When I was growing up, holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter were made incredibly special thanks to my Dad’s family; they had the best get-togethers which included a massive array of food and I was always excited to get on my best dress and make an appearance.
Typically at these big gatherings filled with laughter, you’d find my aunt cooking both ham and turkey (try my delicious turkey recipe!), creamy mashed potatoes sprinkled with paprika, green bean casserole, at least 4 different kinds of pies from Baker’s Square (try my french silk pie, cherry or apple!), and of course, my Dad’s cheesy, creamy au gratin potatoes recipe filled with layers of thinly sliced potatoes, cheese, onions and a crispy cheesy topping. Always, always one of my favorite things to go overboard and load up on during the holidays!
Today I’m re-sharing the recipe inspired by my Dad, who passed away just over 13 years ago. He was the best cook, and I know his love of food needs to be shared with all of you. I hope you make these — we love them for Thanksgiving dinner and Easter brunch, but they’re also perfect for Sunday dinners with roasted chicken or my maple glazed salmon. Pure nostalgic love in this pan of creamy, cheesy potatoes.
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Everything you’ll need to make au gratin potatoes
These cheesy potatoes au gratin use super simple ingredients and are easy to customize with your favorite cheeses. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Yukon gold potatoes: the base of these au gratin potatoes is of course, potatoes! I like to use yukon gold potatoes in this recipe for the best buttery flavor.
- Onion: we’re adding a little savory element to these au gratin potatoes with sliced onion. the onion gets delicious and slightly caramelized while the potatoes bake. Plus the cheese sauce infuses with incredible onion flavor.
- For the cheese sauce: you’ll make a cheese sauce using salted butter, all purpose flour (whole wheat, all purpose, or gluten free 1:1 flour will all work), unsweetened almond milk (regular, skim or whole milk will also work) and sharp cheddar cheese, gruyere cheese & grated parmesan cheese. Very important to use sharp cheddar cheese here for optimal flavor!
- To season: you’ll add garlic powder, salt & black pepper to the cheese sauce to give it the perfect flavor.
- For topping: add a little fresh chopped parsley for a hint of green on top!
What’s the difference between scalloped and au gratin potatoes?
Classic au gratin potatoes usually have cheese sauce between each layer of thinly sliced potatoes and breadcrumbs on top. Scalloped potatoes often use a cream sauce made of butter & broth and sliced potatoes. Truth be told, it doesn’t really matter what you call them!
In this au gratin potatoes recipe, we’re skipping the breadcrumbs and heavy cream, adding some savory onions and making them extra cheesy with three types of cheese.
How to make au gratin potatoes
These potatoes au gratin may look fancy, but they couldn’t be easier to make:
- Prep your pan. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a 2 quart square or casserole dish, or an 8×12 baking dish.
- Add your potatoes. Place sliced potatoes in three tight slanted rows as indicated in the photos.
- Make your creamy sauce. Melt butter in a pan, whisk in some flour and slowly alternate between milk and flour. Once it’s nice and thick you’ll add your cheeses and seasonings.
- Cover those potatoes & bake. Pour the sauce evenly over the potatoes and onions to cover them. Don’t worry, the sauce will get nice and creamy while baking. Then cover with foil and bake!
- More cheese, bake & serve. After they’ve baked for about 45 minutes and the potatoes are nice and tender, sprinkle with more cheese and bake again until nice and golden brown on top and potatoes can be pierced with a fork. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Tips for the best au gratin potatoes
- Evenly slice your potatoes. Do your best to make sure your potato slices are even and about 1/8 inch thick so that they cook evenly. A mandolin makes this super easy!
- Don’t squish them. You don’t want the sliced potatoes to be overly tight, so make sure you leave enough space so the potato slices are slightly slanted. Add in onion slices in between the rows and on top of potatoes. Basically wherever you can fit them.
- Shred the cheese. Do this by hand instead of using pre-shredded. It will melt much better!
- Season as-needed. When you’re done mixing together your cheese sauce, be sure to taste it and add more salt and pepper as you see fit. Everyone has a slightly different preference for saltiness, so you be the judge and remember it’s coating lots of potatoes.
Customize this dish
- Add bacon or ham. You read that right! Make them super savory and delicious by adding 6-8 ounces of cooked, chopped bacon or ham to the cheese sauce or onto the potatoes before pouring the sauce.
- Switch up your cheeses. No stress if you don’t have gruyere, feel free to add extra cheddar or even mix it up with a smoky gouda or even a spicy cheese.
- Add breadcrumbs. If you want a little crunchy topping, add some breadcrumbs or even crushed up Ritz crackers to the top after pouring the cheese sauce.
- Use sweet potatoes. This recipe would be delicious with sweet potatoes as well, or you can try my chipotle gouda scalloped sweet potatoes!
Can au gratin potatoes be made ahead of time?
You can absolutely make these cheesy au gratin potatoes up to three days ahead of time! Simply pour the sauce over the potatoes as directed, then cover the pan with foil and instead of baking, place in the fridge until ready to bake. Please note that they may take a bit longer to bake, likely an additional 15-20 minutes, as the sauce will be cold.
How to store potatoes au gratin
- To store: simply store these au gratin potatoes in the refrigerator in individual, airtight containers or covering the entire pan and placing it in the refrigerator. They’ll stay good for up to 5 days.
- To reheat: reheat individual portions in the microwave or place the pan back in the oven until heated through.
Recommended tools
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What to pair with au gratin potatoes
Serving these delicious potatoes for Easter brunch? Here are some great additions to your Easter menu:
- Apple & Brie Crostini with Hot Honey
- Spinach & Goat Cheese Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust
- The Best Cinnamon Rolls You’ll Ever Eat
- Upside-Down Orange Caramel Pecan French Toast Bake
- Roasted Carrot Cauliflower Quinoa Salad with Sunshine Dressing
- Healthy Tuna Noodle Casserole
- The Best Healthy Carrot Cake You’ll Ever Eat (gluten free & paleo-friendly!)
