There are few dishes that capture the soul of comfort food with such elegance as Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin. A timeless staple in my family’s Easter Sunday celebration, this luxurious casserole is the perfect counterpart to a glazed baked ham — rich, velvety layers of thinly sliced potatoes enveloped in cream and crowned with bubbling, golden cheese. It’s indulgence served with grace.
The Cheese
While Gruyère remains my fromage of choice — beloved for its nutty depth and superior melt, this dish welcomes versatility. Should you lean toward the sharp tang of aged cheddar, or crave the creamy melt of Fontina and the crystalline bite of Parmigiano-Reggiano, feel free to mix and match. Each variation brings its own nuance, turning the dish into a blank canvas for your personal taste.
Slicing to Perfection
The most common misstep making this dish is undercooked potatoes — a tragedy easily averted. The key lies in slicing thin, uniform cuts and essential for even cooking and a melt-in-the-mouth texture. A mandoline slicer is indispensable here, delivering precision and speed. Aim for slices about 1/8-inch thick to ensure the layers bake evenly into creamy perfection.
Making Potato Magic
To save time with pre-dinner preparation, assemble as directed, but hold back the final sprinkle of cheese. Cover the surface tightly with plastic wrap, pressing it gently onto the top layer to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring the dish to room temperature for about 30 minutes, add the reserved cheese, and bake until gloriously golden and bubbling at the edges.
Preheat oven to 375. Rub the bottom and sides of a 10 X 12 baking dish with the garlic – reserve the garlic and brush pan generously with butter. Place the cream, milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper and thyme into a heavy bottom pot
Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/8″ thick rounds with a mandolin to achieve uniform thickness. Place the potatoes in the pot as you work to prevent them from turning brown. Do not rinse the potatoes because you want to retain all the starch. Gently combine with a spatula and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer 1-2 more minutes.
Spoon 1/3 of the potatoes and sauce mixture into your baking dish, sprinkle with 1/3 of the gruyere cheese and repeat layering twice more.
Loosely cover the dish with parchment lined aluminum foil, parchment side down and bake until potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil and turn the oven to broil. Broil until the potatoes and cheese are bubbly and browned, 3-5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Rest and cool 20 minutes before serving.
Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin
Scalloped yukon gold potatoes baked with gruyere
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic – peeled and smashed
- Butter – room temp
- 4 pounds yukon gold potatoes – peeled and sliced thinly with a mandoline
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 TBL fresh thyme – packed
- 1 TBL salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 7–8 oz gruyere cheese – coarsely grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Rub the bottom and sides of a 10 X 12 baking dish with the garlic – reserve the garlic and brush pan generously with butter
- Place the cream, milk, nutmeg, salt, pepper and thyme into a heavy bottom pot
- Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/8″ thick rounds with a mandolin to achieve uniform thickness of the potatoes. Place the potatoes in the pot as you work to prevent them from turning brown. Do not rinse the potatoes because you want to retain all the starch
- Gently combine with a spatula and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer 1-2 more minutes
- Spoon 1/3 of the potatoes and sauce mixture into your baking dish
- Sprinkle with 1/3 of the gruyere cheese and repeat layering twice more
- Loosely cover the dish with parchment lined aluminum foil, parchment side down
- Bake until potatoes are tender, about 40 minutes, remove the foil and turn the oven to broil
- Broil until the potatoes and cheese are bubbly and browned, 3-5 minutes
- Remove from the oven. Rest and cool 20 minutes before serving