Name: Best Potato Gratin {Ever}
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: French, American
Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream; 1 cup milk, I use whole milk; 7 cloves garlic, crushed (or scant teaspoon garlic powder); 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried); 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried); 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1/2 - 1 teaspoon white pepper; 6 russet potatoes (about 3 lbs) peeled; 2 tablespoons butter, divided; 6 oz Gruyere cheese or similar, grated

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This is the best potato gratin, ever! Thinly sliced potatoes layered with a dreamy herb and garlic infused cream sauce, studded with rich and nutty Gruyère cheese; baked to golden, creamy, bubbly perfection! Oh and they are naturally gluten free!

Making a special meal, simply craving creamy cheesy potatoes or looking for the perfect side for your holiday meal, this is a must save recipe!

You might also love our other favorite holiday side dishes like Cheesy Potato Casserole, Best Stuffing Ever and Tender Tarragon Carrots or Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts.

square of baked potato au gratin on a pretty china dish

What’s the difference between scalloped and au gratin potatoes?

The primary difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin is that scalloped potatoes do not have cheese. Gratin, meaning cheese is a clear distinction in these amazing potatoes.

Nothing can get me drooling like a rich, hot dish of potatoes with a creamy white sauce quite like this one.

Why is this Gratin better?

Fresh herbs gently cooked in cream and milk mixture
Savory garlic simmering and infusing the cream
And the full-bodied earthy and nuttiness of Gruyère cheese

Ingredients for Potato Gratin. Left to right. Heavy Cream, Whole Milk. Butter, fresh rosemary, thyme and garlic, russet potatoes

Ingredients for Potatoes au gratin casserole

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk, I use whole milk
7 cloves garlic, crushed (or a teaspoon garlic powder)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 – 1 teaspoon white pepper
6 russet potatoes (about 3 lbs) peeled
2 tablespoons butter, divided
6 oz Gruyere cheese or similar, grated

CAN I SUBSTITUTE DRY HERBS?

Sometimes we just cannot get our hands on fresh herbs! I have been asked is it okay to substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs and the answer is YES!

HERB SUBSTITUTION RULE

Use ⅓ the amount of fresh in the recipe.
For instance: Instead of a tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of fresh rosemary, you would add 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary & thyme, etc.

Print this FREE Ingredient Substitution Chart
Click Download button below.

Ingredient-Substitutions-Chart-Download

How Do you Make Potato Au Gratin from Scratch?

Grease a 9x13x2 inch casserole dish (glass or ceramic preferred) with 1 tablespoon butter, set aside. I smoosh the butter in the dish using a paper towel to get it all over.
Bring milk, cream, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sea salt and pepper to a low simmer. Cook on low for 30 minutes.

Process shots for gratin potatoes 1. hand with garlic cloves placing into cream mixture with fresh rosemary. 2. Straining garlic and herbs out of cream mixture. 3. mandolin slicing potatoes thin, 4. layering the cream mixture with cheese and potatoes.

Strain out herbs and garlic into a bowl, discarding the herbs and garlic. Reserve infused cream mixture.
While cream mixture simmers, peel potatoes (my favorite peeler!) slice the potatoes 1/8 inch thick — if you’ve never used a mandolin slicer give it a try, your slices will be even and uniform and done lickity-split!
Place sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water until ready to assemble, then drain and pat dry, if a short period of time you can forgo this step, if longer, they will brown quickly.

Process shots for Gratin potatoes 5. Adding a few slices of butter to potatoes. 6. ready for the oven. 7. post baking a golden brown. 8. a slice of layered, creamy gratin potatoes

How to Layer Au Gratin Potatoes with Gruyere

Arrange potatoes in rows, overlapping slightly; seasoning each layer with sea salt and pepper.
Sprinkle a handful of Gruyere cheese over potatoes and pour 1/2 cup cream mixture over the potatoes.
Repeat steps twice, finish by pouring remaining cream mixture over the top.
Dot with 1 tablespoon butter; cover with foil and bake.
Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 45 minutes; then remove foil and continue baking, uncovered for an additional 45 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly and potatoes are fork tender (insert fork into potatoes, they should yield to gentle pressure.)

Potatoes Au Gratin Gruyere ready to go into oven in white ceramic Staub casserole

CAN I MAKE THIS GRATIN CASSEROLE AHEAD?

Yes, please make it ahead and save yourself some precious time on your holiday.

Bake gratin for a total of 60 minutes undercooking potatoes slightly, they should be a light brown instead of a deep golden brown.
Once cooled, cover with a sheet of wax paper pressed into the potatoes (protect against freezer burn), then cover with foil, sealing baking dish well.
If serving within 24-48 hours, refrigerate until ready to reheat. Or freeze up to 2 weeks.
For best texture and flavor, thaw in refrigerator overnight or bake from frozen (might require a bit more time).

