Ina Garten Potatoes au Gratin

This Ina Garten potato au gratin is a rich, decadent, slightly sweet dish, topped with a melt-in-mouth cheesy crust that is undeniably delicious! Served with grilled chicken, baked ham, pork tenderloin or grilled vegetables, it’s sure to be a hit!

Ina Garten Potatoes au Gratin

Potatoes au gratin is the epitome of comfort food. And this recipe is loved by my husband and my kids so much that adding it to my dinner rotation only made sense!

The recipe originally includes a fennel and potatoes mixture. Since I’m not a huge fan of fennel, I adjusted the ingredients. But you can easily recreate the original recipe following my adjustments below.

It’s also really easy to make! You simply slice potatoes, cover them with a delectable cream-cheese mixture and let the oven does the rest!

This is also a very versatile recipe. So feel free to play and experiment with the ingredients. Try different types of cheese or add bacon.

Potatoes Au Gratin vs Scalloped Potatoes

• Potato gratin, also called potatoes dauphinoise, doesn’t have flour, roux, bread crumbs or cheese. Instead, you have layers of thin potato slices covered with cream or milk.


• Scalloped potatoes contain a cream base sauce.

My Adjustments

• I left out the fennel and onion mixture.


• However, feel free to stick with the original potato fennel gratin recipe: Just add two bulbs of sliced fennel. Saute the fennel with the onion in olive oil and butter. Add the fennel and onions to the cream before you bake everything.

How To Make It

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F°.  Grease a baking dish with butter.

Heat a medium pan and add the butter and olive oil. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 10 minutes, on medium-low heat. Put aside.

Thinly slice the potatoes using a mandoline or a knife. Then put a large saucepan on the stove.

Add 2 cups of cream, the sliced potatoes, salt, and pepper to the saucepan.

Turn the heat to medium, and bring the mixture to a boil. Keep the potatoes simmering for about 10 minutes.

Arrange the potatoes in the prepared baking dish with the cream mixture.

Top them with onions. Pour the remaining ½ cup of heavy cream over the potato mixture. Sprinkle the grated gruyère cheese evenly on top.

Bake for 1-1 ¾ hours. At this point, the potatoes should be very soft, the top should be golden brown, and the sauce should be bubbling.

Remove from the oven and let the dish cool for 10 minutes.

Serve hot with Chicken Marsala Ina Garten, Mafar Chicken, Chicken Piccata Barefoot Contessa, Zaxby’s Chicken Fingers Recipe, Ina Garten Lamb Chops, Fried mahi, Lipton Meatloaf Recipe or Longhorn Stuffed Mushrooms.

Best Cheese for Potatoes au Gratin

• The best cheese for potatoes au gratin or gratin generally speaking is a cheese that will melt easily.


• So opt for gruyère, parmesan, cheddar, or Swiss cheese. In France, we also like to use raclette cheese!

Easy Tips

• Look for potatoes that aren’t too soft or firm, like Goldilocks. You can also choose a starchy variety such as russet or Yukon gold. When the starch cooks, it thickens the potatoes and cream, making a very smooth and rich dish.
  


• Do not wash the thinly sliced potatoes, or you’ll remove all the starch from them.
  


• You can substitute milk and butter if you don’t have heavy cream. Just use ¾ cup of milk and ⅓ cup of melted butter to equal 1 cup of heavy cream.


• Add a little garlic for an extra boost of flavor. Rub the baking dish with garlic or add some pressed garlic directly into the cream.
  

More Ina Garten French Recipes

• Ina Garten Beef Bourguignon


• Ina Garten Potato Soup


• Ina Garten Roasted Cauliflower Soup


• Quiche Lorraine Ina Garten


• Ina Garten Tartar Sauce

Give Me Your Feedback!

If you tried my barefoot contessa potato gratin recipe, let me know in the comments section! I’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t forget to add a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