Most potatoes au gratin recipes give you a crispy top and soft, creamy layers underneath. This one flips that by stacking thin slices of russet potato on their sides instead of layering them flat, so nearly every bite has that golden, crispy edge. Gruyere and parmesan melt right into the cream sauce 2with garlic and thyme, and the whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes of hands-on prep.
Every Slice Gets a Crispy Edge
Most potatoes au gratin recipes, including my own creamy scalloped potatoes, layer the slices flat in the dish. That gives you a nice crisp top and soft, creamy potatoes everywhere else, which is delicious, but it means most of the dish never gets that golden edge.
This version stands the potato slices up on their sides instead of laying them flat, so almost every piece has a crispy edge, not just the top layer.
The technique came from an idea I saw in the New York Times, and it’s one of those tweaks that sounds fussy but ends up being very easy. The part people worry about with a dish like this is ending up with something soggy in the middle or dried out on top.
The Fall Cooking Guide for Busy Families!
FREE EMAIL BONUS: Easy & Delicious Fall Recipes.
Stacking the potatoes this way solves both at once, since the cream mixture still coats every slice while the exposed edges crisp up in the oven. This is the version people ask me to bring back every holiday
Russet Potatoes, Not Yukon Gold
Russet potatoes are the right call here because of their starch content. A waxier potato, like a Yukon Gold, will start to break down as it sits in the hot cream mixture for an hour and a half, and you end up with potatoes that lose their shape instead of holding a clean slice.
Russets stay intact through the long bake, which matters even more in this recipe than a standard gratin since the slices are standing on their sides rather than lying flat and cushioned against each other.
Less Hands-On Than Mashed Potatoes
Even my make-ahead Yukon Gold mashed potatoes that stay creamy and fluffy still need a pot on the stove and a last-minute taste test before serving. This one skips that step entirely. Once it’s stacked in the dish, it goes in the oven and you’re done, no potatoes to mash and re-season, no last-minute call on whether they’re creamy enough. For a holiday table where the oven and the stovetop are both already fighting for space, that’s worth something: this is the side you can assemble ahead of time and forget about until it’s time to pull it out golden and crisp.
A Side That Holds Its Own Next to a Big Roast
This isn’t a delicate side dish. It’s rich enough in cream and cheese to stand up next to turkey, beef, or ham without disappearing on the plate, and mild enough in flavor that it doesn’t fight with whatever gravy or pan sauce is already going on the table. That’s the kind of side that earns a permanent spot in my holiday lineup.
Season Before You Stack, and Other Things to Know
- Salt and pepper the potato slices before you stack them, not after. Once they’re packed tightly into the dish, it’s hard to season.
- Stick with heavy cream here. Whole milk will work in a pinch but the sauce won’t be as rich, and half-and-half is the better swap if you’re trying to cut some of the fat without losing the texture.
- You can assemble this a few hours ahead and refrigerate it, but not overnight. The potatoes are fine sitting in the cream mixture for a few hours; much longer than that and the texture breaks down.
- Peeling the russets is optional. If you don’t mind the skins, leaving them on saves time and doesn’t change how the dish bakes.
Everything That Goes Into This Gratin
- Gruyere and Parmesan – Gruyere brings a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and Parmesan adds sharpness, and together they’re subtle enough not to overpower the potatoes. If you can’t find Gruyere, a mild Swiss cheese is the closest substitute.
How to make the Best Au Gratin Potatoes
Step 1 – thinly slice potatoes
Peel and then slice the potatoes using a mandolin or food processor or if you don’t have one just slice to about an ⅛ of an inch with a knife.
Step 2 – combine with cream mixture
Add a mixture of cream, garlic, thyme and cheese reserving some of the cheese for the top. Mix with your hands so that all the slices are coated with the creamy mixture.
Step 3 – stack the slices
Grab a stack of potatoes and place them in the pan on their edges going around the pan until all the potatoes are stacked closely together.
Step 4 – slow bake
Cover and bake for a total of 90 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the foil, after 60 minutes add the reserved cheese.
Allow the dish to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
This is rich enough to be the only starch you need next to turkey, beef, or ham. If you want that same crispy edge without the cream sauce, my extra crispy oven roasted potatoes are the lighter, everyday version.
Stack it, cream it, and let the oven do the rest, and you’ll end up with a potato dish that earns its spot next to the turkey every single year.
If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.
Crispy Potatoes Au Gratin with Gruyere
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Gruyere cheese grated (1 cup)
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese grated (½ cup)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
- 4 lbs russet potatoes about 8 potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º. Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
- Combine cheeses and add ⅓ of the cheese mixture to a large bowl.
- Add cream, garlic and thyme to the bowl and combine.
- Peel and then slice potatoes into ⅛ inch slices with a mandolin, food processor or knife. Add to the bowl and with your hands, combine so that each slice is coated with the cream mixture.
- Grab a stack and place them vertically in the baking dish, working around the outside first and then going into the center. They should be very tightly packed. Pour any extra cream mixture over the top.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until golden brown, about 30 more minutes. Remove and sprinkle reserved cheese on top and bake until brown and crispy, about 30 more minutes. Total cooking time is 1 ½ hours. Let cool slightly before serving.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Store covered in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. It will freeze, but the potatoes can turn a little grainy once thawed and reheated, so fridge storage is the better bet if you have leftovers.
- Slide a sheet pan onto the rack below the baking dish in case the cream mixture bubbles over while baking.
- You can assemble this a few hours ahead and refrigerate it, then let it come to room temperature before baking.
- It’s done when the top is deep golden brown and a knife slides through the potatoes with no resistance.
Nutrition
Follow Me On SocialDid you make this recipe? Mention @ButterandBaggage or tag #ButterandBaggage
on Instagram!
Carol Meyers says
Can you use milk instead of cream in this recipe
Barbara Curry says
If you use milk, it will not be as creamy, I would try half-and-half if you are trying to cut out some of the fat. The dish will still work with whole milk but it won’t be exactly the same. Let me know if you try it with milk.
Carol Meyers says
Thank you so much!
Dale Roth says
How much salt and pepper should you use. It seems it would be bland.
Barbara Curry says
The cheese adds the flavor along with the potatoes. You can salt and pepper before you arrange them in the pan if you choose.
Shelley says
Won’t the potatoes discolor if this is made in advance and refrigerated before baking?
Thanks!
Barbara Curry says
Since they are covered in the cream mixture, they won’t discolor.
Jenn says
how far in advance can these been made? the day before?
Barbara Curry says
You can make them a few hours ahead but not overnight.