My easy, no-boil recipe for Gratin Dauphinois gives you impossibly tender potatoes in a rich, velvety cream sauce that will not curdle. With this easy recipe, you’ll only need 7 simple ingredients (plus salt and pepper), 20 minutes of active time, and a baking dish. No sauce making or stovetop required.
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Gratin Dauphinois is a simple but deeply savory and satisfying dish. Seasoned potato slices bubble away until they nearly melt in a thick, ultra creamy sauce. It’s the kind of decadent dish that’s worth a splurge on holidays and special occasions. And if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, it tastes even better heated up the next day.
“Thank you! Comes out perfect. Bubbly and cheesy…When I found your recipe I couldn’t believe that I could make such a regal gift to me first and then my family. Cream. Milk. Cheese and potatoes. A holiday dish to knock your family out of their socks. Readers make it this week. True bliss♥️”
Minnie
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- No Pre-Cooking Required: This is my “no-boil” method that makes this recipe not only easier, but more reliable. By layering the raw, unrinsed potato slices directly into the dish, they release their starches into the cream as they bake. This starch thickens the sauce naturally; no need to dirty an extra pan for making a roux.
- A Foolproof Sauce: The big fear with gratins is a broken, greasy sauce. My method is designed to prevent this exact problem. The high fat content in the heavy cream thickens the sauce naturally and keeps it from curdling at the moderate 350°F baking temperature. This gives you a stable, rich, and smooth sauce every time.
- Maximum Flavor from Minimalist Ingredients: Rubbing the cutside of a raw garlic clove all over the dish itself, infuses the entire gratin with a whisper of aromatic flavor. It’s a classic French technique that makes a big difference.
- Tender Potatoes, Guaranteed: The long, slow bake at a moderate temperature gives the potatoes ample time to absorb the cream mixture, cooking them until they “melt-in-your-mouth.”
Ingredients for Gratin Dauphinois
- Russet Potatoes: Choose firm, heavy-for-their-size russet potatoes without sprouts or green spots. Their high starch content is ideal for creating a creamy texture in the gratin.
- Butter: Be sure it’s well-chilled for easier handling when greasing the baking dish.
- Garlic: Just one, large clove for rubbing the baking dish. Look for plump cloves with a papery skin that’s intact, indicating freshness, for the most robust flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Opt for heavy cream with a high fat content for a richer, more indulgent gratin. Avoid creams with stabilizers or added ingredients.
- Whole Milk: Fresh whole milk adds to the creaminess of the gratin. Make sure it’s as fresh as possible for the best flavor.
- Cheese: Gruyère or a similar-aged, good melting cheese (like Comte, a French Swiss-style cheese) is ideal. The cheese should be firm and have a nutty, savory flavor.
- Chives: Fresh chives should be bright green and tender, not wilted or yellowing, for the garnish. They add a mild onion flavor and a pop of color to the dish.
Cheese or No: Dauphinois vs. Savoyard
A true Gratin Dauphinois from the Dauphiné region of France doesn’t include cheese. Once you add cheese (as we all love to do), it’s technically called a Gratin Savoyard. But I love the savory, nutty flavor Gruyère adds, so I include it in my recipe as an option. To me, you get the best of both worlds: the classic, creamy technique with that irresistible golden, cheesy crust.
How to Make Gratin Dauphinois
Prep the Dish and Cream; Layer the Gratin: Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Rub your 1 1/2-quart baking dish with the garlic clove and then grease it with butter. In a pitcher, whisk together the heavy cream and milk. Add one layer of potato slices to bottom of baking dish and season with salt and pepper; top with 1/3 of cream mixture. Repeat layers twice, finishing with cream mixture.
Bake Until Golden; Add Cheese and rest: Bake 70 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown with some crispy edges. Top with cheese if desired and bake 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Pro Tips
- Slicing Tip: You want your potato slices to be uniformly thin (~1/8-inch thick). A sharp knife will work, but if you have a mandoline, this is a great time to use it. A ~1/8-inch (3mm) food processor slicing disc is also a great option if you have one.
- Don’t Rinse the Potatoes: This is my most important secret. That cloudy starch on the sliced potatoes is your best friend. It’s the natural thickener that creates a creamy, velvety sauce. Rinsing it away is the number one cause of a thin or watery gratin.