- Healthy 4 Ingredient Reese’s Eggs
Get all of our delicious Thanksgiving recipes here!
I hope you love my dad’s cheesy, creamy au gratin potatoes! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Dad’s Creamy & Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6-7 medium yukon gold potatoes, thinly sliced into 1/8th inch rounds (3 pounds gold potatoes -- by weight is a more accurate measure)
- ½ white or yellow onion, cut into slices
- For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour (whole wheat, all purpose, or gluten free 1:1 flour will all work)
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (regular, skim or whole milk will also work)
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- For topping:
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese (or sub more sharp cheddar)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- To garnish:
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 2 quart square baking dish (or an 8x12 is good) with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter or oil.
- Place sliced potatoes in three tight slanted rows as indicated in the photos. You don’t want them to be overly tight, make sure you leave enough space so the potato slices are slightly slanted. Add in onion slices in between the rows and on top of potatoes. Basically wherever you can fit them.
- Next make your sauce: add in 2 tablespoons of butter and place over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in a little bit of the flour and then slowly add in milk, a little bit at a time, alternating with the flour and vigorously whisking away any lumps. Bring mixture to a simmer; it should be a similar consistency to creamy gravy.
- Turn heat to low and stir in shredded cheddar cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the potatoes and onions to cover them. Don’t worry, the sauce will get nice and creamy while baking.
- Cover the pan with foil, then bake for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, remove foil, sprinkle top of potatoes with 1/2 cup shredded gruyere (or more cheddar) and ¼ cup parmesan. Return to the oven and bake for 30-45 more minutes or until potatoes are done and nice and golden brown on top. (Potatoes are done when the middle of the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork.) Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on November 9th, 2020, republished on November 22nd, 2021, republished on April 11th, 2022, and republished on November 1st, 2022.
280 comments
This was a favourite of my Dad though I don’t believe he ever made it, just ate it!
Love it! Such a great side.
The creamiest and most delicious potatoes ever!! Also super simple to make but tastes gourmet 🙂 I’ll be making this over and over again!
Absolutely! Glad you loved them 🙂
Cheesy, creamy, delicious. Gold potatoes are a must for that wonderful texture. I made it in an 8×8 because it’s all I had and it was a squeeze but not bad. I loved the bit of onion texture honestly but the husband does not lol. I will sneak it in next time. Had leftovers with toast, egg, & hot sauce!
I was so excited about these potatoes but they didn’t work for me. My fault though I think because I didn’t have Yukon gold so had to use Russet. I used the same amount (3 lbs) and followed the rest of the recipe to a T. Put everything in a 2.5 quart. The problem was the bottom half of the casserole dish were unflavored potatoes and only the top half of the casserole was yummy. It’s like the sauce never hit the bottom half of the potatoes and only hit the top half. We ate the top half and will eat the bottom half tomorrow – by turning them into hash browns. 😉 Will try again with Yukon golds and see if that was the mistake.
Sorry to hear that! Next time I would make sure that the potato slices are packed too tightly into the rows so that the cheese sauce gets all the way through.
Made these for Thanksgiving and they were the hit of the side dishes. The leftovers are all gone!
So happy everyone loved them!
AMAZING cheesy potatoes! Recipe was so easy to follow and easy to make ahead. I cut the recipe in half for just me and my husband, and we devoured almost half the pan by ourselves in one day! Highly recommend!
Perfect! Such a great side!
Made this for thanksgiving last night and it was out of this world!! So creamy, so delicious!
I’m glad it was a hit!!
This recipe is SO good!! We made it last week and last night for Thanksgiving. It’s simple and delicious!! My husband really loves the crispy-cheesy edges;)
I follow you on Instagram and love to see all of your wonderful recipes you post daily. Thank you and Happy Holidays!!
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Sarah 🙂 And thanks so much! Hope you had a great holiday!
These turned out SO good! I followed the recipe exactly and my family loved them. I made them a day before as Monique recommends. My husband said it was his favorite thing on thanksgiving and everyone asked for the recipe. I’d highly recommend this! Would be great to make for a breakfast or brunch menu too.
So happy to hear that! Love these for brunch, too 🙂
Great recipe! I made it for dinner and it was delicious. 🥰
So happy you loved it!
Do you think that oat milk would work? Have family members with dairy and nut allergies.
Yes that should work! I suggest making sure the oat milk isn’t sweet.
Made this tonight and it was amazing!! I only had 4 potatoes though, but didn’t mind the extra sauce at all 🙂 and we will be making this again for Christmas dinner! Thanks for the recipe!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
The ingredients say Yukon potatoes but the directions say sweet potato slices. Which should I use?
Yukon potatoes 🙂
These were delicious! I only had a few russet potatoes on hand, so I used them and halved the recipe and baked in an 8×8 dish. The onions were so great. I made this dish for Christmas Eve and hopefully will be making them every year! Thanks for the wonderful recipe. 🙂
Perfect! Great idea 🙂 Glad you enjoyed!
Loved these potatoes! I made them for my family for Christmas and my husband said they’re the best potatoes we’ve ever had in our house! I only had to cook them for 30 min after adding the cheese and they were perfectly crispy!
So happy to hear that!!
I made these from Christmas and no exaggeration, I could eat these forever. So good!
Love that! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
SO good!! I usually make your slow cooker mashed potatoes for holidays because husband loves them, but I decided to switch it up this Christmas and make these. Seriously amazing. I couldn’t find gruyere at my grocery store, so I used smoked Gouda per your recommendation in the post, and it was delish!
