Dauphinoise potatoes are simple and cheesy thin-sliced potatoes layered with cream, butter, and cheese for an incredible side dish! This easy potato dish is so elegant and beautiful, it almost looks too good to eat! The flavor is so mouthwateringly delicious, you’ll never want to make potatoes another way!
Easy Dauphinoise Potatoes Recipe
Dauphinoise potatoes are the winter side dish you have to make! They’re thinly sliced potatoes that are baked with cream, butter, and loads of nutty Gruyere cheese.
Creamy, cheesy, and so impressive – dauphinoise potatoes are an incredible side dish! This recipe is just that warm and comforting.
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This dish has several components that can be made ahead – so it’s super easy! Once you layer the components, it simply bakes in the oven! It’s a straightforward dish that tastes like it came from a gourmet restaurant!
🌎 Origin
Dauphinoise potatoes are a classic French side dish! The recipe comes from the Dauphiné region in France, where they are known for their “au gratin” (or cooked with cheese and browned) style potato dishes.
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
A Perfect Side! These simple, yet delectable potatoes can go with so many mains! I like to serve these with a steak, but they could easily pair with chicken, lamb, or pork!
Fun to Make! If you have kids who love to cook, they can totally help make this dish! Layering the potatoes is easy and fun for everyone!
So Elegant! The French name isn’t the only thing fancy about this dish! Dauphinoise potatoes look and taste like they’ve taken all day to make!
🥘 Dauphinoise Potatoes Ingredients
I love how these cheesy dauphinoise potatoes use simple ingredients to make such a delicious dish! I recommend looking for the Gruyere cheese—it has such a delicious flavor!
- Potatoes – 2½ pounds of potatoes. You should use a starchy potato here, like russet, Yukon gold, King Edward, or Maris Piper! These potatoes will be able to hold up to the cheese and baking process.
- Heavy Whipping Cream (or heavy cream) – 1½ cups of heavy whipping cream. This recipe calls for baking the potatoes in a bath of heavy cream, melted butter, and garlic. I recommend setting the cream out for about 15 minutes to take the chill off before using it.
- Butter – 2 tablespoons of butter. The butter should be melted and cooled before mixing with the cream!
- Garlic– 1 teaspoon of garlic (or 2-3 cloves). I like to finely mince or grate the garlic before blending it with the sauce ingredients so that it evenly distributes throughout!
- Salt & Pepper – ¼ teaspoon of both salt and pepper, or add according to your taste preference! The cheese is a little salty, so don’t add too much salt!
- Gruyere Cheese – 2½ cups of Gruyere cheese. I love Gruyere for the deep, rich flavor it has. You can use another great Swiss cheese or even mozzarella for this recipe! The cheese should be grated for this recipe.
- Fresh Thyme (optional) – A few springs of fresh thyme perfectly complement the flavors of the garlic and Gruyere cheese. It is optional, but I highly recommend the fresh note of the thyme!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Dauphinoise Potatoes
This simple, yet delicious dauphinoise potatoes recipe is surprisingly easy to make but tastes like you’ve been in the kitchen all day! For this recipe, you will need a 1.5-quart baking dish and a mandolin (or just a knife).
This is a perfect side dish for a family dinner, as it is equivalent to about 8 portions.
- Prep. Start the dauphinoise potatoes by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C), then lightly grease a 1.5 quart or larger oven-safe dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Prep the potatoes. Next, wash and peel 2½ pounds of potatoes. Then, slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch thick slices using a mandolin, food processor, or by hand. (If using a mandolin, make sure to use a hand guard to protect your fingers!)
- Layer the potatoes, sauce, and cheese. Next, assemble the sliced potatoes in your prepared baking dish by layering the first ⅓ of the potatoes onto the bottom of the baking dish. Then, make the sauce for the dauphinoise potatoes: mix together 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 teaspoon of minced or grated garlic, and pour the first ⅓ portion of the cream mixture over the bottom layer of potatoes.
- Repeat the layers. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and the optional fresh thyme leaves over the bottom layer of potatoes. Then, top with the first ⅓ portion of grated cheese (approximately ¾ cup). Repeat until all the layers are added, finishing with the last portion of the Gruyere cheese.
Bake Until Golden
- Bake your assembled dish. Cover the dish with a lid or sheet of aluminum foil and place it in the center of your oven’s middle rack. Then, bake at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. (Be sure to check the potatoes in the center of your dish as the edges will be done quickly)
- Finish baking the potatoes. Remove the lid or aluminum foil and let the potatoes and cheese brown for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Once done, remove your dauphinoise potatoes from the oven. Allow them to set for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Luxuriously creamy, cheesy dauphinoise potatoes are the perfect side dish! I love to serve them for dinner with an amazing steak, like my broiled ribeye, wagyu ribeye steak, or pan-seared T-Bone steak. Add a green veggie or salad and you’ve got an amazing Sunday dinner! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Want to make this dish, but are short on time? Try slicing the potatoes ahead of time and then submerging them in a container of cold water for up to 24 hours. You can also make the cream mixture and shred the cheese the day before too!
