The BEST and EASIEST Potatoes Au Gratin recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is the one trick Michael Symon uses to make perfect scalloped potatoes? ›

Surprisingly, aluminum foil is his secret weapon. After beautifully shingling the potatoes (he's got a genius trick for doing this quickly, too) he covers the dish in foil before hitting the oven.

The difference comes down to cheese. Scalloped potato recipes are usually baked in a basic cream sauce until soft and tender, with no cheese topping. Potatoes au gratin are a bit more decadent. They are made with lots of cheese sprinkled in between the layers of potatoes and also on top of the casserole.

Derived from the French verb gratiner — to broil — gratin is a process that involves topping a dish with either cheese or buttery breadcrumbs and baking or broiling until crispy.

High oven temperatures can make the milk's components break apart, again leaving the proteins free to clump together. To prevent curdling, cook your scalloped potatoes at a lower temperature and across a longer period of time.

Potatoes or rice can remain rock-hard after prolonged cooking. Starch will not swell if it is acidic. If you have a lot of sour cream in your scalloped potatoes or add something acidic, your potatoes may not soften. You can cook the potatoes with heavy cream or milk and then, after they soften, stir in sour cream.

Some potatoes, like Yukon Gold, have more water in them. Try letting the dish rest for 10 minutes or so to let the water get absorbed and let the sauce thicken. Try cooking your recipe longer. Try uncovering the dish in the oven for the last 10 minutes or so.

Scalloped or au gratin potatoes are so simple. But it can be frustrating when the creamy sauce and cheese separate or look curdled. The good news is that the dish tastes just fine, even when it looks a little strange. The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven.

I don't recommend soaking the potatoes in water ahead of time for our potatoes au gratin (as some recipes call for). Soaking them will cause them to lose some of their starch, which helps to keep this dish creamy. The dish will still get a nice, crisp top without soaking the potatoes.

The phrase au gratin literally means "by grating" in French, or "with a crust," from the verb gratter, "to scrape, scratch, or grate."

Butter a gratin dish (which should be long and large and about 5 cm (2 in) deep) and sprinkle 2 chopped garlic slices on the bottom, a pinch of salt and pepper and more nutmeg.

What is potato au gratin made of? ›

Also known as Dauphinoise Potatoes, this French classic is adapted from a Julia Child's recipe. With layers upon layers of finely sliced potatoes baked in, cream, butter and cheese with a hint of fresh thyme, it's luxurious and thoroughly indulgent. Bonus: It's the ultimate make ahead potato side dish!

Once they have been peeled and cut, raw potatoes will turn brown quickly. This process, which is called oxidation, happens because potatoes are a naturally starchy vegetable. And when exposed to oxygen, starches turn gray, brown, or even black. An oxidized potato is completely safe to eat.

Flour: The flour provides the initial thickening for the potatoes' sauce. The potatoes' starch and evaporation in the oven provide much rest.

Proper storage and handling

Do not refrigerate or freeze fresh potatoes before cooking. Colder temperatures lower than 50 degrees cause a potato's starch to convert to sugar, resulting in a sweet taste and discoloration when cooked. There is no need to store your potatoes in a bag; you can store them loose.

Once you've chosen the right potatoes, grab a sharp chef's knife (or a mandoline, if you have one) and carefully slice them as thinly and evenly as possible—ideally one-fourth to one-eighth-inch thick. Potatoes that are too thick or thin will bake up unevenly, and you want the layers to cook up tender.

Soak the potatoes in water.

This is a step that grandma always did; she said it was to prevent the potatoes from browning or oxidizing. I tried it many times without the soak, and the dish always turned out dry. Turns out that grandmas trick was the perfect way to keep these potatoes moist.

POTATOES, WHOLE MILK, CHEDDAR CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO EXTRACT [COLOR], NATAMYCIN [MOLD INHIBITOR]), BUTTER (SWEET CREAM [MILK], SALT), SOUR CREAM (PASTEURIZED CULTURED CREAM [MILK], ENZYMES), PARMESAN CHEESE (PASTEURIZED PART-SKIM MILK, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, ENZYMES), ROMANO ...