-also thank you for giving alternative ingredient options for the ingredients that can be hard to find! So thoughtful!
This recipe looks delicious – thanks for sharing.
Enjoy!
These potatoes Are fantastic! Simple ingredients and an easy side for any meal!
The most yummy potatoes period. This will not disappoint!! Delicious for thanksgiving or any day. And all the days after. Great as leftovers. Made them with my dad which was fitting 😊 Will be a staple for our family.
Absolutely! Love that!
Have made this recipe three times because the first was so good. Tried with different milk options – all were good. Great to make-ahead earlier in the day for dinner!!
We made these for Valentine’s Day 2021 and they were the best side dish to our steaks. They were just as the title states creamy, cheesy but also perfectly seasoned. We baked ours in small heart cocottes and they were oh so cute. I absolutely loved the recipe! I love following Monique and her sweet little family on Instagram which lead me to this blog which has some amazing recipes!
Love that idea! I hope you keep finding recipes here that you love, too 🙂
Question for you all, all I have is mild chedder cheese and mozzarella, may I use one or both of these cheeses?
Yes that will work just fine!
Tonight will be the second time I have made your fathers gratin recipe. It turned out absolutely lovely the first time so fingers crossed.
many thanks to your dad, he must have been a very fine cook.
Amazing! So happy to hear that. He was 🙂
Will be making this soon can i use vegan butter and cheese as am a vegan i love potatoes soooooooooooo much i never had au potatoes before will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
Amazing! Hope you love it!
What a lovely recipe, we enjoyed it so much! I really love that it can be prepared in advance. Another hit from my dear AK 😀
So happy to hear that!!
I made this exactly as written and it was fantastic. Two thumbs up from my husband with a comment of, “Save that recipe for the next time we want cheesy potatoes.” Good tip of slowly incorporating flour and milk to make the sauce. There were no lumps. I make recipes like this for holiday dinners and this was an excellent side dish for our Easter meal. Great recipe, Monique. Thanks!
Love that! This is our fav for holidays 🙂 So glad you both enjoyed!
I haven’t tried these yet-just had a question. My cheese “sauce” ended up so thick I ended up just spreading it across the top and have to hope it melts into the bottom. The only difference was using half and half because my skim milk expired and I didn’t want to use the rest of my husband’s 2% milk. Do you think it’s the half and half that made the difference?
It could have as half and half is indeed much thicker, but the cheese sauce will thin out upon cooking so it should be just fine! let me know how it goes.
Can this recipe be increased for a larger crowd?
Of course!
I can’t wai to make this for Thanksgiving. I found you on tik tok. I went grocery shopping for everything and did not buy Yukon potatoes. I bought regular potatoes. Please advise if the dish can still be prepared?
Those should work, but I like to use yukon gold potatoes in this recipe for the best buttery flavor.
I’ve never found a potatoes au gratin recipe I liked until now! I gave this one a whirl and brought it to Easter dinner at a relative’s house. It was the hit of the dinner. Every person had seconds. I made double the recipe and added a few pinches of sour salts (citric acid) to the cheese sauce (I always add lemon juice or citric acid to any cream sauce, the contrast enhances the flavor) and that was the only change. What made this taste so delicious? Was it the almond milk? I’ve never used almond milk before. Several people wanted the recipe. Winner!!!!
Amazing! So glad it was a hit and great tip on the little bit of acidity!
These potatoes are wonderful! I especially appreciated the make ahead directions. Perfect to prepare earlier in the day and pop them in the oven for dinner. Will certainly be making these again and again!
Forgot to add my 5 stars!
Absolutely – so easy! Glad you love them!
Definitely the best potatoes (scalloped/gratin) that we’ve made! And we’ve made a few different versions over the years. This will be in our reg rotation to go with a roast ham. Thank you 😊!
Amazing! I’m so glad 🙂
Made these for Easter dinner – blown away!
So glad you loved it!
Made these for Easter and they were amazing! My family is still talking about them!
So happy to hear that!!
So easy to make and delicious.
Glad you enjoyed!
LOVED THIS RECIPE! made it for Easter and it was a hit will be adding this to the yearly menu!
I’m so glad!!
This recipe is delicious and easy to follow. I made it for Easter and everyone loved it. The recipe is straightforward and has the perfect combination of cheese,onion and potato.. We had them for leftovers and they were just as good the second and third night. Thank you.
So glad it was a hit! One of my favs, too 🙂
Wow, these cheesy potatoes are amazing. I made them for Easter brunch and they were a hit! It paired will with ham and eggs.
Love that! Perfect brunch pairing 🙂
So easy and a crowd pleaser. I added some white pepper for a little heat.
Love it! Glad you enjoyed!
Another absolute winner by AK!
The flavors were on point – the seasonings were perfectly balanced. I had this on the menu and my time got away from me…………as much as I wanted to do the beautiful presentation, I was in a mad rush to get it done and have everything timed right. I did use the mandolin (the ONLY way to go!) on both the potatoes and onion. I spread the potatoes out, did a thin layer, more of a scattering, of super thin onion and then repeated both and followed the instructions the rest of the way. The onion adds a very subtle sweetness and depth. This was loved by all 4 generations at the table, including the non-potato fans (GASP!).
Perfect! So happy to hear these were a hit 🙂 The taste is all that matters!
These potatoes are delicious. I did straight cheddar. Really flavorful dish.
Love it! Glad you enjoyed!
These sound delicious! Would I be able to substitute with cheese sauce? Like mix some of that in for a light cheesy flavor?
Hi! I’m not sure what you mean – this recipe has a cheese sauce you’ll make for the potatoes 🙂
Amazing recipe. Have made this several times and it never disappoints. The onions are a nice touch. Do not skimp. I have made it with and without gruyere and while it can be a splurge, it is definitely worth it!
