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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 the best thing I’ve eaten in a long time. It was perfect and cheesy and just yummy
I like to double the cheese amount, but other than that this recipe is a 10/10 all the way
10/10 I will be making this one again this weekend!!!
I would like to know how many servings this recipe has? It looks amazing and I really want to try making it!!
Delicious! I will definitely make this again. As a matter of fact, this will be my go-to recipe for au gratin potatoes.
Any chance this could work in the crockpot? Too many things to put in the oven this holiday season and trying to save time also.
Your ingredient list does not call for mozzarella but then says to add mozzarella! Please update so people don’t end up like me with no mozzarella.
These potatoes are absolutely delicious! Creamy, cheesy, and baked to perfection. They were a hit at dinner, and I can’t wait to make them again!
Made this for a Friendsgiving and it was SOOO GOOD I had to make it again !
I made this potato dish for thanksgiving and it was a show-stoper!!! It was absolutely delicious. Thank you Toni for this amazing recipe!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!!