Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin

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Tender thinly sliced potatoes layered with white cheddar and gruyere cheese baked with cream and stock that’s seasoned with Dijon mustard and thyme. A sprinkling of extra cheese on top browns up nice and crispy.

We always have ham and potatoes au gratin on the menu for our Easter celebrations. I have been making this 1995 recipe from Epicurious for years. I love the flavor of the recipe, but it calls for 5-pounds of russett potatoes (which tend to get a little too soft) and it always takes twice as long to cook than the recipe states.

Recently, I had been watching a Martha show on PBS where she made scalloped potatoes. She cooked the potatoes for a few minutes in a cream and milk mixture on the stovetop before transferring them to a casserole dish to bake in the oven – hmmm – I wondered if this technique could help speed up the cooking of my potatoes au gratin?

I decided to give it a shot, I used 3-pounds of starchy, yet firm Yukon gold potatoes. This amount of potatoes fits perfectly in a standard 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish. I adjusted all the ingredients amounts, added a few of my own touches and utilized the method of precooking the potatoes for a few minutes on the stovetop. They turned out delicious and only took 45 minutes in the oven! We will definitely be enjoying this Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin recipe with our family on Easter Sunday! I hope you enjoy the recipe too!

Step-By-Step Preparation:

Creamy Potatoes Au Gratin

Tender thinly sliced potatoes layered with white cheddar and gruyere cheese baked with cream and stock that's seasoned with Dijon mustard and thyme. A sprinkling of extra cheese on top browns up nice and crispy.

Tina Verrelli - epicuricloud.com

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Keyword: casserole

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter for buttering dish
• 1 clove garlic cut in half
• 6 ounces gruyere cheese shredded
• 6 ounces white cheddar cheese shredded
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rub 13 x 9 x 2 - inch casserole dish with butter and then rub with a cut garlic clove.
• Measure and reserve 1-cup of the shredded cheeses. (This will be the final topping before baking.) In a bowl, combine the rest of the shredded cheese with the flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
• In a pot, (5-6 qt) combine the cream, broth, mustard and sliced potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes. The potatoes won't be completely submerged, you can gently stir a few times so they cook evenly. (You don't want them to cook too much or they'll break apart when transferring to the dish.)
• Spoon 1/3 of the potato mixture into prepared dish. Top with half of the cheese/flour mixture. Repeat these layers. Finish with the remainder of the potatoes. Pour over any remaining cream/broth mixture. Top with the reserved 1 cup of cheese.
• Place casserole dish on a foil lined baking sheet and place in center of preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, the mixture is bubbling all over and the top has browned. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving (will allow mixture to thicken and be easier to serve.)

Notes

Make Ahead Directions:

Assemble the Day Before:  Complete dish up until the point where you add the final topping of cheese and bake.  Cover with plastic wrap, pressing onto the surface of the potatoes and refrigerate.  Take out of refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off.

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