Absolutely! Glad you love these!
I made this with kielbasa and it was amazing. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Love that idea!! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
The recipe looks like it should have come out good, however perhaps its because I tried to replace the almond milk with whole dairy milk, or perhaps the ham I added had too much water content, it seems to have just come out a runny mess. I am not sure adjusting the roux would have helped either although the 2 tablespoons of butter to 1/4 cup flour made the roux very dry. Perhaps I will try again without the ham and subs.
I’ve made this countless times and it’s never come out watery for me! The whole dairy milk could have added extra moisture to the recipe.
I only had mozzarella and this is still so delicious!
So happy to hear that! Thanks for the review, Stella!
Horrible recipe- too much liquid the sauce did not thicken AT ALL so I’ve got cheesy milk soup with potatoes in it
Strange–I’ve never had that problem! It should look like the sauce in the photo above^. Any chance you missed an ingredient or measured incorrectly?
These are sooooo yummy! I have made them twice this week because I loved them so much. I didn’t have almond milk on hand but used homemade cashew milk. I added approx 1.5 teaspoons of arrowroot in place of flour to make them gluten free. Turned out so thick and creamy! Also, adding some Tabasco sauce on the finished product is superb! Thank you for this fabulous recipe, Monique!
My 19 year old daughter found your Dads recipe and finally just now took it out of the oven completed. It’s WONDERFUL!!!!!!
Made it for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. We are a family of five, four of us being vegetarians who do eat cheese, no meat.
Your Dads recipe for Augratin potatoes is phenomenal!!! Can’t wait to see what my sister…a vegetarian and my Mom…a non vegetarian say tomorrow at Thanksgiving diner! Thank you so much for sharing such a delicious recipe!! ♥️♥️♥️😊
Yay!! I’m so happy you guys loved these!
Made this for thanksgiving dinner and it was amazing. Creamy, so cheesy, and phenomenal. Everyone loved it. Great, easy recipe to follow!
Thank you for sharing your Dads recipe, my family loves it, i make it too with sweet potatoes since its abundant here in the Philippines. Ill try using other root crops too , we have lots of varieties here
LOVE that! So happy you guys are enjoying it!
Hi Monique! Love all of your recipes and super excited to make this one for Christmas this year! I was just wondering if it’s possible to make this in my toaster oven as I will be making prime rib in my regular oven? Thanks!
Hi! Does the toaster oven reach 375ºF? If so, and if the pan can fit in there, I think it should be ok 🙂
Holy potatoes!!! These were impressive looking and amazing eating!! We served along side our Christmas Honey Baked Ham and yum yum yum!! Hard to please hubby LOVED them and I got to play with my mandolin which has been hidden for years! Also…this cheese sauce just became our new Mac and cheese…cheese!! Haha!! Thank you for sharing…this one goes in the recipe book for sure! Merry Christmas and Happy, healthy New Year!!
I made these a day in advance and did exactly what they said – pour sauce on top and refrigerate. The next morning when I got them out to cook, ALL the potatoes were black! They looked horrible; however, I know they were fine to eat. I would suggest cooking immediately and then just storing overnight. They were yummy – as long as you didn’t look at them!
Oh no! Sounds like the potatoes oxidized. Did you use Yukon golds?
Made this for Christmas. It was delicious and my family ate it so fast, I didn’t get enough-and will have to make again ASAP!
Oh YES you need to make it again haha!! 😊 Happy you loved it!
Made this tonight. Absolute best potato dish I have ever made/had. Some very minor modifications, more cheese and added sliced shallots between potato slices, for cheese used TJ sharp cheddar and unexpected cheddar for the sauce and gruyere & parm on top in a 13×9 glass dish. The recipe is spot on, thank you.
Best ever?! I’m SO happy to hear that, thank you!
These potatoes are delicious!!! I made them for Christmas and even better then next day reheat in the oven!
I am going to make these to take to my sister’s on New Year’s Day. Would a disposable foil tray work or will the bottom burn?
Sorry for the delay! Did you end up doing that? Let me know how it went!
This potato dish was very good. Not hard to make and not a long time to make. Everyone loved it tonight. We had it with pork roast and string beans. Delicious!!
Helpful Hint
Use the crinkle cut setting on your mandolin.
The grooves allow the cheese to run down and completely cover the potatoes and also catch the cheese as well.
Love this tip–thank you!
We thought these potatoes were pretty blah. They are cheesy… just too cheesy. It was like … where’s the elbow macaroni and crumb topping?
Sorry you didn’t love the flavor! Totally fine to add a crumb topping if you’d like 🙂
Excellent dish! Made for first time this Thanksgiving and Christmas and about to make it today too as it’s snowing in Texas today and my family asking me to make it. Tastes SOOOO GOOD! This recipe is a winner and thank you to your beloved Dad❤️😇
I’m so happy you all love this one! My dad would be so happy 🥰 Thank you for leaving a review, Mari!
SOOOOOOO delicious. Have made them twice now and my family LOVES them. They have been requested for the next holiday dinner! Thank you!!!
Made these to go with a roast. I chopped my onion finely and added t to the cheese sauce to start it cooking. I also cubed my potatoes rather than putting them into a layer. I had to bake mine a little longer than the recipe called for to get the potatoes tender but that could have been because they were cubed. Over all, this is a nice recipe. I would make it again.
Thanks for sharing, I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Don’t have a mandolin, used bad ass cutting skills:) No milk, used heavy cream and water. Didn’t have said cheese, used what I had… THANK YOU for the base idea!!!
Haha NICE, love it! Happy you enjoyed it, Kurt!
khoihuo
cant wait to make this for me for the sauce can i use vegan butter ad cheese and for the topping can i use vegan cheese i never had au gratin potatoes before love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
Yes vegan butter and cheese should work well in here! Enjoy!!
