When I was growing up, holidays 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 15 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.
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
Check out all of our kitchen essentials here.
More side dishes you’ll love
- Roasted Garlic and Herb Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes (so creamy!)
- Sesame Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas with Garlic Tahini Yogurt Sauce
- Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan & Chili Crisp
- Winter Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
- Caramelized Garlic Carrots with Spicy Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Get all of my side dish 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
- 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes (6 to 7 medium potatoes), sliced into ⅛-inch-thick rounds
- ½ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups whole milk or unsweetened almond milk
- 8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese (2 cups)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Toppings:
- 2 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (½ cup)
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup)
- Chopped fresh chives or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the potatoes: Place the potatoes in the prepared dish in three or four rows, depending on how wide the potatoes are. You don't want them to be tight; make sure you leave enough space so the potato slices are slightly slanted. Add the onion slices in between and on top of potatoes (basically wherever you can fit them).
- Make the sauce: In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking consistently, until a paste forms, about 30 seconds. Slowly stream in the milk, continuing to constantly whisk away any lumps, until smooth and combined. Raise the heat to medium-high, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and resembles a creamy gravy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Cheddar, salt, garlic powder, and a few grinds of pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Bake the potatoes: Pour the sauce evenly over the potatoes and onions and cover the pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Top and serve: Remove the foil and sprinkle the potatoes with the Gruyére and Parmesan. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork and the top is nice and golden brown, 30 to 45 minutes. (If you'd like an extra crispy, golden topping, switch the oven to the broiler setting on high and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.) Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then top with chives and serve warm.
- To store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.
- To make ahead: Assemble the au gratin as directed, but before baking, cover the dish with foil, and place it in the fridge for up to 1 day before serving. When you're ready to serve, bake as directed, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time if needed.
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.
I don’t know how to rate this recipe honestly. They tasted great but for some reason they ended up taking 2 hours not 45 mins. I even turned the oven up. After 1.5 hours I put it on 450! My oven tends to run a little hot yet this took forever l. I put big baked potatoes in at the same time and they were done 30 minutes before these were. I don’t understand. The entire family was hangry waiting on them.
Odd, perhaps you stuffed too many potatoes in the pan and they weren’t cooking as quickly? I’m not sure because 2 hours is a VERYYYY long time haha.
My husband and I have been on a 10-year quest to make the perfect au gratin (aka scalloped) potatoes—and somehow, every single attempt has gone sideways. Every year we try a new recipe, and every year it’s the same story: great flavor, but the potatoes are undercooked, overcooked, or the sauce is mysteriously soupy. At this point, it felt cursed.
So we gave up…for a while.
Fast forward to Easter dinner planning, when I randomly stumbled across your recipe and thought, “Alright, one last shot.”
And WOW. Just…WOW.
We did have a brief moment of panic when I mixed the cheese sauce, it was so thick I was convinced I had completely messed it up. We reread the recipe multiple times, debated our life choices, and then decided to trust the process.
Best decision ever.
These turned out absolutely incredible, perfectly cooked, rich, creamy, and everything we’ve been trying (and failing) to achieve for a decade. We were genuinely shocked at how good they were.
You have officially ended our 10+ year potato struggle. Thank you for sharing this recipe, we’ll be making it again and again!
Oh my gosh I’m SO happy you gave my recipe a try! What a compliment 🙂 These have been a reader favorite for years, so I’m glad it can now be yours!
THE BEST! So creamy and yummy! I’ve made this 3 times now, and it’s turned out great each time. My husband requested them for his birthday dinner 🙂
Amazing! One of my all-time fav side dishes 🙂
Loved the recipe! Added about 3 tablespoons of smoked Gouda to the topping cheeses.Everyone on Christmas said how good it was.
Yum!! Glad it was a hit!
Love love love these potatoes! I made this Christmas Day to go along with the ham and everyone raved about them. May have to be a staple every year!
So happy to hear that!
I have made these 3 years in a row for Christmas dinner with brown sugar spiral sliced ham, these are the absolute best au gratin potatoes ever! Very cheesy, and savory with the onions and garlic -just amazing. This is the only au gratin potato recipe I will ever make. I have shared it with family and friends. Just make them you will be delighted 😁
So happy to hear that! Perfect tradition 🙂
Great site
there are some discrepancies between the website recipe vs the cookbook. albeit minor, I would still like to know which recipe is the accurate one? 😬
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and it is absolutely amazing! I placed a slice of onion in between every potato (Yes! Very time consuming) but it allows the sauce to get down and through all the potatoes. I’m making it again and will try mixing the potatoes with some of the cheese sauce to see if I can cut back on the time. Thank you for sharing your dad’s recipe!
So glad you loved it! Let me know if you like the pre-mixing better, too 🙂
these are the best potatoes ever! have been making them for about 5 thanksgivings in a row now.
just note that if you make them ahead, you need to bake them at least once before putting them in the fridge or the potatoes will brown.
So glad these are a favorite!
While easy for beginners to pick up, there is one big flaw in this recipe: “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”
If you’ve ever made a roux or bechamel sauce, you know that this is improper technique. You need to mix equal parts of butter and flour to start, and then add the milk. Do not alternate between adding the flour and milk – or you will end up with flour lumps in your bechamel sauce, no matter how much you whisk. Then not only will the sauce run, but you will be eating these dusty flour lumps and choking on your cheesy lumpy flourey potatoes.
For the author, i suggest you do not shy away from proper techniques even if it’s meant for beginners. Learning things the right way is better than taking shortcuts.
I’ve found this easier to explain for beginners making a sauce, and haven’t had any issues with anyone making this recipe with these instructions. Feel free to do what works best for you if you have a techinique you prefer!
I made this dish and it was absolutely the best potato dish ever!!
So happy to hear that!
Excellent Potatoes!! I did not arrange them in rows but just spread the potatoes and onions in a 9 x 13 pan. Used a combination of gouda and Vermont extra sharp cheddar cheese at the end. I assembled ahead of time (except for the extra cheeses) and baked the next day. This is my favorite au gratin potato recipe! Thank you!
Perfect! Glad you loved it!
I just made this and it tasted like bland scalloped potatoes. The sauce did not get mixed in between the potatoe slices and half an onion is too much. I would recommend laying the potatoes in the pan then adding some sauce, then repeating. The onions should be thinly sliced if you choose to use them. Also, add more cheddar as it didn’t taste like any cheddar was added.
Be sure you add salt to taste to bring out that cheddar flavor! If the potatoes are too tightly packed the sauce won’t get evenly in between them, too.
This was an easy to follow and delicious recipe! I added a sprinkle of herbs de provence and used sharp white cheddar, parmesan, and Monterey cheeses. Will definitely be making these again.
Love that! Glad you enjoyed!
This was an easy to follow and delicious recipe! I added a sprinkle of herbs de provence and used sharp white cheddar, parmesan, and Monterey cheeses. Will definitely be mak8ng these again.
Lovely, creamy, excellent! I’ve been cooking for 60 years. This was the first time I’d made Au Gratin from scratch. (Way better than the boxed stuff. LOL!)
I sliced the potatoes, then boiled them first before layering with the cheese sauce. Only took 10 minutes in my Brio air fryer to get them bubbly and browned on the top.
Amazing! Glad you loved them!