Description
A classic, creamy, and cheesy Potatoes au Gratin recipe featuring thinly sliced russet potatoes baked in a rich mixture of heavy cream, garlic, butter, and gruyere cheese with fresh thyme seasoning. Perfect as a comforting side dish for any meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Potato Layer
- 2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
Cream Mixture
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cheese
- 2 cups gruyere cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to ensure it's ready for baking the potatoes au gratin.
- Prepare Potatoes: Peel the russet potatoes and slice them thinly to about 1/8-inch thickness for even cooking and layering.
- Assemble Layers: Arrange about one-third of the sliced potatoes evenly in a baking dish to form the first layer.
- Mix Cream Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, minced garlic, and melted butter to create a flavorful sauce.
- Layer Cream and Seasoning: Pour one-third of the cream mixture over the arranged potatoes, then sprinkle with one-third of the fresh thyme, salt, and black pepper. Follow with one-third of the grated gruyere cheese.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat the layering process two more times with remaining potatoes, cream mixture, thyme, salt, and pepper. Do not add cheese on the final layer; set leftover cheese aside for later use.
- Bake Covered: Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven until potatoes in the center are tender and easily pierced with a knife, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Add Cheese Topping: Remove the foil and sprinkle the reserved gruyere cheese evenly over the top layer of potatoes.
- Finish Baking: Return the uncovered dish to the oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese topping is golden and bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld and the dish set. Enjoy your creamy Potatoes au Gratin!
Notes
- Use a mandoline slicer to achieve uniform 1/8-inch potato slices for even cooking.
- Gruyere cheese can be substituted with Swiss or cheddar cheese if preferred.
- Ensure the baking dish is covered well with foil during initial baking to prevent the cream from evaporating.
- Letting the dish rest before serving helps the gratin set and makes it easier to serve.
- You can add a sprinkle of paprika or nutmeg to the cream mixture for extra flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 560 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