Can this recipe be made gluten free? I have tried making sauce with cornstarch but I think I have the method wrong. I’m excited to try this for Easter.
Thanks for your wonderful recipes. I use them frequently.
Pam
Hi, Pam! I’d recommend using a 1:1 all purpose gluten free flour instead. Hope you enjoy it!
Does the sauce ooze between the tightly rowed potatoes or do they remain white? Another words does the sauce simply remain on the top? This looks like a beautiful presentation.
Good question! It definitely seeps down between the rows but it probably won’t get between every single potato. You can watch the video at the top of the blog post to get a better look 🙂
Made these potatoes for Easter dinner -Soooo delicious!! I used 2% milk and pre-shredded cheese. Will definitely make again.
They’re so perfect for Easter! Happy you loved them 🙂
Made these tonight with a Honey Baked Ham for Easter Dinner. My first attempt to make homemade au grautin potatoes. I added a bit of dry mustard to the sauce as I had read on another recipe. They turned out DELICIOUS!! Thanks for a great recipe. This one is a keeper!! My brother said that I can make them again!
Amazing!! I’m so glad it came out great and that the fam loved them 🙂
I sure had trouble with this recipe! I found that 3 ilbs of potatoes certainly did NOT fit in a 2 quart baking dish. I used a9x12x3 in. pan and couldn’t fit all the spuds and onions. Next, I needed to use 4 T butter for the sauce as 2 T was more like paste. I found I needed about 2 cups milk to thin sauce. Lastly, even though I made sure the dish was at room temperature before cooking it took way more time to cook. 45 min. with foil on and 45 more min. as directed with no cover. I had to up oven temp to 425 degrees for 30 min while my company was waiting to get it cooked! Yes, my oven is accurate. All this being said to give someone else the heads up for this yummy dish! Wanted to warn another of pitfalls I encountered. The dish was very delish and enjoyed. I loved the 3 cheeses, that made this dish several notches above other au grated dished.
Hi, Linda! Thanks so much for your feedback — I really appreciate it! I’ve made this recipe many times and haven’t had any of these issues (not totally sure what happened) but these are good things to keep in mind 🙂
OMG Monique = we couldn’t stop eating this. You’re absolutely correct – this is the best. I used cheddar and monterey jack in the “sauce” and added cotija (leftovers) and parmesan/romano as the topper. I love the addition of onions and I think I might double the amount of onion next time. I’m also going to experiment with cutting the recipe in half and doing a provolone and rosemary version. Can’t wait!
So addictive, right?! I’m thrilled you all loved it! Can’t WAIT to hear about that provolone rosemary version. It sounds incredible.
This is my go to AuGratin dish. First time I made it, everyone loved it. Definitely use the Gruyère cheese as recommended. Makes a huge difference in the taste. I’m not too keen on the layered onions, but my family likes it. I only make it on a weekend to give myself plenty of time for prep and cooking.
These potatoes were so delicious that I know it will be a regular side dish for my family. We all absolutely loved them. They taste like a lot of work was put into them, but they were actually very easy to make. Thank you!
I’m SO glad you all loved them, Kolleen! Yay!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
waow, i can try that recipe, cause so look delicous
This was the best recipe! I used all cheddar cheese and 2% milk. We loved it! The leftovers were even better. This is now a favorite!
I always modify recipes based on what I have in my pantry! For this recipe, I used up some sliced cheese (cheddar, Colby jack and Monterey jack), a small amount of left over boursin and then some grated white cheddar. I also used a large shallot in place of the white onion. For the sauce, I made a brown butter roux with flour before adding in the milk and then the cheese and lastly added garlic powder, powdered thyme and green salt. The final touch was some leftover bread crumbs with Italian seasoning. Turned out awesomely delicious! I definitely want to try this with different cheeses like feta…
For some reason the oils floated to the top, did I do something wrong? I feel like I followed everything correctly.
That can happen with some cheeses! There’s a video at the top of the blog post. Did yours look similar to mine or a lot oilier?
These are crazy good. They get even better after they sit and cool down and then are heated up again the next day!
These were absolutely superb!! The Gruyere cheese at my grocery store was crazy expensive so I subbed Fontina instead, I also used russet potatoes and they still came out great. These rival my family’s favorite cheesy hashbrowns and will DEFINITELY be going into the recipe book. Thank you for sharing!!
P.S. I bet this cheese sauce would be excellent on mac & cheese too!
Perfect! Great idea to use fontina. And YES this would be delicious with noodles!
This was…okay. I didn’t hate it, but the potatoes needed more flavor. If I was to do this again, I would definitely toss the potatoes in salt and pepper before placing slices in the pan. I honestly think that layering the potatoes with onion, some sauce, and repeating three or four times (instead of standing them up) in the pan would make for better all around flavor on this dish.
I am eager to make this delicious-sounding recipe. Just wondering if I can use red skin potatoes instead of Yukon Golds?
Hi! Can’t wait for you to try it 🙂 Yes those should work just fine!
Can I use canned potatoes
I wouldn’t recommend it, sorry!
Soooo good! Threw it on the smoker for the second half, after adding the cheese on top, and it turned out amazing! Definitely a keeper.
Fantisimo!! No questions asked. Hands down a new all time favorite! The only substitute was heavy cream instead of milk. This is definitely my go-to potato dish. Thanks kindly for sharing and keep them outstanding recipes coming. 😀
This is my go to page for inspiration thankyou
Of course ❤️
I’ve been looking for a new Au Gratin Potatoes recipe as this one of my husband’s favorite dishes. Can’t wait to try this holiday season! Thank you!
Oh you’re going to LOVE this recipe. Enjoy!
