Classic Scalloped Potatoes au Gratin
Ingredients
- 1.2kg (about 4 large) Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- 100g gruyère cheese, grated
- 50g parmesan, grated
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Layers of paper-thin potato slices baked in a garlicky cream sauce with a golden, bubbly cheese crust — the ultimate comfort side dish.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Butter a large baking dish generously.
Slice the potatoes: This is the critical step — use your adjustable mandoline slicer set to 2mm thickness. Consistent, paper-thin slices mean even cooking and those signature tender-yet-intact layers. A knife simply cannot replicate this precision.
Infuse the cream: Warm heavy cream, milk, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes. Do not boil.
Layer: Arrange potato slices in overlapping layers in the buttered dish, like fish scales. Pour a little cream between every 2-3 layers.
Top with cream: Pour remaining cream mixture over the top, pressing lightly so the potatoes absorb the liquid.
Add cheese: Scatter the grated gruyère and parmesan evenly over the top.
Bake covered: Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake a further 20 minutes until the top is deeply golden and the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a knife.
Rest: Let cool for 10 minutes before serving — this allows the cream to thicken and the layers to set.
The Side Dish That Steals the Show
Scalloped potatoes au gratin occupy a special place in comfort food history. When done right — with uniform slices, a properly seasoned cream, and a deeply browned cheese crust — they’re not a side dish. They’re the reason people come back for seconds.
Why the Mandoline Slicer Is Non-Negotiable
This is the one recipe where your tools make or break the dish. Potatoes sliced unevenly with a knife will cook at different rates — some will turn to mush while others remain half-raw. The adjustable mandoline slicer solves this completely: set to exactly 2mm, every single slice is identical. The result is a gratin where every layer is perfectly tender at exactly the same moment.
Use the hand guard every time — mandoline blades are extraordinarily sharp.
The Yukon Gold Advantage
Yukon Gold potatoes have a naturally buttery flavor and a medium starch content — they hold their shape through the long bake while still becoming wonderfully tender. Russets work too but can become mealy. Avoid waxy potatoes like red-skinned varieties, which resist absorbing the cream.
Getting That Perfect Golden Crust
The final 20 minutes without foil is where the magic happens. Don’t rush it. You want deep golden-brown spots across the entire surface — not just lightly browned. That caramelization is where the flavor lives.
Tools We Used For This Recipe
Everything you need to recreate this dish perfectly at home.
