Delicious Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
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When you think of comfort food, let’s be honest, potatoes top the list. So, this holiday season, why not indulge in creamy comfort food that tastes incredible? To do so, check out the creamy au gratin potatoes recipe below.
Creamy au gratin potatoes are a traditional French side dish made with layers of sliced potatoes and cheesy sauce. It is a great side dish to complement any main course. This dish is easy to make and requires simple ingredients that deliver a mouthwatering taste. It is loaded with creamy and cheesy flavors.
This dish takes 30 minutes to prepare and uses baking as the method of cooking. If you love to try easy potato recipes, then you must make creamy au gratin potatoes that are decadent and oh-so-satisfying.
In the sections below, you will find out the step-by-step recipe for creamy au gratin potatoes, how to serve them, and how to store them. You will also find some useful tips to make the best-ever-tasting creamy au gratin potatoes.
What’s In The Post
Other Thanksgiving Recipes That You Can Try
- Salt Crusted Turkey
- Apple Cider Brined Turkey
- BBQ Turkey
- Turkey Sandwich
- Turkey Melt
- Hot Turkey Sandwich
- Turkey And Cheese Sandwich
- Grandma’s Cranberry Sauce
- Grandma’s Corn Pudding
- Turkey Carcass Soup
What Equipment Will You Need To Make Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes?
- Knife – You will need a knife to peel and slice the potatoes.
- Cutting board – A cutting board will be helpful to place and slice the potatoes.
- Oven – An oven will be required to bake the creamy au gratin potatoes.
- Baking Dish – A baking dish will be required to line up the potatoes for baking.
- Saucepan – A saucepan will be needed to cook cream cheese sauce.
- Aluminum Foil – You will need aluminum foil to cover the dish while baking.
- Whisk – A whisk will be needed to mix the ingredients of the sauce.
How Much Time Will You Need To Make Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes?
| Preparation Time | Baking Time | Total Time |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Minutes | 1 Hour 30 Minutes | 1 Hour 45 Minutes |
What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes?
- Potatoes – Potatoes are the star of this dish. You will need two pounds of peeled and thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes. One of the easiest ways to get perfectly thin slices of potatoes is to use a mandoline slicer. It saves time and gives out even cut slices.
- Butter – To make the cheese sauce, we will need two tablespoons of unsalted butter.
- Onion – The ingredient that provides this dish with a delicious taste is onion. Pan-frying onion in butter brings out the best flavors. Therefore, we will use half an onion, diced finely.
- Garlic – Just like an onion, garlic sauteed in butter tastes absolutely delicious. To add a garlicky punch of flavors to the dish, we will need two minced cloves of garlic.
- All-Purpose Flour – All-purpose flour is the basic and the most important ingredient to make a cheese sauce. It helps to thicken the sauce. We will need two tablespoons of all-purpose flour.
- Milk – Most of the creamy au gratin potatoes recipe calls for cream in it. But to make a healthier version of it, we will use one and a half cups of whole milk.
- Salt – Salt helps to bring out all the delicious flavor in every food item. So, we will use half a teaspoon of salt.
- Black Pepper – To add a hint of peppery flavors, we will use one-fourth teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Cheddar Cheese – Cheese plays the most integral part in this dish. In this recipe, we will be using one cup of sharp, shredded white cheddar cheese.
- Grana Padano Cheese – Along with cheddar cheese, we will also add one-fourth cup of Grana Padano Parmesan cheese.
- Green Onions – To garnish creamy au gratin potatoes, we will use one chopped fresh green onion. This ingredient is optional.
Steps To Make Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
1. Prepare The Potatoes
Before you begin slicing the potatoes, preheat the oven to 375 F and grease a 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Take your potatoes, wash and peel them. Using a sharp knife, slice them in even thin slices. To have the perfect potato slices, you can use a mandoline slicer.
2. Make The Sauce
To prepare a rich and creamy cheese sauce, take a saucepan and add unsalted butter to it. Let the butter melt and add onions and garlic until they turn translucent. Whisk in all-purpose flour and continue to whisk until it turns golden brown. This should take you 30 seconds to one minute.
Whisk in milk, salt, and black pepper. Keep whisking the mixture until it becomes thick. Turn the heat to low and add cheddar and Grana Padano (Parmesan) cheese. Switch off the heat once the cheese is melted.
3. Line The Baking Dish And Bake
In a baking dish, line the sliced potatoes and pour the cream cheese sauce. Cover the baking dish using aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Uncover the baking dish after an hour and bake it for another 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are lightly browned and tender and the cheese sauce has thickened.
Wondering why we cover the dish with foil while baking? Here’s the reason. Covering the baking dish with foil during the first phase of the baking process allows the potatoes to soften without drying the dish out. Once they are cooked properly, removing the foil helps to make the potatoes crisp and allows the liquid to thicken.
Garnish the creamy au gratin potatoes with freshly ground black pepper and chopped green onions (optional). Serve immediately.
Tips For Making Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
- Some recipes call for the potatoes to be soaked in water. I don’t recommend it, as soaking the potatoes leads to a loss of starch. This will not help you to achieve a creamy dish. Moreover, the unsoaked potatoes get crispy on the outside.
- To reduce the baking time of this recipe, you can also par-boil the sliced potatoes before placing them in the oven. Parboiling the potatoes should take about 5 minutes.
- Minced garlic adds a great flavor to this dish. However, if you wish not to use garlic, it can be omitted.