- Smooth the Layers: As you layer the potatoes and cream mixture, take a moment to smooth out each layer. This small step helps to remove air pockets and helps to distribute the the cream mixture evenly.
- Use the Right Baking Dish: Double check the size of your baking dish (it should be a 1 1/2-quart dish for this recipe). Too large and your gratin will be thin and overcooked, too small and it may not cook through properly.
- Resting is Required: Allow the gratin to rest for 10-15 minutes after baking. This cooling period lets the dish set, making it easier to serve while still enjoying it warm.
- How to Prevent Burning: Keep an eye on your gratin in the last 20 minutes of baking. If it’s browning too quickly, a loose tent of aluminum foil can prevent burning while still allowing the heat to circulate.
Recipe Variations
- Extra Cheesy Gratin: If you love a serious cheese-pull, don’t just top the gratin. Add 2 ounces of shredded Gruyère between each layer of potatoes as you build the gratin, in addition to the 2 ounces on top.
- Add Thyme: For a more herbal note, sprinkle a few teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves between the potato layers.
What to Serve With Gratin Dauphinois
- Slow Cooker Duck Confit
- Pan-Fried Lamb Chops
- Roasted Boneless Leg of Lamb
- Coq au Vin Blanc (An ultra-decadent pairing.)
- A simple green salad dressed with Champagne Vinaigrette
FAQ
It usually happens for two reasons: 1) You used low-fat milk, which curdles easily, or 2) Your oven was too high. My recipe solves this by using a high-fat heavy cream to stabilize the whole milk and baking at a moderate 350°F.
You must use a high-starch potato. Russets are my top choice because they break down just enough to make the sauce incredibly silky. Yukon Golds can also work, but they hold their shape more and don’t have quite the same “melt-in-your-mouth” texture.
No, you don’t need to. Some recipes call for it, but I find it’s just an extra, messy step. My no-boil method bakes the raw potatoes in the cream, which both cooks them and thickens the sauce with their natural starches. It’s easier and, in my opinion, better.
Yes! This is one of my favorite dishes to make ahead for a party. You have two options:
Option 1 (Assemble): Assemble the entire gratin (uncooked), press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the top layer to prevent the potatoes from browning, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Let it sit at room temp for 30-45 minutes before baking (it may need an extra 10-15 minutes in the oven).
Option 2 (Bake & Reheat): Bake the gratin completely, let it cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven for 20-30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
More Amazing Potato Sides
Gratin Dauphinois (Potato Gratin)
Video
Equipment
- Mandoline Slicer Not required, but makes slicing faster and slices more uniformly thick.
Ingredients
- 1 large garlic clove halved
- butter for greasing the baking dish
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 pounds russet potatoes or other starchy potato, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch thick rounds (see recipe note #1)
- kosher salt 2 teaspoons or more
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 ounces shredded gruyere cheese optional (or more, see recipe note #3)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C).
- Prep the Baking Dish: With cut sides of garlic clove, firmly rub the bottom and sides of a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Then generously coat bottom and sides with butter.
- Mix the Cream: In a pitcher, whisk together cream and milk. (A 4-cup glass measuring pitcher works great for this.)
- Assemble the Layers: Layer 1/3 of potato slices into prepared baking dish. Season generously with salt and pepper and pour over 1/3 of the cream mixture. Repeat with 2 remaining layers, finishing with cream mixture that should just cover the potatoes.
- Bake and Rest: Bake 70 minutes, until bubbly on the edges and golden brown on top. Sprinkle with cheese if using and bake 10 minutes more. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with chives and serve.
Notes
- My Slicing Secret: A mandoline or food processor slicing disc makes quick work of this.
- Do NOT Rinse Potatoes: I’m serious about this one! That starch on the potatoes is what thickens our sauce. Do not rinse it off. Just slice and layer.
- Spill-Proofing: I always place the baking dish on a parchment-lined, rimmed baking sheet. This dish is full and will bubble over, and this trick saves me so much oven-cleaning.
- Cheese Level: You can absolutely skip the cheese for a more traditional Dauphinois. Or, if you’re like me and love a cheesy gratin, add 2 ounces of Gruyère between each layer (4 oz total) in addition to the 2 oz on top.
