These easy Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes are the perfect side dish potato recipe for your hungry family. Great for holidays or every day, these potatoes are creamy and full of cheesy flavor.
Potatoes are such a great side dish to so many dishes. From grilled chicken to meatloaf, Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes are just what your supper table needs. So easy to make with only a handful of ingredients, you are going to find yourself making these potatoes often!
Have you ever had clumpy cheese in your potatoes and you want to avoid clumps? Don't worry, I got you covered. These cheesy potatoes are smooth, creamy and just what makes an au gratin potato the star of your meal.
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What is the difference between au gratin potatoes and scalloped potatoes?
The simple answer is scalloped potatoes has cheese and au gratin doesn't. Au gratin potatoes are what some people call Cheesy Potatoes.
Scalloped potatoes have a cream base and no cheese. Sometimes people will put cheese in their scalloped potatoes but then one has to argue if it truly is a scalloped potato.
Can I make these potatoes gluten free?
Yes, you can! In fact, it is incredibly easy to make these potatoes gluten free. Just swap out the all purpose flour for gluten free flour.
Cup for cup flour is the best and is the easiest to swap with all purpose flour. Personally, I feel Bob's Red Mill flour is the best and has the best texture.
Ingredients
- russet potatoes - about 6 medium potatoes
- flour - all purpose or you can use gluten free flour
- milk - 1%, 2% or whole milk works
- cheddar cheese - shredded or block cheese that you shred
- butter - margarine or real butter
- salt and pepper - to taste
The potatoes
The potatoes are best to be Russet potatoes. They hold up well while baking. A Yukon Gold potato is extremely creamy, and would be delicious to use. Be aware that they *may* not hold up as well as the Russet potato.
To slice them, use a mandoline. A mandoline slices nice and thin which is what you want for these potatoes so they cook evenly.
I like to put my peeled potatoes in a pot of water with a little bit of salt to keep the potatoes from turning brown. If the color change doesn't bother you, you can skip this step.
Then, just drain the water before adding the potatoes to you baking dish.
Making the cheese sauce
The cheese sauce starts with a "roux". It makes the cheese thicker and helps the cheese melt completely before getting in the oven.
A roux for this Au Gratin Potatoes recipe is equal parts flour and butter. Melt the butter then whisk in the flour constantly until the flour forms a ball. It won't take long.
Stir in the milk over medium low heat and don't forget to keep stirring! Scorched milk is never a good thing.
The milk mixture will start to thicken and the clumps of flour will dissolve.
Once the milk mixture has thickened, add the cheese a little at time, and stir in figure 8 pattern. Keep adding cheese and stirring until all the cheese is incorporated.
Baking the potatoes
The cheese sauce will be poured over the sliced potatoes.
Stir in the cheese sauce so all the potatoes are covered. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
FAQ
A mild cheddar is what I use. Sharp cheddar would be good, as would a Colby Jack mix.
I prefer to put these potatoes in a circle baking pan or a 9 inch pan.
If you decide to use a 9x13 pan, you can. Note they will probably cook faster.
No, you don't. You only need to if you want to prevent the potatoes from browning.
Put the leftover potatoes in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 round baking dish or 9 inch square
- 1 whisk
- 1 medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 7 medium Russet Potatoes
- 1 ½ Tablespoon margarine or butter
- 1 Tablespoon flour heaping
- 1 ½ cup milk 1%, 2% or whole
- 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Grease a circle baking pan with cooking spray (or a 9 inch square pan).
- Wash, peel and slice potatoes using a mandoline.
- Place sliced potatoes in a pan of cold water with a pinch of salt if desired to keep from turning brown while you make the cheese sauce. Not necessary, your choice.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Over low heat, whisk in flour until flour balls up.
- Slowly, over medium low heat, whisk in milk, whisking continuously until mixture has thickened. This will take a few minutes.
- Slowly, add cheese a little at a time and whisk in a figure 8 until all the cheese is melted and no clumps remain. Stir in salt and pepper.
- Add potatoes to the greased baking dish.
- Pour cheese over top and cover all potatoes with cheese mixture. Cover with lid or cover with foil.
- Bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until potatoes are cooked and soft.
- Let cool 5 minutes and serve.
Nutrition
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