Place in preheated 375°F oven (remove wax paper), covered for about 30-40 minutes, removing foil last 10 minutes to brown. Should be bubbly around edges and warmed in center with a deep golden brown hue.
To determine if warmed through, stick butter knife in middle of gratin holding for about 30 seconds. Remove knife, if warm or hot to touch, they are warmed through, if cool to touch, return to oven in 15 minute increments, covering with foil if browning too quickly.

Image of baked golden brown casserole of potatoes gratin gruyere in white ceramic baking dish

Are Potatoes Au Gratin Casserole Gluten Free?

Yes, without any changes to the ingredients, unless you are using pre-shredded cheese (watch those ingredients), this is a completely vegetarian and gluten free holiday side dish.

Let me know how you will serve your Potato Gratin!? Comment below the recipe.

PIN these Potatoes to your Favorite Holiday Recipes Board.

potato au gratin promo graphic for pinterest

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10-12 servings

Best Potato Gratin {Ever}

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

This is the best potato au gratin! A classic holiday dish; thinly sliced potatoes layered with a dreamy herb and garlic infused Béchamel sauce and rich and nutty Gruyère cheese; baked to golden, creamy, bubbly perfection! The perfect side for your holiday meal!

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk, I use whole milk
7 cloves garlic, crushed (or scant teaspoon garlic powder)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 - 1 teaspoon white pepper
6 russet potatoes (about 3 lbs) peeled
2 tablespoons butter, divided
6 oz Gruyere cheese or similar, grated

Instructions

Prepping Potato Gratin

Grease a 9x13x2 inch casserole dish (glass or ceramic preferred) with 1 tablespoon butter, set aside. I smoosh the butter in the dish using a paper towel to schmear evenly.
Bring milk, cream, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper to a low simmer. Cooking on low for 30 minutes. Strain out herbs and garlic into a bowl, discarding the herbs and garlic. Reserve infused cream mixture.
While your cream mixture simmers, slice the potatoes 1/8 inch thick -- if you've never used a mandolin slicer give it a try, your slices will be even and uniform and be done lickity-split! Place sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water until ready to assemble, then drain and pat dry.

Assembling & Baking Potato Gratin

Arrange potatoes in rows, overlapping slightly; seasoning each layer with sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle a handful of Gruyere cheese over potatoes and pour 1/2 cup cream mixture over the potatoes. Repeat steps twice, finish by pouring on an remaining cream mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon butter; cover with foil and bake.
Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 45 minutes; then remove foil and continue baking, uncovered for an additional 45 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly and potatoes are fork tender (insert fork into potatoes, they should yield to gentle pressure).

Notes

Tips for Making Ahead

Bake gratin for a total of about 60 minutes undercooking potatoes slightly, remove from oven and cool quickly by placing in refrigerator (be careful and place a hot pad or trivet on your fridge shelf. Remove them when they have a light brown color instead of a deep golden brown hue.
Once cooled, cover with a sheet of wax paper pressed into the potatoes (protect against freezer burn), then cover with foil and seal baking dish well.
If serving within 24-48 hours, refrigerate until ready to reheat. Or freeze up to 2 weeks for best texture and flavor, thaw in refrigerator overnight or bake from frozen (might require a bit more time).
Place in preheated 375°F oven (remove wax paper), covered for about 30-40 minutes, removing foil last 10 minutes to brown. Should be bubbly around edges and warmed in center with a deep golden brown hue.
To determine if warmed through, stick butter knife in middle of gratin holding for about 30 seconds. Remove knife, if warm or hot to touch, they are warmed through, if cool to touch, return to oven in 15 minute increments, covering with foil if browning too quickly.

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Rhonda

Monday 19th of April 2021

I made a similar recipe recently but this looks much better. The other had no flour in it either and my potatoes were still floating in the cream mixture. How do you get it to thicken without the addition of flour.?

Kathleen

Hi Rhonda, this is an amazing recipe, I believe it's a combination of simmering down the milk, cream mixture, using a starchier potato such as russets along with the cheese that helps it bubble and thicken. Sometimes if I do not put in quite enough potatoes mine will be "swimming" in the cream mixture a bit more too, but not typically, plus as it sits it firms up well! Hope that helps!

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Joanne

Tuesday 7th of April 2020

So excited to make these for our Easter dinner! My mouth is watering already. If fresh rosemary and thyme are not available what would you recommend for plan B?

Great question, Joanne! Generally speaking you swap ⅓ dried herbs for fresh. If a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or thyme, then add 1 teaspoon dried rosemary/thyme. And I have made it with dried herbs, I will update my recipe! Happy Easter!

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