- Make-Ahead: This is my go-to holiday move. You can bake it completely, cool, cover, and chill for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 325°F oven for 25-30 minutes until hot. Or, assemble it raw, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the potatoes (to prevent browning), and chill for up to 1 day before baking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You said the size of the baking dish was important. What size should the baking dish be to increase the servings to 10?
Hi Terri! For 6 servings, I use a 1ยฝ-quart baking dish, which keeps the layers at the right thickness. To scale this up to 10 servings, switch to a 2ยฝ- to 3-quart baking dish (a shallow 9ร13-inch dish works well) and increase the ingredients by about 65%. That puts you at roughly 3.3 pounds of potatoes, 2ยฝ cups cream, and 1โ cups milk.
Depth really matters with Gratin Dauphinois. You want about the same thickness of potatoes as the original recipe so it bakes creamy instead of steaming. Plan on adding 15โ20 minutes to the baking time, and pull it when itโs bubbling at the edges and tender all the way through.
This is beautiful in its simplicity. Thanks for sharing this wonderful au gratin dis with us.
Velva
My pleasure, Velva!
Can we do it on individual portion, like in ramequins? Will IT chance cooking Time?
Hi Isabelle! I’m sure you could make an individual version of this dish, but I haven’t tested a recipe for it. I imagine that the baking time would be significantly shorter.
Can you reheat this dish, as it will vie with the turkey in the oven? If so for how long? I plan to make it, bake it, and bring it to a dinner elsewhere. Many thanks! I love this dish, as I lived in France for 7 years. I want to show it off to my friends to best advantage!
Hi Karen! Yes, absolutely. Since you’re planning to reheat, reserve some of the cream mixture to drizzle over the top after you take it out of the oven (~1/2 cup, so that it has some moisture to soak up while it reheats). Be sure to remove the gratin from the refrigerator about 1 hour ahead. Then reheat, covered with foil, in an oven preheated to 350หF for 20 to 30 minutes. Have a wonderful time and I hope your friends will be impressed!
I can’t wait to try this! Looks delish! I found this recipe because I was looking for Champagne Vinegarette, and you suggested this recipe. Is this to say that you could add the dressing to the potatoes?
Hi Sherry! No, not to add to this recipe, just that Champagne Vinaigrette on a simple green salad is a great pairing for these rich potatoes.
Thank you! Comes out perfect. Bubbly and cheesy. But the cream the milk and Gruyรจre are a gift for working everyday. No worries about your slice in your potato. Thin. Thick. Just follow the directions. I made scalloped potatoes in Maine since I was 15 years oldโฆ63 years old today. When I found your recipe I couldnโt believe that I could make such a regal gift to me first and then my family. Cream. Milk. Cheese and potatoes. A holiday dish to knock your family out of their socks. Readers make it this week. True blissโฅ๏ธ
aww…thank you so much for your kind comment, I so appreciate it!
Can you make it the day before you serve it. Will it still be good?
Yes, absolutely! To me it tastes even better the next day.
I made these for Christmas day, what is the best way to reheat them without drying them out!
Hi Robin! To reheat in the oven, cover the dish with foil and heat at 350หF for 15-20 minutes.
I know I’m in for a treat if I see a dish like this on a table! Just look at that golden topping – absolutely gorgeous, Marissa! Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Katerina. Merry Christmas to you too!
Cheesy potatoes are the BEST! And I LOVE starchy potatoes. This looks absolutely mouthwatering.
Thank you, Angie!
Amazing! Pretty sure this dish is the mother of all comfort food recipes. YUM! ๐ ~Valentina
Thank you so much, Valentina! It sure is for me.
I love any kind of potato dish, but potato gratin is my ALL time favorite (I mean, who can resist, right?)! Your potatoes have me DROOLING, Marissa!!! They look absolutely PERFECT! Is it bad I want just this for dinner tonight?! Hand me a shovel, because I’m ready to dive in!!!! Pinned!
I hope you and your family have the most beautiful holiday, my dear friend! xoxo
haha… thank you so much , Cheyanne! Wishing you and your family a beautiful holiday too. xo