An ultra cheesy potato gratin made with thinly sliced potatoes, heavy cream, butter and lots of cheese. Flavored with garlic, a hint of fresh thyme and crispy sage on top. It’s not only delicious, it’s also incredibly easy to make. The extra bonus? It’s the ultimate make ahead potato side dish. It’s luxurious and thoroughly indulgent.
Why You’ll Love this Cheesy Potato Gratin
It’s quite remarkable how so few ingredients can make something so irresistible. But actually, it’s pretty hard to go wrong when potatoes, cream and cheese are involved. This is the kind of dish where the potatoes become ultra soft under a golden cheesy carpet. The result is practically impossible to dislike.
How to Make Potato Gratin
Making potato gratin is really easy. We thinly slice the potatoes, toss with cream, spices and two cheese varieties. In order to let the edges become super crispy, we arrange them upright in a baking dish, instead of layering them flat as in a classic gratin. We add all of the excess cream/cheese mixture and bake, covered with aluminum foil, for about an hour. After this, we bake everything uncovered for 30 minutes more. And done!
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
Be sure to take some extra time to cut the potatoes in thin wedges, a mandoline is really helpful but a sharp chef’s knife will also work great here. It might seem intimidating to thinly slice this amount of potatoes, but I bet after three potatoes, you’ll be slicing like a pro.
Helpful Tips
- Arrange the potatoes snugly against each other to keep them upright in the dish, but not too tight, allowing space for the warm oven air to circulate around the cheese mixture. Longer and thinner potatoes will fit more tightly in the dish compared to shorter and thicker ones. It’s advisable to have extra potatoes available to slice more if needed.
- Use potatoes, like Russets, Yukon Gold, Charlotte, Idaho or Nicola.
- Cut the potatoes in thin wedges, a mandoline is really helpful but a sharp chef’s knife will work great here.
- Toss the sliced potato with your hands until every slice is coated with the cream-cheese mixture, make sure to separate any slices that are sticking together, to get them coated all over.
- You can use unpeeled or peeled potatoes.
- Any full fat cream works great here. For a lighter version, use light cream or half-and-half, but don’t try this with just milk.
- Instead of cheddar, you could use Gruyere, Gouda or Monterey Jack.
- Use cheese from a block, not pre-grated. By grating it yourself you ensure that the cheese fully melts and becomes as smooth and velvety as possible.
- Sweet potatoes will also work great here.
- Top with crispy bacon bits or toasted walnuts.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can prepare it without baking and refrigerate up to two days before. Or prepare it one day before, bake covered for 1 hour, allow to cool and refrigerate, then remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking and let sit at room temperature. Bake 30 minutes uncovered just before you serve the gratin (step 5).
Storage
- Fridge: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Store in airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Cheesy Potato Gratin
Ingredients
- 3 pounds starchy potatoes
- 3 ounces sharp cheddar
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 ¾ cups cream - 20% fat
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil - for greasing
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes - optional
Spices
- 2 tsp salt
- tsp black pepper
- tsp dried onion
- tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper - optional
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C/400 °F.
- Slice the potatoes, using a mandoline or a very sharp chef's knife, into 1/8"/ 3-4 mm thick.
- In a large bowl, grate the cheddar and Parmesan. Add spices, fresh thyme leaves, cream, milk and melted butter. Stir to combine. Then add potato slices and toss with your hands until every slice is coated with the cream-cheese mixture. Make sure to separate any slices that are sticking together to get the mixture in between every slice.
- Grease a baking dish with olive oil. Pick up a handful of potatoes, arrange the slices upright, against each other, until all potatoes have been added. If necessary, slice more potatoes. Pour excess cream-cheese mixture over the potatoes. Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 60 minutes or until tender and cooked through.
- After this, remove the aluminum foil. Sprinkle with extra black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and sage leaves. Return to the oven. Bake until deep golden brown and crispy on top, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, let rest for 10 minutes, serve. Enjoy!
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