Potatoes au Gratin Recipe • 5★

Updated February 2, 2025

Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Michelle Gatton.

The humble potato gets the red carpet treatment in this easy yet luxurious recipe for potatoes au gratin. Sliced Yukon Gold or russet potatoes (you can use either, but don't use a combination as they cook at different rates) are layered with half-and-half or heavy cream, topped with butter and grated cheese, then baked until golden and bubbly. Feel free to play around: Add leeks, onions, garlic or more cheese between the layers. Experiment with fresh or dried herbs. It's incredibly adaptable and practically foolproof. Just don't forget to season with salt and pepper as you go. Like all potato dishes, it needs plenty of seasoning.

Featured in: Yukon Gold Standard

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3 to 4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 to 3 cups half-and-half or heavy cream

¼ cup grated Parmesan or Gruyère

Pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Step 1Heat oven to 400 degrees. Seasoning each layer with salt and pepper as you go, layer the potatoes in a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Seasoning each layer with salt and pepper as you go, layer the potatoes in a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet.

Step 2Dot the top with 2 tablespoons butter. Pour in half-and-half. (It should come about ¾ of the way to the top.)

Dot the top with 2 tablespoons butter. Pour in half-and-half. (It should come about ¾ of the way to the top.)

Step 3Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered, until the half-and-half has reduced by about half.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered, until the half-and-half has reduced by about half.

Step 4Transfer to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the top is nicely browned, about 8 minutes more. Top with grated cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melty and golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg, if using, and serve.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the top is nicely browned, about 8 minutes more. Top with grated cheese and return to the oven until the cheese is melty and golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg, if using, and serve.

Hi All! We've updated the recipe to include ingredient amounts and to clarify the instructions. I hope it helps!

I layer leeks and onions between the potato layers, use heavy cream and go light on the cheese but heavy on the garlic. It's delicious. I'm making this for Thanksgiving Day dinner.

So do you cook the entire pan of potatoes and cream, etc. on the stovetop and then move to the oven?

Wise to put pan on foil layered sheet before putting in oven, bound to be cream overflow, even at 3/4 of the way up and reduced by half on the stove top.

Made this tonight, excellent results. I don't have a cast iron pan but my "Green Pan" is oven safe to 600F. Used all 5 ounces of the Gruyere block, putting some on the first layer of 2 layers as well as the top. A pint of heavy cream was enough. Three organic Russet's was the perfect amount of potatoes; enough for 4 abundant servings. I've an Oxo mandolin slicer (Love it!), set to 1/4 inch and think next time i'll reduce that to 3/16 inch. This recipe is easy to make.

I only had 11oz of yellow potatoes and figuring out the proportions of cream/milk mixture was difficult resulting in a lot of cream! Cooked the potatoes in the cream/spice mixture (added grated garlic, fresh thyme, bayleaf, salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne) on the stove for about 10 mins then put the pan in the oven, with parmesan cheese on the top, at 300º until bubbly and browning. Tasted great: thick, yummy cream, what's not to like!

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12831-potatoes-au-gratin