?” She’s always overruled by my siblings who insist it’s not the holidays unless there’s potatoes au gratin, and I mean, I have to agree. If the holidays aren’t a good enough excuse to eat deliciously decadent food while blissfully ignoring the calorie content, then I just don’t know what is. And let me tell you, this easy side dish recipe is the star of the show at any holiday dinner whether you’re entertaining friends and family or just keeping it to a small group this year.

If you’ve never heard of it before or never made it, potatoes au gratin basically means potatoes with cheese, and is there anyone who doesn’t love potatoes with cheese? And these are sliced thin and then layered with cheese, shallots, seasoning, and a good dose of heavy cream. By the time the potatoes come out of the oven, they are swimming in a delicious bath of thick, bubbly cream and topped with a delicious crust of crispy cheese and together it’s just… well, it’s just heaven. 

Don’t let the name scare you—I know it sounds fancy and decadent, but it’s a relatively simple dish to prepare. The key is to have the right equipment and it comes together in no time. I highly recommend using a food processor with a slicer blade for this recipe. You can use a mandolin if you have one (I don’t even own one because in truth they freak me out) or even the slicer blade on a cheese grater, but just buckle up because you’re going to be slicing for a while. I don’t recommend just a knife because you want nice thin, even slices, which would be painstaking to reproduce with just a knife and a cutting board. If you don’t have a gadget of some kind, now’s the time to go out and invest. I broke down and finally invested in a nice food processor this year, and man it’s like magic. It saves me so much time in the kitchen. I have the Cuisinart Elemental 13-Cup Dicing Food Processor. I love it for the large bowl and because it slices, dices, and shreds. Plus the bowl and all the attachments are dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup super easy. I had all my potatoes processed in about a minute. 

In addition to thinly sliced potatoes, you also need a lot of grated cheese for this recipe, so the food processor is GRATE for that too (is the pun too much?). Don’t be tempted to cut corners when it comes to the cheese for this easy potato side dish. You’ll notice that the ingredients are pretty basic, which means it it all depends on the method and the quality of the ingredients. Whatever you do, please DO NOT use pre-shredded cheese for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese is caked in cornstarch to prevent it from sticking and to inhibit mold growth. As a result, it doesn’t melt half as well (plus you’re adding extra “gunk” to your dish). In a pinch, pre-shredded cheese is a great shortcut for a weeknight meal, but this isn’t your average side dish–this is special. And you want beautiful, lucious, melty cheese. And spring for something quality. Get some good-quality medium gruyere and a very sharp white cheddar. The nutty, savory taste from the gruyere pairs beautifully with the sharpness of the white cheddar and the richness of the cream. 

Also, let’s talk about potatoes for a second. You may have been led to believe that a potato is a potato, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Russet potatoes are some of the most ubiquitous because they are cheap and readily available. They’re great for a nice baked potato or even for mashed potatoes, but they can be grainy. You want a smooth, supple, potato with a rich flavor for this recipe, like a yukon gold or a butter potato. A white potato will work in a pinch, but steer clear of russets and red potatoes as you won’t get the result you’re looking for. 

Also a note on salt. I went conservative with the salt level in this recipe because the cheese will add a lot salt, depending on exactly which cheeses you select. That said, the potatoes soak up a LOT of salt, so you may want to be slightly more liberal than i’ve been in the recipe, but always remember you can always add salt after cooking—you can’t take it away. 

I can’t wait to hear about how your potatoes au gratin turn out! I hope this easy side dish recipe will be just the ticket to take your Easter dinner this year to the next level.

Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin

These luscious, cheesy scalloped potatoes make a decadent side to any holiday table.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, French

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

• mandolin or food processor

Ingredients

  

• 2 ½ lbs yukon gold potatoes or butter potatoes
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Thinly slice the potatoes using a mandolin or the slicer blade on your food processor.
• Coat the bottom of a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
• Place a thin layer of the thin sliced potatoes along the bottom of the pan, slightly overlapping. Then sprinkle with ⅓ of the shallots and ¼ tsp of salt and a sprinkle of black pepper. Sprinkle ½ cup of cheddar and ½ cup of gruyere over the potatoes and then drizzle with ¼ cup of heavy cream.
• Repeat this step 2 more times, for a total of 3 potato and cheese layers.
• Spread the remaining potatoes on top of the third layer. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining ¼ cup heavy cream on the potatoes. Then top with the remaining cheese (add some extra if you want!). It's important to do the cheese last in this step so you get a nice crispy cheese coating on the top.
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and put in the oven. Bake for 50 minutes.
• Remove the potatoes from the oven. Uncover, and put back in the oven to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the cheese on top is crispy and the potatoes are fork-tender.

Keyword au gratin, caramelized onion grilled cheese, easter, holiday, potatoes, side