Au Gratin Potatoes

"This au gratin potatoes recipe makes the best au gratin potatoes I have had yet."
 
Download
photo by SharonChen photo by SharonChen
photo by SharonChen
photo by SharonChen photo by SharonChen
photo by SharonChen photo by SharonChen
photo by Riverside Len photo by Riverside Len
photo by David Hawkins photo by David Hawkins
Ready In:
1hr 30mins
Ingredients:
9
Serves:
8
Advertisement

ingredients

Advertisement

directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Boil potatoes until just tender, 20-25 minutes; drain.
  • When cool enough to handle, peel and dice into 1/2 inch pieces.
  • Put potatoes in 3 qt round casserole or rectangular baking dish.
  • In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
  • Add flour; stir while cooking, 1-2 minutes.
  • Whisk in milk and add garlic.
  • Season with salt and cayenne pepper.
  • Stir in cheddar cheese and all but 2 tbs parmesan cheese.
  • Add potatoes to sauce and stir to mix evenly.
  • Pour into casserole dish.
  • Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese over top.
  • Bake casserole 45 minutes or until potatoes are tender and dish is bubbling and lightly brown on top.
  • Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Questions & Replies

  1. if you make ahead, refrigerate, and then cook the next day, will it change the texture of the sauce?
     
  2. can i freeze this recipe ?
     
Advertisement

Reviews

  1. Made this for a friendly Game Night gathering last night. It was such a big hit!! My friends couldn't stop eating it. I made a few adjustments after reading other reviews and wanting to add some flare: <br/>-I used 3 1/2 pounds of yukon gold potatoes, boiled for 20 minutes, sliced to about 1/4 slices and left the skins on.<br/>-Used 3 cups 2% milk, 1 cup half and half [t doesn't mention this in the recipe but after you put the milk in the pot (i used a large heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot) you need to simmer it on medium for about 5-7 minutes, whisking very frequently, until it thickens up before you add the cheese--otherwise it will be soupy]<br/>-Finely chopped the leaves of one sprig of rosemary and added it in with the milk and garlic (a little more rosemary wouldn't hurt either).<br/>-I caramelized one gigantic spanish onion ahead of time (cut in half, slice into 1/4 in. slices, cook on low for about an hour with some oil and a little salt) patted it dry to remove the excess oil (don't want sauce to be too oily) and then finely chopped it and added it to the sauce after the cheese. I think I'll add another 1/2 onion next time.<br/>-I finely chopped up some raw broccoli and added it to the sauce after the cheese.<br/>-I used aged cheddar and added 1/2 a cup after some reviewers said it could use more.<br/>-I added parmesan and cheddar to the top of the dish before baking.<br/>-I cooked it for 20 minutes with foil on top and 20-25 minutes with foil off.<br/>-I put it under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until it was perfectly crispy on top.<br/> <br/>IT WAS DEVOURED. And you can use that sauce for other things, like mac and cheese! Or a homemade Hamburger Helpers!<br/><br/>It would have also tasted even better if I added some meat (think crispy bacon (!!), pieces of ham, crumbled sausage, or cooked and seasoned ground beef) but the host was making a beef dish and so I didn't add any meat.
     
  2. The best au gratin potatoes I've ever eaten. I added half and half with milk,<br/>Which enhanced the sauce. I can't wait to try this with guests!
     
  3. YUM-MY !! Prepared for Mother's day dinner -- cut flour back to 5 TBSP and milk to 3 cups, after reading other reviewers. I really liked the method of boiling whole potatoes first, then cubing them. Also, I used Gruyere cheese in place of cheddar. Thought I had plenty for DH and I for another meal, but the DGK's enjoyed then SO much, there really isn't much left !! All of us really ate our fill -- not for the cholesterol conscious -- but GOOD! Thanks for posting, Stacey.
     
  4. I left the skins on and substituted the cheddar with aged white cheddar and used Romano and Parmesan grated cheese, turned out excellent! Next time I may add some fresh chopped rosemary. You can't go wrong with these though, they are outstanding!
     
  5. I cut the recipe in half for 4 servings. I also used 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. It gives the perfect consistency. I also used 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, which gave it a great kick! I put in a little extra parm and cheddar...and use mature cheddar. Yum!!! One of my favorites to make for guests!
     
Advertisement

Tweaks

  1. I made this tonight for supper as a side for breaded chicken breasts. It was quite tasty. The only thing I did differently was that I halved the recipe since there are only two of us and I use my mandoline to slice potatoes about 1/8 inch thick and I didn't precook them. My regular recipe uses gruyere cheese instead of cheddar and I was out of gruyere. While I do prefer my regular au gratin potatoes (from America's Test Kitchen) this was a very tasty version. <br/>Other than halving the recipe, the proportions were the same as the original. I didn't find the sauce too soupy. I, however, am used to using a roux and added the milk in three portions to help it thicken. For those who experienced curdling of the sauce, that happens when you let milk boil. You should keep it at a simmer, as opposed to a full boil. Cream can be boiled without the danger of curdling.
     
  2. This really was the best potatoes au gratin I've ever had. I think the key is pre-cooking the potatoes; it really gives the finished product a nice texture. i was planning on boiling them for less time than suggested but ended up cooking them for the full 25 minutes and I'm glad I did. I used sharp cheddar. I did not substitute cream for any of the milk (as others suggested) because I find that cream masks other flavors. The texture was incredibly creamy without it. We ended up eating this as part of Christmas dinner, with steaks the night after, with eggs and bacon the morning after that and finally as a Shepherd's Pie topping on Saturday!
     
  3. Excellent recipe! It's a keeper. Used suggestion of thinly slicing raw potatoes, mixing throughly and baked covered at 375F for 45 minutes then uncovered and baked for approx. 30 more minutes until nicely browned on top. Used 2 cups 2% milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Added 1/2 tsp cayenne, replaced salt with seasoned salt and crumbled up some bacon. Definitely makes a large dish - I used 9x13 rectangular. Froze leftovers.
     
  4. Wow, great recipe. The sauce was marvelously cheesy and rich. The combination was amazing. I used Russet potatoes instead of red and I added seasoning salt, and it came out really really good. This one's a keeper!!
     
  5. Turned out quite good! Too much sauce so I pulled some to the side and plan on making macaroni and cheese with it. I made these as directed, except added garlic powder instead of garlic. I served this with Easter Sunday ham and it was quite good I suggest halving the recipe, as it makes enough to feed a small army! Other than that...the only thing I did differently was sprinkle some parsley flake on top for added color. Quite yummy. Give them a try!
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Find More Recipes