Tender Au Gratin Potatoes (Print Version)

Thinly sliced potatoes baked in rich garlic cream with layers of Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 3 lbs Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

03 - 4 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 cups heavy cream
05 - 2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
06 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Spices & Seasonings

07 - 1 tsp salt
08 - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter.
02 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in heavy cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Heat until just simmering, then remove from heat.
03 - Arrange half of the sliced potatoes in the prepared baking dish. Pour half of the cream mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle with half of the Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses.
04 - Layer the remaining potatoes on top. Pour the remaining cream mixture evenly over the potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses.
05 - Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
06 - Remove foil and continue baking for 20 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes are tender.
07 - Allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes before serving to set.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It looks and tastes fancy enough for company, but honestly takes less effort than you'd expect.
  • The contrast between that crackling golden top and the silky interior is pure comfort in a baking dish.
  • It pairs with almost everything, or honestly, you can eat it alone on a Tuesday night and feel completely satisfied.
02 -
  • Slice your potatoes thin and even—I use a mandoline now because I learned the hard way that thick, chunky slices take forever to cook through and you'll end up with crispy edges and hard centers.
  • Don't skip the simmering step for the cream; it needs to warm through so the potatoes bake evenly and the sauce thickens properly.
03 -
  • If your cream seems thin before baking, that's normal—the potatoes release starch that thickens everything up as it cooks.
  • The foil-then-unfoil method is crucial: it steams the potatoes through without burning the cheese, then the final uncovered time creates that golden, slightly crispy top.
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