This dish was a delicious side. I had russet potatoes on hand and they worked well with the recipe. #AKDinnerParty
Yay! Happy to hear it came out great 🙂
Delicious but definitely needs to be cooked another 45 minutes after the cheese is added rather than 30 as the potatoes need a little more time to soften. I would also recommend adding seasoning to the potatoes and onions before the sauce as the potatoes are a tad bland but the sauce and cheese topping are very flavorful.
Thanks for sharing. It could have been the size that you sliced the potatoes that caused the additional cooking time. Happy you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Can this be doubled for a larger crowd?
Of course!
Making this for friendsgiving this year! Did anyone prepare and BAKE in advance, then heat through before serving? Since I’m taking it to a friends house I don’t have as long as it calls for the first bake. Would this work? How long to reheat?
I haven’t tried baking and then reheating his recipe, Rebecca. I am afraid that it might are the potatoes soggy and the cheese might not get crispy on top with a complete reheat.
Perhaps you could try the first bake at home? Add the cheese toppings and then finish baking at your hosts house? It will have the house (and outside) smelling yummy! At least mine did.
I made these today, too. They are creamy, cheesy and and delicious! I did prep everything the day before. I went a little heavy on the salt, so next time I will use less or eliminate altogether since the cheeses are salty enough. I was also a little heavy handed on the cheese. I love cheese!! But I had to use paper towels to sop up the oil from the cheeses. Much like you do on a pizza. In the end though, these pappas were awesome. Hands up to Dad for a great recipe. And they are versatile. I could see adding sliced poblanos into those potato nooks. Yum.
Aw this means so much! So glad you are loving this recipe, Diana ❤️
These were tasty! I liked the addition of gruyere and parmesan. Mine definitely took the full 45 minutes on the second bake….maybe more because it was hard to get them to 1/8 inch width. If I were making again I would lightly salt the potatoes in the dish before adding the sauce. One of my kids already asked if I can make these again! #AKDinnerParty
Awesome! So glad this recipe is such a hit
This dish is a “hug in a baking dish” – so comforting, warm and filling. The flavors, colors and textures can really compliment any main dish. Also it was an easy dish to make so would recommend. #AKDinnerParty
Aw thank you so much! So glad that you are loving this recipe ❤️
That cheese sauce is so creamy and delicious! This was the perfect recipe for the cold November weather.
#AKdinnerparty
I couldn’t agree more. SO happy to hear you are loving this recipe ❤️
O.M.G….these were amazing!! My new go-to recipe. I wound up layering my potatoes (3 layers each of the potatoes, onions, cheese sauce, gruyere and parmesan) and baked for 1.5 hours total. They turned out perfectly! And everyone said how delicious they were.
Ah YAY! So excited that you are loving this recipe. ❤️
I made this recipe for the #AKDinnerParty. I will admit, I don’t think I would have made this if it weren’t for the dinner party. I made it as a side dish and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I decided only to use smoked gouda and thought that it tasted great. I also found it easy to scale down to serve me for a few nights.
This is SO SO GOOD! It was a hit amongst my husband, our friends, and the toddlers. I used all purpose GF flour and you’d never be able to tell the difference. Definitely going to be making this again!
#AKDinnerParty
Ahh this is amazing! So glad you and the fam are loving this recipe ❤️🙂
#AKDinnerParty I really liked this dish. It was super cheesy in the very best way. I added bread crumbs for the ultimate crunchy topping.
Yay happy to hear it came out great!
Wow these were incredible!! So cheesy and delicious. Made it for Friendsgiving and everyone was asking for the recipe. Can’t wait to make again #AKDinnerParty
Ahh this is amazing! I am so glad everyone loved this recipe ❤️🙂
This was a hit for Thanksgiving this year! Super simple to make and deliciously cheesy.
This was a hit for Thanksgiving! Super easy to make and turned out great.
AH YAY! So glad everyone loved this recipe ❤️
So easy and such a hit! I’m not sure why I can’t hit the 5th star, but that was my intent. Will definitely make again. Yum!
Yay! So glad to hear that you are loving this recipe ❤️
These tasted great! But I think I messed up somewhere. All the fat from the sauce separated and floated to the top. Had to spoon out the fat before serving. Again, tasted amazing but something went wrong. Any suggestions?
Hi Loretta! Occasionally the grease from the cheese can separate – we recommend simply spooning or blotting with a paper towel and then enjoying 🙂
I plan to make today for dinner tomorrow. If the sauce is poured over before dish is put in fridge, does this keep the potatoes from discoloring? Thanks.
Yes. I have full instructions on how to make this recipe ahead of time in the blog post above. Enjoy!
This is a great recipe! My son & I worked jointly to make these for our Christmas dinner. The only changes we made were adding more salt & pepper and milk to the sauce. My son suggested that next time we brine the potatoes a little with seasonings before pouring the sauce over them. We added them to the sauce because we felt it was a little blad for our tastes, but this one is a keeper for us!
Yay! I am so glad that this recipe was a hit ❤️🙂
I added ham left over from Christmas and just made a main course with broccoli on the side. Delicious!!!!
Made these as a side for our Christmas ham and they were awesome! I loved the fact that I could put them completely together the day before. So on Christmas, all I had to do was pull it from the fridge and bake it. Wonderful!
It was absolutely delicious and so easy to make!!! Yummy Yum yum!!
This looks very good please send me the website thank you
These were absolutely hands down the BEST au gratin potatoes I’ve ever made! I got quality cheese from a local shop and my family just loved them!
I work at a Assisted Living facility as a cook. I made this one Sunday for the residents. They absolutely loved it! They said it was the best Au Gratin potatoes they have every had. Thank you for an out standing recipe.
Aw yay! This is the best, glad everyone loved this recipe, thank you for sharing ❤️
This dish was a huge hit at my dinner party. The edges of the dish had the most flavorful caramelized cheese. I will make this again, just as the recipe states. Delicious!
