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Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes are the perfect side dish! A creamy cheesy sauce is layered between slices of potatoes before it’s baked in the oven with plenty of extra cheese on top. This recipe is a viral hit every time I share it because it’s easy to make and adds a creamy, cheesy and flavorful dish to your dinner table.
If you love cheesy potatoes, then you will love this recipe. Serve this recipe during the holidays or even for a casual weeknight dinner.
Scalloped Potatoes vs Au Gratin Potatoes
Scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes are both creamy delectable dishes made with sliced potatoes. The difference between these types of potatoes is the cheese! Scalloped potatoes are baked in a cream sauce, but au gratin potatoes are more decadent. They are layered with a cheese sauce and plenty of cheese sprinkled on top.
This recipe is somewhat of a combination of scalloped and au gratin potatoes as we use a roux based cream sauce for the base and add in plenty of cheddar cheese. The potatoes are baked in the sauce with even more cheese sprinkled on top.
Best Kind of Potatoes for Au Gratin
Baby or Yukon Gold Potatoes are the best choice for au gratin. These potatoes hold their shape well and give a buttery texture. Baby potatoes can be roasted whole or halved, while Yukon Golds should be cut into chunks.
Some recipes call for Russet potatoes, but using Yukon Gold potatoes will result in the best au gratin potatoes. This is because Yukon gold potatoes have a moderate amount of starch which helps them absorb the cheesy sauce. You also want a potato that holds it shape and doesn’t fall apart. Russet potatoes are high in stach and will easily fall apart.
Other Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bacon: I use bacon to add flavor. It also makes this dish unique compared to other au gratin recipes. If you don’t eat bacon, skip it- but add more butter to make a roux!
- Roasted Garlic: Enhances the flavor of the dish. A must for flavorful au gratin potatoes!
- Butter: Use unsalted butter.
- Flour: The flour is used to thicken the sauce and make a roux.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the best flavor.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: This recipe uses plenty of shredded cheddar cheese to melt in the sauce and layer on top of the potatoes.
- Spices: I use paprika, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt and pepper to season these potatoes.
How to Make Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes Step by Step with Photos
- Slice and Parboil Potatoes- Peel and slice your potatoes thin. Then, Boil them for about 8 minutes, immediately transferring them to cool water to stop the cooking process.
- Cook the bacon: In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, set it aside and then crumble it. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet.
- Make the sauce: Melt the butter in the same skillet, then whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden. Pour in the milk and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens. Stir in the garlic, paprika, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese until melted.
- Assemble the au gratin potatoes: Add the sliced potatoes to a baking dish. Pour the sauce over the potatoes, ensuring that everything is evenly coated. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon on top.
- Bake the potatoes: Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for 40 minutes. Remove, then, sprinkle additional cheese on top and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden and bubbly. Broil at the end.
- Serve: Let the potatoes rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can assemble the dish ahead of time, cover it with plastic wrap and then bake it the next day. You may need to increase the baking time 5 to 10 minutes since the dish is cold or let the dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Store leftover au gratin potatoes in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
Cheesy au gratin potatoes are a versatile dish. They are the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Other serving suggestions are below:
FAQs
Yes! While Yukon Gold and baby potatoes work best for their creamy texture, red potatoes or fingerlings are also great options. Russet potatoes work too but will be a bit fluffier inside.
Sure, begin by making a roux. add 2 tablespoons of butter to make up for the bacon fat.
Absolutely! Prep and assemble the dish in advance. Then cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake the next day. Bake and serve.
Fresh garlic gives the best flavor, but if you’re in a pinch, garlic powder can work too. Use about 1 teaspoon for every 2 cloves of fresh garlic.
Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon chopped
- 2 bulbs roasted garlic
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter add an additional 2 tablespoons if skipping the bacon
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon rosemary chopped
- 6 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
- 4-5 medium yukon gold potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- To roast two bulbs of garlic, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C), slice the tops off the bulbs to expose the cloves, drizzle them with olive oil, wrap in foil, and bake for about 30-35 minutes until soft and golden.
- While your garlic is roasting, start by slicing the potatoes thin. Bring water to a boil in a large pot and boil the potatoes for 8 minutes. Remove and blanch them in ice-cold water.
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, set aside.
- In the same pan you cooked the bacon, add the butter to the skillet with the bacon fat. Once melted, add flour and whisk to create a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes until golden.
- Gradually pour in the milk and chicken broth, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens.
- Add the roasted garlic, salt, black pepper, paprika, thyme and rosemary. Stir to combine. If needed, use a mash potato press to incorporate garlic into the sauce.
- Gradually stir in the cheese until the sauce is creamy.
- Place the sliced potatoes in the baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes, ensuring they are evenly coated.
- Bake the potatoes, uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees- then, remove them and add mozzarella cheese and bacon and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden and bubbly. Add parsley at the end, and broil for charred top.
- Let the potatoes rest for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was delicious. It was simple, roasting garlic was a first for me and it was perfection, and overall the flavors were a great balance. I’d love to see how Toni lays out the potatoes to ensure even distribution of the sauce.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Using the bacon fat for the roux is a game changer
Love love loveeee this recipe! Made this for Friendsgiving and it turned out amazing! Will be making 2x serving for Thanksgiving. This recipe is super easy to follow and execute! The fresh garlic clove and bacon are the cherry on top!! Two more days until we get to have more of these delicious cheesy potatoes!!
Made this recipe over the weekend and it was so good!! Making it again this week for thanksgiving. My new go to recipe for potatoes au gratin!!
I brought these to Friendsgiving yesterday and everyone loved it!
10/10 recipe!!!
This is my second time making these potatoes, and they’re even better than the first time. It’s my new favorite recipe!
Made this Potatoes Au Gratin recipe for the first time, and it’s officially a new favorite!
These potatoes were absolutely amazing! I made them last night, and I’m already thinking about making them again this weekend. Perfectly creamy and full of flavor!
Just tried this recipe, and it was so delicious! Can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers tonight!
I made this recipe yesterday, and it was so good! The flavors were perfect, and even my picky kids cleaned their plates.