Potato Gratin - The Perfect Side Dish For What You're Cooking

Whether you're cooking fish, chicken, turkey, beef, pork, lamb, or venison, potato gratin is the perfect side dish. It is creamy, buttery, and comforting. You will not find a better side dish.

What's more, it seems much more complex than it actually is. The only "difficult" part is slicing the potatoes. After that, it's all a breeze. I don't know what you're having for dinner tonight, but I do know that this should be on the plate beside it.

I've been making potato gratin for over twenty years, and it's one of those dishes I keep coming back to because it never fails to impress. Guests see it come out of the oven, golden and bubbling, and they think you spent hours on it. The truth is, once you understand the technique, it's one of the simplest things you can make.

It's also one of the most versatile. I've served it at holiday dinners, weeknight meals, and everything in between. It belongs on every table.

Jump to:

• Gratin vs. Scalloped Potatoes
• The Potatoes
• Preparing The Dairy
• Par Cooking The Potatoes
• Assembling and Cooking The Potato Gratin
• What To Serve With Potato Gratin
• Time To Make Potato Gratin
• Recipe

Gratin vs. Scalloped Potatoes

Before we get into the recipe, let me clear something up because I get this question all the time. What's the difference between potato gratin and scalloped potatoes? Honestly, the line is blurry, and depending on who you ask, you'll get a different answer.

In classical French cooking, a gratin refers to any dish with a browned, crusty top. That crust can come from breadcrumbs, cheese, or just the natural browning of cream and butter in the oven. Scalloped potatoes, on the other hand, traditionally use a flour-thickened cream sauce, almost like a bechamel, and don't necessarily have that golden crust on top.

My version leans more toward the French gratin style. There's no flour in the sauce, no roux, no thickening agent at all. The starch from the potatoes does all the work, binding the milk and cream into a silky, cohesive sauce as it bakes.

The top gets beautifully golden and slightly crispy while the layers underneath stay tender and creamy. If you want to learn more about how bechamel sauce works and when to use it, I've got a whole post on that. But for this recipe, we're keeping things simple and letting the potatoes shine.

The Potatoes

For this recipe, you can use either russet or chef potatoes or Yukon gold or yellow potatoes. Either will work fine. However, don't use white or red potatoes. Those won't hold up to the cooking process.

Wash the potatoes before peeling them because washing them after peeling and slicing will remove excess starch. When making mashed potatoes, excess starch can make the potatoes gummy. However, when making potato gratin, that excess starch helps prevent the dairy from curdling and helps to hold the gratin together once cooked. So, wash the potatoes well, then peel.

Now, which potato should you actually choose? Russets have a higher starch content, which means they'll break down a little more and create a thicker, creamier sauce. The trade-off is that the layers won't be quite as distinct.

Yukon Golds, on the other hand, hold their shape better and have a naturally buttery flavour that I find works beautifully in a gratin. They give you those gorgeous, clearly defined layers while still being tender. If I'm being honest, Yukon Gold is my preference for this dish, but I've made it with russets dozens of times and been perfectly happy.

What you want to avoid are waxy potatoes like red or white varieties. They don't release enough starch to help bind the sauce, and they can end up with a slightly waxy texture that just isn't right for this dish.

Slicing The Potatoes

Potato gratin is all about layers of thinly sliced potatoes. The potatoes should be no more than 1 to 2 mm thick. The easiest and best way to cut the potatoes is on a mandolin slicer. Aka. The scariest piece of equipment in your kitchen.

If you don't have a mandolin, your cheese grater or food processor may have a slicer on it as well. You can cut the potatoes by hand, but it will take a long time, and they will not be even.

Don't put the sliced potatoes in water. I know this probably goes against what you've been taught, but it's essential to keep that starch in the potatoes.

Preparing The Dairy

Once the potatoes are sliced, you can get the milk ready. Pour 1 and ¾ of a cup of whole milk into a medium pot. Add two cloves of garlic and a pinch of nutmeg and pepper. Don't add salt yet, as the salt may curdle the milk.

