Description
Classic Potatoes au Gratin featuring thinly sliced russet potatoes baked in a creamy garlic and thyme sauce topped with melted gruyere cheese for a rich, comforting side dish perfect for any dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes
- 2 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
Seasoning and Sauce
- 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 reaches the right temperature for baking the potatoes au gratin.
- Prepare Potatoes: Peel the russet potatoes and slice them thinly, about 1/8-inch thick, to allow for even cooking and layering.
- Layer Potatoes: Arrange about one-third of the sliced potatoes evenly in the bottom of your baking dish.
- Make Cream Mixture: In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, minced garlic, and melted butter until combined.
- Add Cream and Seasoning: Pour one-third of the cream mixture over the potatoes, then sprinkle with one-third of the fresh thyme, salt, and pepper. Follow by sprinkling one-third of the grated gruyere cheese on top.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat the layering process two more times with the remaining potatoes, cream mixture, thyme, salt, and pepper. Do not add cheese to the top layer; reserve the remaining cheese for later.
- Cover and Bake: Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes in the center are tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Add Final Cheese Topping: Remove the foil and sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over the top. Return the dish to the oven and bake uncovered until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Rest and Serve: Allow the potatoes to rest for 5 minutes after removing from the oven before serving to let the flavors settle and the dish to set.
Notes
- Use a mandoline slicer for evenly thin potato slices.
- Substitute gruyere with cheddar or fontina cheese for different flavors.
- For a lighter version, use half-and-half in place of heavy cream.
- Let the dish rest after baking to improve slicing and presentation.
- Make sure to tightly cover with foil to prevent cream from evaporating during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 500 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
