Go Back
au gratin potatoes casserole
Lynn Smythe

Au Gratin Potatoes Casserole Recipe

Recipe to make a classic au gratin potatoes casserole with creamy cheese sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 clove garlic peeled and minced
  • 1/2 cup shredded gruyere or swiss cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 pounds potatoes Yukon gold or red skin work best
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Equipment

  • Medium sauce pan
  • Wire whisk
  • Spatula
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Cutting board
  • Large knife or vegetable slicer
  • Ceramic casserole dish or glass baking pan

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add the butter to a medium sauce pan placed over low heat.
    potatoes and large cook pot in kitchen
  3. Whisk the flour and nutmeg into the melted butter.
  4. Turn the heat to medium and whisk in the milk and garlic.
  5. Continue to whisk while bringing the sauce to a gentle boil.
  6. Turn off the heat and move the sauce pan to another burner.
  7. Whisk in the gruyere/swiss and cheddar cheeses. Set aside while you prepare the potatoes.
  8. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. I used a mandoline vegetable slicer to get uniformly thick, thin slices.
    vegetable peeler with potato
  9. Spray a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  10. Place layers of potatoes in the bottom of the dish.
  11. Pour the prepared cheese sauce on top of the potatoes.
  12. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the casserole.
  13. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top has turned a medium brown.
  14. Remove the casserole from the oven and place on a heat proof surface.
  15. Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the chopped parsley.
  16. Let the potatoes sit for at least 10-15 minutes before serving. The sauce will be molten lava when you first remove it from the oven. Let it set up for a few minutes and the sauce will start to cool down and thicken.

Notes

For a meat-eaters version, add a bit of chopped ham or crumbled, cooked bacon in between the layers of sliced potatoes. 
You can make au gratin potatoes in advance. I made my potato casserole early Thanksgiving morning and stored it in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Leftovers, if there are any, can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. 
© 2019, The Creative Cottage. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.