Perfect Potatoes au Gratin

5 from 5 votes

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Pioneer Womans Potatoes au Gratin are creamy, cheesy and done in less than an hour. Plus, they are made using whole potatoes-no peeling needed!

These potatoes au gratin are very literally perfect; starchy, full of cheese, and potato-laden goodness. I love when recipes are not only delicious but easy to boot. You don’t even have to peel the potatoes!

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Easy Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe

These potatoes make the perfect side for any grilled meat and are one of my favorite dishes to take to potlucks and family dinners. It’s a recipe that you need in your archive, and if eating gluten-free is an issue for you or a family member, I have instructions on how to make this dish gluten-free in the notes.

Can we go over the fact that you don’t have to peel the potatoes? That makes this recipe worth its weight in gold. It takes a little less than an hour to bake, so I have to be sure to plan for it so that it’s done when I need it to be. But it only has about 15 minutes of hands-on time that include washing and cutting up the potatoes and layering all of the cheesy creamy goodness in a dish. 

My kids can even help with the potato washing/cutting which makes the process go quickly. This is one of those dishes that always turns out well and it always tastes good. I can’t wait for you to try it.

What does au Gratin mean?

The phrase au Gratin refers to a dish that has a crusty top of some sort. It usually consists of cheese, eggs and sometimes bread crumbs.

What is the difference between potatoes au gratin and scalloped potatoes?

The difference is in the cheese. Scalloped potatoes are baked in a simple cream sauce. Potatoes au Gratin are a more decadent and cheesy concoction. 

Can I make gluten free au Gratin potatoes?

Yes! To make this recipe gluten-free, switch out the 2 tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon of corn starch.

What are the best potatoes to use for au Gratin Potatoes?

Russet potatoes are recommended for this recipe because of their starch content. They hold together well and cook up into nice soft pieces that stay together. That being said, I have used all kinds of potatoes and it still turns out and tastes great each time.

This recipe goes really well accompanied with:

If you’ve tried this Potatoes au Gratin recipe or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories AND add your photo to your comment so that other can see your creation.

top view of a baking dish filled with potatoes au gratin and a serving spoon
5 from 5 votes

Perfect Potatoes au Gratin

This easy Potatoes au Gratin recipe is made using whole potatoes (no peeling needed), cream, butter, and cheese and are done in less than an hour.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 4 large baking potatoes or 8 smaller potatoes, about 2 pounds total
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup milk, whole or 2%
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Grease the bottom and sides of a baking dish with the softened butter.
  • Wash and scrub the potatoes clean but don’t worry about peeling them. Slice the potatoes into thick slices (somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick), then stack the slices and cut them into 4 pieces. Put all of the potato pieces in the bottom of the baking dish.
  • In a small bowl whisk the cream, milk, flour, garlic, salt, and pepper together. Pour the mixture over the potatoes.
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Add the cheese to the hot dish and bake for another 3-5 minutes until the cheese is all melted. Serve hot.

Notes

  • To make this recipe gluten-free, switch out the 2 tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon of corn starch.
  • Keep any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 8 servings, Calories: 394kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 435mg, Potassium: 859mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 913IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 173mg, Iron: 2mg
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You are going to love Pioneer Womans Potatoes au Gratin because you don’t need to peel any potatoes, they are done in an hour, and the cheesy goodness is divine. 

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26 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Alas, I didn’t have cream, so I made the sauce with a can of cream of mushroom, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/2 cup carnation. I have a lot of shredded colby jack so can’t wait.

  2. I’m making this now. It’s been in the oven at 400 for an hour and the potatoes are still hard. Only PW recipe I’ve ever made that’s failed me. It’ll probably taste good, but it’s going to take twice as long to get done as I’d planned for.

    1. Hmmmm… something is off. Normally a medium potato takes an hour to cook when it whole (like a baked potato) so your oven must be off or you loaded up the pan to full…

    1. Yep, that’ll work just great! Just be sure to add about 5 minutes extra in the cooking time to account for starting with cold tators!

  3. When you say baking dish about what size are you thinking? 9×13″ 8-9″ square? It looks delish…but I would like to start out right. Thank you! Linda

    1. You can do a 9×13 inch baking dish or a 9×9 inch pan, both will fit this recipe just fine.