Easy Gratin Dauphinois (French recipe)
Main ingredients:
 | Potatoes |
 | Grated cheese such as gruyère, emmental, or cheddar. |
 | Butter |
 | Heavy cream (or Philadelphia cream cheese) |
Spices, herbs and flavoring ingredients:
 | Dried parsley leaves or chives |
 | Grated nutmeg powder |
 | Pinch of garlic powder or flakes |
 | Salt and pepper |
You can’t go wrong with the cheesy goodness of Gratin Dauphinois (otherwise known as au gratin potatoes). It is an easy recipe to put together that even your pickiest eaters will enjoy.
Originating in the Dauphine region of France (in the Alps), this now-classic French potato dish was first mentioned in 1788 being served to the Duke of Clermont-Tonnerre.
It was the eve of the 1789 French Revolution, and food shortages were common. People were looking for a simple and hearty meal, and Gratin Dauphinois definitely fit the bill. The duke did not survive the Revolution, but fortunately for us, the recipe lives on.
Making the sauce
In France, crème fraîche (heavy cream) is a staple, and we tend to use it in a lot of recipes. Some of the recipes I have seen, however, use milk and flour in a béchamel sauce, which you can find here.
If you can’t find heavy cream, the alternative I like best is to use Philadelphia cream cheese and mix that with milk. It gives that added punch that milk and flour by itself don’t have.
Traditional and Optional Ingredients
Now the traditional French recipe for Au Gratin Potatoes just calls for cheese, heavy cream, and potatoes but you can easily add other optional ingredients. The typical cheeses used are gruyère and emmental, but any hard cheese will do.
The Savoyard classic tartiflette builds on the classic au gratin potato recipe by adding bacon and onions, and there is no reason that you cannot as well.
If I’m planning it as a whole meal and not as a side, I usually add bacon lardons and fresh spinach, as well as finely chopped onions. Chopped up broccoli or fresh tuna also does really well in this dish.
Cooking Shortcuts
The main problem with Gratin Dauphinois is that it takes quite a while for the potatoes to cook in the oven. If you are in a hurry, you can lightly boil the potatoes the night before to cut down the cooking time in the oven. I put them in the Instant pot for 8 minutes high pressure with quick release, peel them and then put them overnight in the fridge.
☞ READ MORE: Classic French Recipes remade in the Instant Pot
The next day I slice the potatoes, add the sauce and put in the oven for 20 minutes (you may need to precook the bacon if you are adding any). Some people try to arrange the potatoes in proper slices, but I confess I just toss them in. It hasn’t affected the taste just yet!
The total time over 2 days is about the same but for a working weeknight dinner, it is easier to put it in the oven for just 30 minutes, than a full hour.
Similar recipes
- Cheesy potato egg scramble
- Mushroom and potato gratin
- Lyonnaise potatoes
- Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin
- Tartiflette
- Pomme Aligot
Easy Gratin Dauphinois Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium-sized potatoes
- 1.5 cups of grated cheese such as gruyére eg. emmental, or cheddar
- 1 cup of crème fraîche or heavy cream Alternative: 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 cup of philadelphia cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 clove of garlic
- pinch of finely grated nutmeg
- 1-2 sprigs of parley or chives
- Pinch of salt and pepper to taste
Optional
- 2 cups of pre-cooked bacon lardons
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
- 1 cup of rinsed fresh spinach
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes and chop into thin round slices.
- Grease the casserole dish and layer the sliced potatoes across.
- Add any optional ingredients (bacon lardons, onions, etc) in between the potato slices.
- Mix the crème fraîche, butter, garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Add the mixture over the top of the potatoes in the casserole.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
- Add a few leaves of parsley on top for decoration.
- Cook in preheated oven for 25 minutes at 200C° (400F°) until potatoes and cheese are lightly browned.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
The original French gratin potatoes recipe that served was as a side dish, along with a fowl (chicken, duck, etc.) as a main dish.
These days any type of roasted meat will do, it is most often served with roast beef or oven-roasted pork cooked in its own sauce. An alternative would be lamb or duck, along with a bottle of chilled dry white wine such as a Savoie or Chardonnay.
For a quick dinner, you can however also serve it with just some bread (a baguette) and a salad with balsamic vinaigrette.
What drinks to serve with it?
Since gratin potatoes is a heavier cheesy dish, it is usually served in the winter months. Because of that, it is usually served with a dry red like Vin de Savoie.
If you prefer white, go for a dry white like a bottle the aforementioned white Savoie or Alsace Pinot Gris. A Coteaux d’Aix en Provence also is quite lovely. You can read more about French wines here.
How to store it?
This potato gratin dauphinois can be prepared in advance, and kept in the fridge. But I wouldn’t really recommend freezing it because the cheesy sauce will retain water.
I have kept it overnight in the fridge, but that is about the extent of it. Add more heavy cream and cheese if the gratin potatoes look dried out.
