Gratin Dauphinois is a traditional French casserole made with thinly sliced potatoes, cream and gruyere. It’s an incredibly luxurious and indulgent potato bake side dish!
Sure to impress your dinner guests, this potatoes dauphinois recipe is easy enough for a weeknight but delightfully special for the holidays.
Gratin Dauphinois are the creme de la creme of potatoes! These luxuriously creamy, cheesy potatoes are the ultimate make ahead potato side dish!
Potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes! Creamy Potato Salad, Garlic Smashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Truffle Fries – the list goes on and on!
This potato side dish is slow baked to perfection, soaking up all the decadent cream. You can bake them in a casserole dish or even make individual Potato Gratin Stacks!
We love these potatoes so much. They are easy to make, but feel a little decadent and oh-so-special for guests. You’re going to love them too!
What is Gratin Dauphinois?
First… a brief explanation of what makes these potatoes so special!
Also frequently spelled Gratin Dauphinoise, this elegant cheesy potato bake is named after the Dauphiné region of France.
The combination of thinly sliced potatoes is extraordinary when soaked with heavy cream and fragrant gruyere cheese. It’s baked as the potatoes soften into the melting cheese, making for an incredibly comforting potato side dish served throughout the world.
What is the Difference Between Au Gratin and Scalloped Potatoes?
Step aside scalloped potatoes! The difference between Potatoes Dauphinois and scalloped potatoes is simple – scalloped potatoes is made with a roux (flour base) and au gratin is made with heavy cream giving them the creamiest, most indulgent flavor!
Why You’ll Love these Potatoes Gratin
- Easy
- Elegant
- Luxuriously Creamy
- Make Ahead
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Potatoes – Russet potatoes are the best to use for Peeled and sliced thin. Russet or any kind of “dirt” potatoes work well for gratin dishes. Russet potatoes are tender and have more starch yielding a creamier consistency for this luxe dish. They soak up all the cream!
- Cheese – White cheddar, gruyere, Monterey jack, mozzarella work best. I prefer using a combination of white cheddar and gruyere for the best texture and flavor. They lightly brown for beautiful color, too!
- Milk and Heavy Cream – For an extra indulgent potato side dish, skip the milk and use all heavy cream.
- Salt and Pepper – Thick flakes of sea salt and ground black pepper add flavor to this simple potato bake.
- Leeks – Leeks are in the onion, garlic, shallot family. Select leeks that have as much white/light green stem as possible. Remove roots and thinly slice stem.
- Jalapeño – To set this potato bake apart with just a touch of spice.
Variations
- Use Yukon gold or red skinned potatoes if you prefer the potatoes to be a little more firm after baking.
- Don’t have leeks? Replace with shallots or onions.
- Add a little sauteed garlic to the cheese sauce for even more flavor.
- Add (cooked and chopped) bacon, prosciutto or ham for an extra savory touch.
Tools to Use
- A mandoline saves time and makes these potatoes easier, but you can also slice by hand.
- Baking Spray for a perfect release every time!
- Staub Oval Baker
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Measuring Spoons
How to Make Gratin Dauphinois
- Prep – First, preheat oven and grease baking dish.
- Make Sauce – Combine milk, cream, cheese, salt and pepper, jalapeño and leeks. Toss with potatoes.
- Bake – Spread in baking dish. Bake covered, as directed. Serve warm and enjoy!
Tips
- Use a mandoline if you can, it helps to slice the potatoes thin and evenly, and it saves so much time.
- Use my favorite baking spray for a perfect release every time!
- I love my Staub oval bakers for baked side dishes like this one, but you can use any 9×13″ baking dish.
- The first 45 minutes of baking is covered, to steam the potatoes. The final 15-20 minutes without foil will help them crisp up a bit at the top!
- When cooked perfectly, your potatoes should have no resistance as you cut in to serve. Bake longer if they aren’t quite finished at the one hour mark!
Make Ahead
- Slice potatoes
- Make sauce.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of sauce in an airtight container. Toss the rest of the sauce with the potatoes, covering tightly with plastic wrap to prevent potatoes from browning and refrigerate.
- Add remaining sauce and bake just before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Make into Au Gratin Potato Stacks for easy individual servings.
- Serve with filet or Pork Medallions
- Serve with Steak, Salmon, Seared Scallops or Baked Chicken Breast
- These are perfect with Honey Glazed Ham.
- This potato dish is one of the best Salmon Side Dishes, and don’t miss this round up of Side Dishes for Steak, too.
Shortcuts
- Shred your cheese ahead of time to save a last minute step! Simply shred and store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 24 hours in advance.
- Make this dish ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gratin dauphinois is a French dish of sliced potatoes baked in milk or cream in a gratin technique, of the Dauphiné region of France. The dish has so many fancy French names: pommes de terre dauphinoise, potatoes à la dauphinoise and gratin de pommes à la dauphinoise.
It directly translates to “covered with bread crumbs or grated cheese and browned.
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – You can leave your Gratin Dauphinois out for up to two hours while serving.
- Refrigerate – This potato bake can be packaged in an airtight container and stored for up to five days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze – Yes, you can freeze your potatoes dauphinoise before or after baking. It might change the creamy texture a little but they will still be delicious!
Dietary Considerations
- Gluten Free
- Nut Free
- Vegetarian
More Side Dish Inspiration
Gratin Dauphinois Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup half and half or milk
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper thick flakes preferred
- 1 small jalapeño seeded and diced
- 3 tablespoons leeks
- 2 cups white cheddar fresh grated
- 1 cup gruyere fresh grated
- 4 pounds russet potatoes peeled and sliced ⅛-¼" thick
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9×13 baking dish.
- In a saucepan over medium high heat, add cream, half and half, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cream, jalapeño, leeks and cheese. Whisk to combine. Stir in potatoes.
- Transfer to gratin dish. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until slightly brown.
Julie’s Tips
- Use a mandoline to slice potatoes thin and evenly and save time.
- Use baking spray to ensure the potatoes don’t stick.
- I love my Staub oval bakers for baked side dishes like this one but you can use any 9×13″ baking pan.
- When cooked perfectly, your potatoes should have no resistance as you cut in to serve. Bake longer if they aren’t quite finished at the one hour mark.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Sounds wonderful!!!
Thnks for this recipe. Look forward to making it for my family.
They’re so amazing. I am always looking for an excuse to make them.