Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Potatoes Au Gratin
Tender potato slices tucked into creamy cheddar sauce make this gratin a dish worth lingering over. The browned, bubbling top gives way to soft layers underneath, with a little onion and nutmeg woven into the rich white sauce.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 85 min
- Total
- 100 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Sides
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Slice evenly
Cut the peeled potatoes into even, thin slices so the layers cook at a similar pace in the casserole.
2. Whisk the sauce
Whisk often as the milk reaches a gentle simmer, giving the flour time to thicken the sauce smoothly.
3. Uncover to brown
Remove the foil after the first baking stage so the cheddar can brown and bubble across the top.
Get to know the ingredients
Potatoes
Aim for one eighth of an inch in thickness; a mandoline or food processor can help produce even slices.
Flour
Stir the flour into the softened onion and butter and cook it for about two minutes before adding milk.
Cheddar
Divide the shredded cheddar between the two potato layers, keeping some for the surface of the casserole.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Potatoes Au Gratin
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Let the layers settle
Give the gratin ten minutes at room temperature after baking before you scoop into the creamy layers.
A little more help as you go
Soften the onion
Finely dice the onion and cook it in butter until soft before starting the flour base.
Build two layers
Use half the potatoes, sauce and cheese for the first layer, then repeat with the remaining halves.
A few questions you might have
How thin should the potatoes be?
Peel the potatoes and slice them one eighth of an inch thick, keeping the slices as even as possible.
When does the broth go in?
Whisk in the chicken broth after the milk has reached a gentle simmer and begun to thicken.
How long does the casserole bake covered?
Bake it covered with foil for forty five minutes at 350 degrees before removing the foil to finish.
What tells me the top is ready?
After the uncovered baking stage, look for cheese that is browned and bubbling across the top.
Can I serve it straight from the oven?
Let the casserole stand for ten minutes first, giving the hot potatoes and sauce a short rest.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: budgetbytes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.