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    Home » Seasonal & Holidays » Christmas

    Easy Classic Potatoes Au Gratin

    Published: Dec 21, 2017 · Modified: Nov 14, 2019 by Debs · This post may contain affiliate links · 7 Comments

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    Potatoes Au Gratin in a casserole dish.

    Potatoes au gratin is a simple potato side dish that takes only a few ingredients to make and is completely show stopping. Infused cream, and a little milk to lighten it up, mixed with some nutmeg and bay leaves to elevate these potatoes to royal status.

    Potatoes Au Gratin- Cooked Potatoes #au gratin #vegetarian #potatoes #SideDishes

    Potatoes gratin is a classic French dish made of very thinly sliced potatoes, infused cream and sometimes cheese. It's also one of the first side dishes I learned to make at cookery school. It's a true French classic. And it's perfect for making as a Christmas side dish. It can sometime look a little intimidating, but it's truly not.  It's just baked potatoes and cream.

    You probably have a few questions about making potatoes au gratin.

    • 1. Does a classic potatoes au gratin require cheese?

    Nope. In a classic potatoes au gratin or any gratin for that matter, cheese is an optional extra and not part of the whole deal. But, if you did want to add cheese, then some of the best options are cheeses that melt really well. Cheeses like fontina, gouda, asiago and taleggio are all really awesome choices.

    •  2. So what exactly does au gratin mean?

    It's a classic French culinary term that just means something topped with a browned crust. So, in modern cooking we get lots of variations on gratins. Some of the most popular are cauliflower, potatoes (obviously) and sweet potato and butternut squashes are all becoming really popular right now. The term references something baked in a shallow dish often using breadcrumbs, eggs, cream/milk, cheese and butter. So, as you can see au gratin has a pretty loose definition.

    For this version, I chose to skip the cheese. I love it, but Mr. T hates it. And I'm not about to eat a bowl of creamy, cheesy potatoes to myself. As awesome as that sounds, it's not a way I want to go.

    • 3. Are potatoes au gratin a dish that I can make ahead for when I entertain or for the holidays?

    You bet! Any au gratin dish is a super smart way to get ahead of prep for any special occasion like Christmas or Thanksgiving. If you follow the steps in the recipe below, right up to the point where you put the dish in the oven. At that point you would cover the dish with foil and leave in the fridge overnight and bake the following day. That way you can focus on the bigger jobs, like spending more time with your family.

    Step By Step Potatoes Au Gratin Photos

    Slice the potatoes thinly on a mandolin. They are very much worth the investment when you think.

    Potatoes Au Gratin- Sliced Potatoes #au gratin #vegetarian #potatoes #SideDishes

    Infuse your cream and milk mixture with bay leaves, some garlic cloves and a generous pinch of nutmeg.

    Potatoes Au Gratin- Infused Cream #au gratin #vegetarian #potatoes #SideDishes

    Cook the potatoes in the cream and milk mixture on the stove top. This will speed up the whole process and have your potatoes au gratin ready in half the time as the original oven only method.

    Potatoes Au Gratin- Cooking Potatoes #au gratin #vegetarian #potatoes #SideDishes

    Layer up your potatoes in a well buttered oven proof dish. If you were making this ahead of time, this is the point you would cover your dish with foil and leave in the fridge overnight until ready to bake.

    Potatoes Au Gratin- Layered Potatoes #au gratin #vegetarian #potatoes #SideDishes

    Add a generous amount of fresh pepper and some thyme sprigs before baking the potatoes. Bake uncovered to get that gorgeous golden and bubbly topping.

    Potatoes Au Gratin- Cooked Potatoes Close up #au gratin #vegetarian #potatoes #SideDishes

    Potatoes Au Gratin- Cooked Potatoes Layers #au gratin #vegetarian #potatoes #SideDishes

    Potatoes Au Gratin in a casserole dish.

    Easy Classic Potatoes Au Gratin

    Potatoes au gratin is a simple potato side dish that takes only a few ingredients to make and is completely show stopping. Infused cream makes this special.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 413kcal
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    Ingredients

    • 4 Large russet or Yukon gold potatoes
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 1 cup milk
    • 1 clove garlic
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
    • 3 sprigs thyme
    • Salt & Pepper

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180ºC. Thinly slice the potatoes on a mandolin or using a sharp knife.
    • Place the cream and milk into a large deep sauce pan along with the garlic, nutmeg and bay leaves.
    • Add the thinly sliced potatoes to the pan and cook on a simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
    • Using a slotted spoon, remove the potatoes from the pan and discard the garlic clove and the bay leaves.
    • Layer the potatoes in a well buttered oven safe dish. Pour the infused cream/milk over the potatoes.
    • Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
    • To make sure the potatoes are cooked, insert a paring knife the ensure that the potatoes are tender all the way through and the top is golden and bubbling.

    Notes

    If making this dish ahead of time, follow the instructions up to and including step 4 and cover with a double layer of foil and leave in the fridge until ready to bake. It’s best made no more than 1 day before.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1255IU | Vitamin C: 9.5mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    have you made this recipe? I'd love to see it! Tag me @salted_mint or use #saltedmint!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Albert Bevia says

      December 21, 2017 at 10:56 pm

      I absolutely love these potatoes Au-Gratin, your version is extraordinary, easy to make and loaded with so many flavors, this is a MUST try!!!!

      Reply
    2. Karly says

      December 21, 2017 at 11:33 pm

      Feed me allllllll of these potatoes. I mean seriously, this is the epitome of cheesy potato heaven!

      Reply
      • Debs says

        December 24, 2017 at 12:21 pm

        Totally right???!!! These are one of my all time favourite potato dishes. And a perfect excuse for using my mandolin.

        Reply
    3. Aimee says

      December 22, 2017 at 12:07 pm

      This looks so good! I have all the ingredients too so I’m thinking I’m going to add it to my Christmas wave dinner menu. We’re having seeet potato casserole too but you really can’t have too many potatoes...

      Reply
      • Debs says

        December 24, 2017 at 12:19 pm

        Thanks so much Aimee! These are just my favourite because they are so easy and so completely make ahead stress free! Hope you and your family have a very merry Christmas!

        Reply
    4. Tina says

      October 09, 2019 at 11:02 pm

      looks awesome and easy
      BUT ? where is the temperature of oven to preheat to?

      Reply
      • Debs says

        November 14, 2019 at 7:38 pm

        Sorry about that. Just updated. Preheat to 350ºC or 180ºF.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Debs! A Cordon Bleu graduate with more than 10 years of restaurant cooking experience. I now focus on helping you create easy, delicious and healthy(ish) comfort food recipes from scratch. Welcome to my virtual kitchen!

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