Au Gratin Potatoes
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes | Stand Time: 15 – 30 minutes |Total Time: 2 hours, 10 minutes | Serves: 8
I am collaborating with The Spice and Tea Exchange in Blowing Rock, NC. It is a beautiful store, filled with aromas and flavors that would make any foodie swoon. You are encouraged to smell and taste as you browse. I love that about this store! You’re not guessing; you can make a confident purchase. The area in North Carolina is beautiful, so stick around to tour the attractions and enjoy the local faves.
There are some spices that have just stolen my heart. One of my absolute favorite products is Onion Obsession Spice Blend, and the name truly tells of its secret. You’ll become obsessed, too, on how many recipes you can add this super-flavor spice blend.
Au Gratin Potatoes are a great side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Switch out your regular mashed potatoes for this cheesy and creamy potato side dish.
I won’t split hairs, well – maybe a little – that there are actual differences between “au gratin” and “scalloped” potatoes. From adding cheese to not adding cheese, to the thickness of the sliced potatoes, one dish does differ from the other. Thekitchn.com has this article full of info.
Mise en place is essential here. Have all things prepped… scrub the potatoes, dice the onion and garlic, shred cheeses, etc. Reading through the recipe thoroughly beforehand is always a good practice.
Higher fat dairy, such as heavy cream and whole milk are less likely to split and make your sauce look curdled. They also make your sauce richer and creamier, and who would not like that?
I would not bake these potatoes at a higher temperature than 350 degrees. Higher temps can cause your sauce to split and more oil to collect on the surface of the potatoes. Which, by the way, if you do have some oils that have surfaced, a folded paper towel can be gently dabbed to soak that up.
You are making gourmet Au Gratin Potatoes here. Please, I beg you, do not use Velveeta or a package of pre-shredded cheese in this recipe. Go for a gourmet melting cheese… Fontina, Gruyere, Parmesan, white extra-sharp cheddar, etc. Pre-shredded cheeses do not melt as well anyway, so buy a block of something awesome and shred it yourself. Gruyere is a classic in an Au Gratin dish.
(The photo with the blue dish is the recipe made with Russet potatoes.)
I have listed Gorgonzola cheese in the list of ingredients. It’s not a “must” in this recipe, but highly recommended (or I wouldn’t have put it there). There was a recipe on Epicurious decades ago called “Scalloped Potatoes with Three Cheeses” and this lovely blue was super delicious in it!
So, here’s your recipe for Au Gratin Potaoes… thinly sliced, cheesy, and perfectly baked. Yum. I dare you to take this to a potluck. You may be pressured the rest of your life to bring it for every occasion.
Enjoy!
Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Vidalia onion, 1/4" dice (approximately 3/4 cup)
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Finely Ground White Pepper, The Spice and Tea Exchange
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and finely minced
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons Onion Obsession Spice Blend, The Spice and Tea Exchange
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flake, optional, The Spice and Tea Exchange
- 3 cups cheese, shredded, divided, see Notes
- 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled, optional, see Notes
- 2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold, or golden potatoes, scrubbed, but left whole, see Notes
- 3 tablespoons fresh chives, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3 to 4-quart baking dish or a 9x13” dish.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, add the onion and sauté until softened, stirring often. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down if the onion is beginning to burn.
- Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 20 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir to combine until no lumps of flour are seen.
- Slowly add the milk and heavy cream while whisking. Add the Onion Obsession and Crushed Red Pepper Flake if using.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Stir until slightly thickened, and turn the heat down to low.
- Add 2 cups of the cheeses by handfuls, stirring after each addition until melted and combined.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust as desired (salt, pepper, etc.).
- Now, slice the scrubbed potatoes and add to the cheese sauce, stirring to cover all the potatoes with the sauce. (If your saucepan/pot is not big enough, you can slice the potatoes into a large bowl, then pour the sauce over the potatoes and combine to coat everything.)
- If you are adding the Gorgonzola cheese, pour half of the potatoes into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle with the Gorgonzola, then top with the remaining half of the potatoes. If not adding the Gorgonzola, pour all the potatoes into the baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Remove the foil and top with the reserved 1 cup of cheese. Continue to bake uncovered for another 15 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender (a fork easily pierces through the potatoes without resistance), bubbling, and the cheeses on the top are nicely browned. You may utilize your broiler for more browning, but keep an eye on it the whole time the broiler is on your potatoes.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Top with the chives and serve very warm and thoroughly enjoy.
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