With layers of tender potatoes enveloped in a velvety cheese sauce, scalloped potato au gratin is a classic comfort food that never fails to delight.
While growing up I loved scalloped potatoes au gratin. They came from a box and sort of “glowed” orange. glowed orange! As a kid I certainly didn’t care that they were made of dehydrated potatoes and powdered cheese and a bunch of other ingredients no one can pronounce. (I still see those boxed potatoes in the market to this day and I am always still a little tempted to buy them, but I can’t bring myself to do it when the real version is just so much better!
What are scalloped potatoes au gratin?
Simply put, scalloped potatoes au gratin is a classic dish consisting of thinly sliced potatoes layered with a creamy sauce, often including cheese, and baked until the potatoes are perfectly tender throughout and the top is golden brown and bubbly. Scalloped potatoes au gratin are often served on special occasions to accompany a tender beef roast, a holiday ham or a rack of lamb. It’s always everyone’s favorite side dish!
Finding the right recipe
The perfect potato au gratin is one where the layers are cooked perfect through from top to bottom, is creamy and rich, but holds together. Over the years, I have tested countless recipes and failed many, many attempts! There were attempts that came out watery, versions that were inedibly undercooked, or potatoes cooked perfectly, but lacking flavor. The worst of all, the version that resulted in a dish of mushy potatoes sitting in broken cream. As frustrated as I was, I persevered on my quest for the perfect scalloped potatoes au gratin recipe. It was worth all the effort, trials and tribulations to demystify the challenges of this finicky dish so I can share them with you.
Why this recipe works
The potato. The type of potato matters very much. You must choose fresh, russet potatoes. Every other style potatoes turned to mush.
Technique. After much testing, the perfect thickness of potatoes is exactly 1/8″. This is the perfect job for a mandolin.
Seasoning. Many recipes call for simply cream & potatoes, but it’s not enough to excite the palate. This dish responds really well to a touch of thyme so infusing the cream with thyme and garlic before mixing it into the potatoes elevates the flavor of the cream sauce to an other worldly level.
Ingredients. Cheese. Scalloped potatoe traditionalists may say cheese does not belong here. However these are “Au Gratin” ” style which includes cheese. In this recipe, a small amount of cheddar and parmesan are used to introduce a nuttiness and creaminess that you can’t achieve with cream alone. You don’t need much, but you need it.
Cooking. Covering the dish for part of the cooking time allows the potatoes to braise in the cream without drying out the top layer or burning it. This is the only successful way to get the potatoes cooked throughout evenly.
Resting. This is a very important step. This is a dish that needs a solid rest time of 10-15 minutes to let the dish set and cool, so you can enjoy it at its height of texture & flavor.
Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme plus more to finish
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- unsalted butter
- 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a saucepan, heat up the cream gently with the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, nutmeg and some salt and pepper.
- While the cream is heating, butter a casserole dish.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaves and thyme from the cream.
- Coat the bottom of the dish with a small amount of cream. Pour the remaining heated cream into a large bowl with the potato slices. Mix gently to coat the potatoes. Then select an approach for assembling.
- Option 1: Rustic approach. Sprinkle the Parmesan & Cheddar over the potatoes. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Mix to gently incorporate. Spoon the potatoes into the prepared dish. Level out the potatoes for uniform cooking time. Pour the remaining cream at the bottom of the bowl over the top. Top with more Parmesan and fresh thyme leaves. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, but poke holes in the foil for the steam to escape. Bake for about 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Option 2: Controlled approach. Create a base layer of potatoes slightly overlapping in the prepared casserole dish. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan & Cheddar cheese. (Do not cover potatoes completely with cheese or it will be oily! Just a gentle sprinkle of cheese on each layer will do.) Spoon a bit of cream over potatoes using your judgement on portioning for each layer. Repeat (about 4 layers?) layering potatoes, seasoning, cheeses and cream, ending with pouring any remaining cream over the top. Top with more Parmesan and fresh thyme leaves. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, but poke holes in the foil for the steam to escape. Bake for about 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
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