The flavor is very good but for some reason my sauce got super thin once I baked it. It was creamy and thick before so I don’t know why happened.
Not sure what could have happened, did you change anything about the recipe?
Thank you so much for sharing your father’s recipe these potatoes are fail safe and absolutely delicious! I have made them multiple times and they are always a Smash Hit and I even get requests to make them . Such simple and really few ingredients which leaves one ability to experiment I’ve always just used what I have on hand whether it be Russ it’s golden Reds and cooking onions red onions and all the varieties of cheese flavors just comforting on the perfect balance I varied the recipe using roasted fresh garlic cloves , adding thyme and the suggested option adding freshly fried moderately crisped bacon make a fabulous brunch item. SURE TO PLEASE absolutely delicious THANKYOU!
Excellent! This is the best, I am so glad that you are loving this recipe and that it is a hit ❤️
Ni e
Love the creamy cheesey potatoes
Excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing! My husband isn’t an onion lover so I cooked diced onions and minced garlic in the butter until very soft and then assembled the roux as directed, as opposed to adding the onions raw. They disintegrated into nothing but Flavortown! I used heavy cream as the dairy (a treat for Easter) and these were lush and perfectly cheesy and saucy, not runny at all! I read the comments and made sure to dry the potatoes thoroughly before assembling. I also made sure to grate my own cheese for perfect melting. A perfect side dish and loved by everyone, especially the yummy Gruyère topping! Thanks again!
My family agrees is the best potato recipe ever. So easy and so delicious! ❤️
Aw yay! I am so glad 🙂
Easy to follow and definitely tasty! Will make again!
Great recipe! I served it for Easter dinner and everyone raved about it. I carmelized it he onions and I think it added flavor. Thank you Dad!!!
❤️ I am so glad this recipe is a hit! I’;s a special one that never disappoints
Thank you for sharing this recipe! We made it to have with our Easter dinner (with asparagus & ham.) I used Gouda instead with cheddar & it was a good substitute. Will make this agin for sure!
Made these for Easter and they came out great! Added a little cooking time because I think I had the potatoes a little too crowded, but I also love the yummy crunchy outer cheesy crust anyways 😋 added a chopped up piece of bacon on top when I added the gruyere and parmesan cheese on top. Was delicious! Definitely a keeper recipe! Thank you!
OMG yum!!! The added bacon is delishhh, glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great!
I cannot find how to print this recipe. It sounds wonderful
Scroll down to the recipe card and select “print recipe” just under the stars. Enjoy!
These potatoes were so delicious! I made the recipe as directed except that I was low on almond milk so I used half almond milk and half cow’s milk. It turned out great. It is also a stunner to have out for a buffet; much more attractive than mashed potatoes. These will definitely be part our holiday meals from now on.
These were amazing! I added a little more milk to the sauce because it seemed too thick, and also added a little paprika and garlic powder. Sooo good! I’ll be making these regularly.
Yay! I am so glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you ❤️
I made this dish today and it was delicious! First time I’ve made homemade au gratin potatoes. I’m glad I had a mandolin for slicing the potatoes as it made the process easier and quicker. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing your dad’s recipe!! Blessings
I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out great for you. This recipe is a special one and I am so glad I am able to share it ❤️
I made this recipe exactly as stated and it is delicious! Even the picky teens asked for seconds and have already requested I make this regularly.
I prep everything in the morning and pop in the oven for a quick easy weeknight meal!
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Excellent! SO glad this recipe is a hit for the whole family ❤️
These creamy and cheesy au gratin potatoes sound absolutely delightful! I can already imagine the mouthwatering flavors of three types of cheese. It’s great to have a delicious vegetarian side dish option, perfect for special occasions or any time you’re craving something comforting. Can’t wait to try out your dad’s famous recipe!
Absolutely! This one is a winner 🙂 Hope you get a chance to try it!
Such a great side
First I’ve been eating this for breakfast for the past 3 days with eggs and bacon. This recipe is huge and is way too much for 2 people, but I’m not complaining, as my breakfast has been stellar.
This recipe is great, quick, easy, and full of flavor.
I’m not a fan of the texture of sliced onions so I fine diced and threw in with the butter to sweat before making the roux. I also don’t have garlic powder so I used 1 clove minced, which I also tossed in with the butter and onion.
We used lactose free milk and that worked like a charm.
Some things don’t reheat well but I find these to reheat nicely.
Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Ah this is seriously the best, Danielle! I am SO glad you are loving this recipe, love that you can eat it for any meal!
WOW, what a great recipe. Made this recipe for Father’s Day dinner. Only changes I made was using the fine setting on my mandolin for the potatoes and extra fine setting for the onion, plus using all 3 cheese in béchamel step. I reserved 1/4 of cheese mix for the topping and used chopped chives vs parsley. Thought I made enough for a bit of leftovers but the four of us devoured it that night 🙂 Thanks for sharing. It’s now a family favorite and we will all be making it often.
Ah yay! This is so great, I am so glad this recipe was a hit for the whole family ❤️
DELICIOUSSSSSS
YAYYY I’m so happy you loved it!!
These are in the oven now!!! Only change I made was add 1/2 pound fried bacon and some Cajun seasoning! They smell AMAZING 🤩
Ahh SO amazing! Glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out great for you, 🙂 Bacon is always a delicious addition!
I will definitely make these creamy and cheesy au gratin potatoes again. Although for me the first step would be to grate both the cheeses and make the sauce, cover it to keep it warm then slice up the potatoes. Will try the Yukon potatoes and use the gruyere cheese, I used org russet and org raw white sharp cheddar and Romano instead of parmesan. Mine turned out great added alittle grey and French flaked salt in the sauce and white pepper as well as alittle before serving. ? If making ahead won’t the potatoes turn color due to the oxidation.