A quick note on the cheese question, because I know you're wondering. My base recipe here doesn't include cheese, and that's intentional. A classic gratin dauphinois, the French original, doesn't use cheese at all. It lets the cream, butter, and potatoes do the talking.

But if you want to add cheese, and I completely understand why you would, here are some great options:

• Gruyere: The traditional choice. It melts beautifully and adds a nutty, slightly sweet flavour that complements the potatoes without overpowering them.
• Sharp cheddar: Gives you a bolder flavour.
• Fontina: Melts like a dream and adds a mild earthiness.
• Parmesan: Sprinkled on top, it gives you an incredible golden crust.

You can layer grated cheese between the potato layers or just put it on top. Either way works.

Par Cooking The Potatoes

Put the potatoes in the milk and put the pot on the stove on medium heat. Heat the milk until it starts to steam, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer the potatoes in the milk for about 8 minutes or until the potatoes begin to soften. Stir the potatoes often, so they don't stick to the pot. Season the potatoes with salt, taste and adjust as needed.

I want to stress why this par-cooking step is so important, because I've seen a lot of gratin recipes that skip it entirely and just layer raw potatoes into a dish with cold cream. You can do that, but here's what happens: the potatoes take much longer to cook through in the oven, which means the dairy has more time to curdle and separate. You end up with a grainy, broken sauce instead of something silky and smooth.

Par-cooking the potatoes in the milk does two things. First, it gives the starch a head start on thickening the liquid, creating that gorgeous creamy consistency. Second, it ensures the potatoes are evenly cooked throughout. There's nothing worse than biting into a gratin and finding a crunchy, undercooked potato slice in the middle.

Those eight minutes on the stove are the difference between a good gratin and a great one. Trust the process.

Assembling and Cooking The Potato Gratin

While the potatoes are cooking, measure out ⅓ cup of whipping cream and cut 3 tablespoons of butter into small cubes. Transfer the potatoes from the pot to a greased or parchment-lined 9-inch casserole dish or bread pan. Gently press the potatoes with a spatula to flatten.

Pour the cream over the potatoes. Stud the potatoes with the butter by pushing the cubes into the potatoes. Put the potatoes in a 375F oven for 35 - 45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and the dairy has been absorbed into the potatoes. Allow the potato gratin to rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

That resting time is important. I know it's tempting to cut right into it when it comes out of the oven looking all golden and gorgeous, but if you slice it immediately, the sauce will run everywhere and the slices won't hold together. Those five minutes let everything settle and firm up just enough to give you clean, beautiful portions.

Making ahead: If you're making this ahead of time, that's absolutely fine. You can assemble the whole thing, cover it tightly with foil, and refrigerate it for up to a day before baking. Just add about 10 to 15 extra minutes to the oven time since it'll be going in cold.

Reheating leftovers: Cover with foil and warm in a 325F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave individual portions. The oven method is better because it re-crisps the top, but let's be honest, leftover potato gratin straight from the microwave at midnight is still one of life's great pleasures.

What To Serve With Potato Gratin

Potato gratin goes with almost anything, but some pairings are truly special. My favourite is serving it alongside a simple roasted protein.

• Pork: A perfect bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin is an absolute winner, and the rich, creamy potatoes balance the smoky pork beautifully.
• Beef: A good herb and garlic roasted beef with potato gratin on the side is the kind of meal that makes people go quiet at the table because they're too busy eating to talk.
• Lighter options: Try it with a roasted chicken or even a simple piece of grilled fish. The gratin provides all the richness you need, so the protein can stay simple.

Round out the plate with some roasted carrots or a green salad, and you've got a meal that feels like you're eating at a restaurant without leaving your kitchen.

Time To Make Potato Gratin

The finished gratin should be creamy and buttery, almost cheesy. The potatoes should be tender and melt in your mouth, but the gratin should also stand up on its own. It shouldn't be soupy.

If this isn't something you've ever had, you are missing out. Potato gratin is one of the true culinary pleasures of the world. I can't wait for you to try this. If you enjoy potato dishes, you might also love my loaded baked potato casserole or my loaded potato soup. There's something about potatoes, cream, and butter that just makes everything better.

Recipe