- You can add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg to each layer of the potatoes. It’s a personal favorite!
- If you think your lid or foil will stick to the top layer of the cheese, hold off on adding the last ⅓ portion of the cheese until the last 15 minutes of cooking time. This will prevent all the cheese from adhering to your lid or foil!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
These cheesy dauphinoise potatoes store perfectly in the fridge. They taste even better the next day!
Cover your dish with the lid, a new sheet of aluminum foil, or transfer your potatoes to an airtight container to store. They’ll be good to eat for up to 5 days!
Freezing
You can also freeze dauphinoise potatoes for up to 2 weeks! Cover the dish with a tight layer of plastic cling film or sheet of foil, then place on the lid.
Alternatively, put leftovers in an airtight container. (Note—freezing the dauphinoise potatoes might cause them to be slightly different in texture when reheated)
Reheating Dauphinoise Potatoes
The oven is the best way to evenly reheat dauphinoise potatoes! Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Cover the potatoes with the lid you used to bake or a sheet of aluminum foil.
Then, place the dish in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 165°F (73°C).
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❓ FAQ
Dauphinoise potatoes and potatoes au gratin are very similar baked potato side dishes! The big difference is that dauphinoise potatoes are baked raw, and potatoes au gratin usually uses pre-cooked potatoes. As well, potatoes au gratin sometimes uses cheddar cheese and dauphinoise potatoes typically use Swiss cheese like Gruyere (if adding any cheese at all).
Gruyere is a firm, aged cheese from Switzerland. The flavor is like a cross between Swiss cheese and parmesan cheese! It’s rich, salty, and has a deep nutty flavor. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s delicious and a perfect complement to the potatoes in this cheesy dauphinoise potatoes recipe!
Dauphinoise potatoes are best when enjoyed the same day that they were prepared. You don't want to assemble the dish and store it in the fridge without baking it, as your potatoes will turn grey.
If you really want to prepare this dish ahead of time, you can make it from start to finish and then, once cooled, cover and store the dish in the refrigerator. Then, when ready, you can reheat them in the oven as stated above.
🥔 More of My Favorite Potato Recipes
- Potatoes O'Brien - This breakfast dish features potatoes, red and green bell peppers, and onions!
- Fondant Potatoes - These creamy and delicious potatoes are an incredibly impressive side dish that is super simple to make!
- Parmesan Roasted Mashed Potatoes - These mashed potatoes can accompany any entree!
- Au Gratin Potatoes With Diced Ham - Sliced potatoes are coated in a creamy cheese sauce and topped with diced ham!
- 4 Ingredient Potato Soup - A simple potato soup that is packed with flavor!
- Potato Salad - Perfect as a standalone dish or a side dish, this potato salad can easily be customized to suit your tastes!
📋 Recipe
Dauphinoise Potatoes (Cheesy Potatoes Gratin Dauphinoise)
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs potatoes (starchy potatoes like russet, Yukon Gold, King Edward, or Maris Piper)
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon butter (melted)
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- 2 ½ cups Gruyere cheese (or another great Swiss cheese, or mozzarella - grated)
- fresh thyme (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease your 1.5 quart or larger dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
- Wash and peel your potatoes, then slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch thick slices using a mandoline, food processor, or by hand.2 ½ lbs potatoes
- Assemble the potatoes in your prepared baking dish by layering the first ⅓ of the sliced potatoes onto the bottom of the baking dish. Mix together the heavy whipping cream, melted butter, and garlic then pour the first ⅓ portion of the cream mixture over the bottom layer of potatoes.1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon garlic, ¼ teaspoon each, salt & pepper, 2 ½ cups Gruyere cheese, fresh thyme
- Sprinkle salt and pepper, as well as the optional fresh thyme over the bottom layer. Then top with the first ⅓ portion of grated cheese (approximately ¾ cups). Repeat until all of the layers are added.
- Cover with a lid or sheet of aluminum foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. *Be sure to check the potatoes in the center of your dish.
- Remove the lid or aluminum foil and let the potatoes and cheese brown for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Once done, remove your potatoes dauphinoise from the oven and allow to set for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- The addition of fresh thyme is noted as optional, but it is a wonderful fresh note to add to this rich dish.
- A pinch of some freshly grated nutmeg is also a personal favorite.
- If you have a lid or will be covering the potatoes with a sheet of aluminum foil that will stick to the top layer of cheese, hold off on adding the last ⅓ portion of the cheese until the last 15 minutes of cooking time.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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