Where is the print button? Other recipes online have it!
Hi! When you scroll down to the recipe (or tap the “jump to recipe” button at the top of the page) you’ll see a button that says “print recipe” above the prep time/cook time/total time section. Hope that helps!
Made these last year and can’t wait to make them again this thanksgiving! I would like to double the recipe this time – would the best way to make it in two separate pans?
Ah this is so great! Yes, I would recommend making it in 2 separate pans for best results!
Ok, I’ll start this by saying I’ve made this recipe before and it’s always been delicious. Except I’ve always made it and then immediately baked it and served it. Last night I attempted to make it ahead of time and followed the instructions exactly for prepping it the night before. Cut the potatoes, make the sauce, pour the sauce over, cover, then refrigerate. I read all the comments to see if anyone had any issues doing it this way. I even dried the potatoes and let it all cool down a little bit so the heat didn’t cause some condensation in the pan and produce extra moisture. So when I went to pull it out of the fridge this morning and found it SOAKING wet, I was insanely disappointed. Hoping draining off the excess water and using half a roll of paper towels to soak up all the mess will salvage it. Next time I will just bake it ahead of time and reheat it. :/
Hi, Jessica. I’m sorry to hear this happened, and that’s so weird — I’ve never had that happen to me! Did you change the ingredients in the sauce at all? Was the wetness just in a layer on top? And how did it end up turning out??
They’re so good. I made them last year and again this year. Thanks for the recipe!
YAY! Glad this one is on repeat, Cindy and they turned out great for you!
Do I use freshly grated parm or the kind in the green can?
Freshly grated!
Can you par boil your potatoes do it won’t take as long?
I wouldn’t recommend it, sorry! It needs that full time in the oven for the sauce + potatoes to bake up to the correct consistency/texture.
I used half sharp cheddar and half gouda with bacon and the flavor of the sauce was amazing! The sauce, however (followed directions to a T), was too thick. After an hour in the oven it was not thinning out or seeping down into the potatoes. I ended up pouring some milk over the top and stirring it into the sauce the best I could. This helped a little, but the sauce still never coated the potatoes in the bottom of the dish, and even if it had there would not have been enough. And, yes, I weighed 3 lbs of Yukon potatoes so I know I didn’t use too many and they were at a slant (not packed too tightly). Next time I will either cut the amount of potatoes down to 2 lbs or I will use a bigger dish and increase the sauce measurements to 1.5x the amount called for (for recipe as is I will increase the milk to 2 cups). I think I will also layer half of the potatoes flat in the pan, top with half of the sauce, then repeat (this is what I do with my cheesy scalloped potatoes and ham dinner bake and it works beautifully). With my extensive experience in the kitchen I am 100% confident that these issues were not user error for me.
Hi Jessie! So strange – the only recommendation I have (besides trying out the ones you listed) is to make sure the sauce isn’t too thick before pouring it onto the potatoes. That should allow it to cover them completely. Let me know if you give it another shot!
So good! We have them often
Loved these! First time I ever made these, that didn’t come from a box. It’s a keeper
So happy to hear that!
5+ stars. Made this 3 times and not a single potato left, Doubled the recipe and still nothing left over…that’s the only downside, if you want any leftovers you will need to make a batch for yourself! Best recipe yet.
Amazing! So glad this one was a hit!
Ok but a little bland. While I appreciate the less amount of butter for a healthier alternative, it’s definitely not the same as old fashioned Au gratin potatoes I’ve had in the past.
Sorry to hear that you found these bland! I’d recommend upping the salt to bring out all of the cheesy flavor if you don’t find them flavorful enough.
I made this to go with my Christmas ham and it was a huge hit. I used my food processor to slice the potatoes which cut down the prep time. Only tweaks made were that I used cashew milk and I layered the potatoes, onions, & sauce instead of doing the rows. My father in law said they were the best scalloped potatoes he’d ever had.
Perfect! Great tip to speed up the prep with a food processor. Glad everyone loved them!
Sunday dinner is at my house this week, so I’ve been on the hunt for an awsome side dish to go with my roast. These potatoes look to-die-for! My grandma always made au gratin potatoes, but I can’t find her recipe. Something tells me these will be just as good! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Absolutely! I hope you give them a try (and that everyone loves them!)
I just made this tonight it turned out delicious 😋🤤 from now I’ll be making this, instead of mashed potatoes
Amazing! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
How would you go about freezing this? Before or after bake? And how to cook afterwards? I want to prep for postpartum freezer meal
Hi! I think you’ll be able to freeze these before baking them, then bake from frozen at 350 degrees F for 1.5-2 hours.
Made this today along side a chuck roast with a side of veggies. They were INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. May your dad rest in peace ♥️ I couldn’t find Gruyere cheese but added Gouda and sharp cheddar to the topping along with the Parmesan of course. It was fantastic!!!
So happy to hear that! And thank you so much. This one’s great with tons of different cheese!
I was making this for Easter I the sauce was not creamy like the picture and did not melt like I expected I check, checked and double checked the amounts thinking it could be the flour
Its going into the fridge to be cooked for the holiday but I will be making another substitute just in case.
Sorry to hear that! I’d love to help troubleshoot. Was the sauce too thick? And did the cheese melt? Let me know how it turned out after baking and serving it.
Made for Easter today. Best part of the meal! Delicious
So happy to hear that!
This was a very delicious easy recipe for a first time fixing.
Glad you enjoyed!
I’m in the middle of making this and I see that there is no oven temperature given.
I’ve never seen a recipe without the oven temperature listed.
Seems like it will be bland. Spice it up Bobby Flay style!
Hi! The oven temperature is the first thing listed in step 1 🙂