Why Mash, When You Could Gratin?
Whether you’re looking to up your holiday side dish game, or simply for a cozy, indulgent way to spruce up your next dinner party menu, these homemade au gratin potatoes are a winner every time. Laden with nutty Gruyère and the umami-punch of Parmesan cheese, and baked in a bath of silky cream, they’re an edible embodiment of Mae West’s fabulous adage—”too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” Classic potatoes au gratin are everything a holiday dish is supposed to be—elegant, rich, luxurious, extraordinary—and this particular au gratin recipe is the best of the best.
What Does “Au Gratin” Mean, Anyway?
Au gratin is a French culinary term that refers to a dish (usually a potato dish) topped with grated cheese (and/or breadcrumbs), cream, butter, then baked until browned and crispy. But what—you may be asking yourself—is the difference between potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes? Though once upon a time their definitions and preparations varied, today the two terms are pretty much completely interchangeable. Those cheesy scalloped potatoes you loved as a kid? Our au gratin potatoes recipe is essentially the same thing.
How to Make Potatoes Au Gratin
To make this classic, comforting recipe, you’ll simply layer all of these gorgeous flavors in a baking dish and let heat work its melty, browning, bubbly magic:
- Potatoes. Obviously. We call for russet potatoes in our au gratin recipe, but Yukon Golds are also delicious. Bonus: if you use Yukons, you don’t have to peel them.
- Butter. We can’t get enough of it this time of year.
- Heavy cream. See above.
- Cheese mix. The combination of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and nutty Swiss Gruyère—the world’s best melting cheese, if you ask us—makes for the best potatoes au gratin. End of story.
Tools You’ll Need For This Easy Potato Gratin:
Though few tools are needed to make our scalloped potatoes with cheese, one, in particular, we’d be especially lost without. But only the best for these potatoes au gratin with Gruyère.
- Mandoline slicer. This slicer takes the tediousness out of cutting the potatoes and also ensures uniform thickness. Even if you use it for just this gratin recipe it’s still a must in our book.
- Small saucepan. For the best potatoes au gratin recipe, only a warm, garlicky mix of butter and heavy cream will do.
- 9x13 casserole dish or gratin pan. Either will work, but we prefer the circular gratin pan because it’s shallow and offers more surface area for blistery-topped goodness.
One Potato, Two Potato.
Potatoes are the ultimate carby comfort—they’re always our favorite thing on any holiday menu. Here are four of our very favorite, festive potato recipes:
- Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic and Herb Butter
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes with Gremolata
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Potato Leek Au Gratin
Grateful for Gratin
Were your homemade potatoes au gratin the grand marshall of the holiday side dishes parade? Show us your cheese-blistered au gratin goodness and tag us @themodernproper and #themodernproper.