- While slicing the potatoes, make sure to slice them evenly. This will ensure that they will bake faster and all slices will be cooked evenly.
- For cooking the potatoes evenly, try stacking them vertically in rows instead of setting them atop one another. This way, they will cook more evenly, and each slice of potato will have a crisp top.
- We use milk in this dish to prepare the sauce. You can also add heavy cream if you’re looking for decadence.
Which Potatoes Should We Use To Make Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes?
Creamy Au gratin potatoes are very simple to make. But choosing the right ingredients, in this case, potatoes, is the key. Selecting potatoes that have a good amount of starch is the best way to go. They help to absorb and thicken the sauce. This, in turn, prevents the sauce from running all over the serving plate. On the other hand, a low starch/waxy potato, like red potatoes, will result in soupy consistency.
Thus, you can use russet potatoes, which have the highest starch content. They will make the creamiest sauce. However, keep in mind that these potatoes fall apart easily because of their high starch content.
To retain the shape of your potato slices and have a nice creamy sauce, you can select Yukon Gold potatoes. These potatoes come with a moderate level of starch that thickens the sauce and holds their shape better.
So, the choice of potatoes to make this dish is completely yours. You can try both and choose the ones best for you.
Can You Make Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Ahead of Time?
YES! Creamy Au gratin potatoes can be made ahead of time. You can assemble the dish a day before cooking, cover it with plastic wrap, and then bake it the following day. Let the dish sit on the counter for an hour before baking. Or else, you can increase the baking time a little by taking into account the dish being cold.
Additionally, you can also bake the potatoes halfway and remove them from the oven. Let the dish cool completely, cover it, and refrigerate it. You can bake the rest of the dish the following day. This way, the potatoes will absorb liquid, but you can adjust it by adding 1/4 cup of cream.
What Dishes Can You Pair With Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes?
Creamy au gratin potatoes are a versatile side dish that can be served with just about anything. You can serve it with poultry, beef, pork, or fish. It also goes pretty well with any vegetable.
How To Store Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes?
Are you wondering how to place your leftover creamy au gratin potatoes safely for later consumption? Here’s what you can do. You can store your leftover potatoes au gratin in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before eating, reheat them covered with foil in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F.
While most food items can be frozen and used later for consumption, we don’t recommend freezing creamy au gratin potatoes as they are dairy-rich. Dairy products like milk and cheese have the tendency to separate when frozen or thawed.
Nutritional Information
| Calories | 442 kcal |
| Fat | 20 grams |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5 grams |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1 gram |
| Saturated Fat | 12 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 50 grams |
| Protein | 17 grams |
| Fiber | 5 grams |
| Sodium | 626 milligrams |
| Potassium | 1161 milligrams |
| Sugar | 7 grams |
| Calcium | 425 milligrams |
| Iron | 2 milligrams |
| Vitamin C | 47 milligrams |
| Vitamin A | 691IU |
What Will Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Look And Taste Like?
This au gratin potatoes recipe is wonderfully creamy, cheesy, and flavorful. The potatoes turn out to be tender and crispy. They come coated with a delicious cheese sauce. The top of the dish has a beautiful sunny golden color. This dish doesn’t only taste spectacular, it looks amazing too!
Recipe Card
Cream Au Gratin Potatoes Recipes
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Preheat the oven to 375 F and lightly grease a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with butter.
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Layer the sliced potatoes in the baking dish. You can stack them vertically in rows or place them atop one another.
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Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
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Add onion and garlic and cook them until they turn soft and translucent. Whisk in all-purpose flour and cook until browned. This will take you about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
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Gradually whisk in milk, and add salt and pepper.
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Whisk the cheese sauce mixture for about 2-3 minutes until it begins to thicken. Turn down the heat to low and add both varieties of cheese. Keep stirring the mixture continuously until the cheese has melted to prevent it from burning.
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Pour the cheese sauce on top of the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
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Place the baking dish into the oven and bake for an hour. Remove the foil from the dish and continue to bake for 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes turn golden brown and tender and the sauce has thickened.
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Garnish the creamy au gratin potatoes with freshly ground black pepper and chopped green onions (optional). Serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why are my au gratin potatoes watery?
The reason for your potatoes au gratin turning watery can be two. Firstly, you may have placed sliced potatoes in water to prevent them from discoloring and didn’t pat them dry well before adding them to the baking dish. Or else, you could have also used the wrong kind of potatoes. While making this recipe, it is important to choose more starchy potatoes as they hold their shape and don’t become watery.
Why won’t my potatoes get soft?
If your potatoes are getting soft, it might have to do with the way they were sliced. If your potatoes weren’t thinly sliced, it would take longer for them to cook. Moreover, if the slices are too thick, they may not cook fully by the time the top is brown.
Can creamy au gratin potatoes be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the sauce and assemble the potatoes, cover them, and leave it in the refrigerator for up to two days before baking. You can bake them straight from the fridge by increasing the baking time for a few minutes. Or else, you can let them come to room temperature and then place the dish in the oven.
What can you serve with au gratin potatoes?
Creamy au gratin potatoes go great with any meat protein. You can also pair them with any vegetable dish.
Can you freeze potato gratin?
It’s best not to freeze creamy au gratin potatoes as they contain dairy products. Dairy products tend to separate when frozen and thawed.
Conclusion
I hope you have enjoyed reading this recipe and are excited to try it out. Do tell me how your creamy au gratin potatoes dish turned out to be in the comments section below.
