Are you searching for the ultimate comfort food side dish to be the star of your holiday table? A magnificent, show-stopping casserole so impossibly creamy, so cheesy, and so packed with a sophisticated, savory flavor, it will become an instant family tradition? This incredible, from-scratch Creamy Scalloped Potato Gratin is that perfect recipe. We’re talking impossibly thin, tender slices of potato, baked to perfection in a luscious, garlic-and-thyme-infused cream sauce, all under a golden, bubbly blanket of salty Parmesan cheese.
This isn’t just another scalloped potato recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a truly restaurant-quality masterpiece that is secretly simple to make. We’ll show you the crucial professional secrets to the most velvety, non-stringy potatoes and a deep, complex flavor that will make this the undisputed star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. This is pure comfort and elegance in a bowl.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Creamy & Elegant Holiday Side Dish
What makes this Scalloped Potato Gratin so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, deep flavor and its wonderfully simple preparation. This recipe is a masterpiece of rustic elegance. The star of the show is the from-scratch infused cream sauce. A simple but brilliant technique of gently simmering garlic, bay leaves, and fresh thyme in the heavy cream is the secret that perfumes the entire dish with a deep, aromatic flavor. This beautiful, savory cream is then poured over paper-thin slices of starchy Russet potatoes and baked until impossibly tender, with a magnificent, bubbly, golden-brown Parmesan cheese crust.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 |
The Cheesy Dream Team: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality, simple ingredients to create its signature rich and savory flavor.
- The Potatoes (Russets are KEY!):
- For the best, most classic scalloped potato texture, it is essential to use a high-starch potato like a Russet. Their dry, floury texture is the key that allows them to soften beautifully and to help thicken the cream sauce as they bake, resulting in a wonderfully tender, not waxy, result.
- The Infused Cream Sauce (The Secret Weapon!):
- Fresh Aromatics: The secret to a truly deep, complex, and sophisticated flavor is to gently simmer your heavy cream with whole aromatics. Fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaves, fresh garlic, and a hint of freshly grated nutmeg create an incredible, fragrant base.
- The Parmesan Crust:
- Freshly Grated is Best!: For the absolute best, nutty flavor and a perfectly golden, crispy crust, it is essential to use a block of high-quality Parmesan cheese that you grate yourself. Pre-shredded cheese will not melt or brown as beautifully.
The Gratin Masterclass: The Secrets to a Perfect Bake
This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- The Mandoline is Your Best Friend: The number one, non-negotiable secret to a scalloped potato dish that cooks evenly and has a beautiful, elegant, and layered texture is to slice your potatoes very thinly and uniformly. A simple, inexpensive mandoline slicer is the absolute best tool for this job, creating perfect, paper-thin slices in seconds.
- The “Steam then Sear” Bake: The secret to potatoes that are perfectly tender all the way through, with a crispy top, is the brilliant “cover and uncover” method. The initial bake while the pan is tightly covered with foil steams the thin potato slices, making them incredibly tender. Removing the foil for the final stage of baking is what allows the top to become that magnificent, bubbly, golden-brown gratin crust.
Step-by-Step to the Best Scalloped Potato Gratin
This elegant, festive side dish is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Infused Cream and Assembly
Step 1: First, preheat your oven to 400°F ($200^{\circ}C$). Generously butter a casserole dish.
Step 2: In a small saucepan, heat your 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream with the 3 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, 2 chopped garlic cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: While the cream is heating, use a mandoline to thinly slice your 2 pounds of peeled Russet potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick rounds.
Step 4: Use a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaves and thyme from your hot, infused cream. Pour the cream into a large bowl with your potato slices. Add your 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, season with a little more salt and pepper, and mix gently to coat all the potatoes.
Step 5: Spoon a little of the cream into the bottom of your prepared casserole dish. Then, spoon in your coated potatoes, leveling them out for a uniform bake. Pour any remaining cream from the bottom of the bowl over the top.
Part 2: The Perfect Bake
Step 1: Top the casserole with some more freshly grated Parmesan and a few fresh thyme leaves.
Step 2: Cover the dish with aluminum foil, but pull back one corner just slightly to allow some of the steam to escape.
Step 3: Bake for 40 minutes. You will know the gratin is perfectly done when the potatoes are completely tender and the top is bubbly. For an extra-crispy, golden-brown crust, you can remove the foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
Let the gratin rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This is a crucial step that allows the creamy sauce to set up.
Creamy Scalloped Potato Gratin (An Easy Holiday Side!)
A classic and decadent recipe for a Scalloped Potato Gratin, a perfect side dish for a holiday meal. This comforting casserole features thinly sliced russet potatoes layered in a baking dish and baked in a rich cream sauce. The cream is infused with aromatic bay leaves, fresh thyme, and garlic to create a deep, savory flavor. The gratin is topped with Parmesan cheese and baked until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown and bubbly.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for topping
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Unsalted butter, for greasing the dish
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously butter a casserole dish.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream with the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, and nutmeg. Bring to a gentle simmer to infuse the flavors, then remove from the heat.
- Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the peeled potatoes into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaves and thyme from the warm cream.
- In a large bowl, combine the potato slices with the heated cream mixture. Add 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Mix gently to coat the potatoes.
- Arrange the coated potato slices in the prepared casserole dish. Pour any remaining cream from the bowl over the top.
- Top with some more grated Parmesan and fresh thyme leaves.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil, leaving one corner open for steam to escape.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown and bubbly.
- Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This is a classic and rich side dish, perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a steakhouse-style dinner.
- Infusing the cream with garlic and herbs is a key step that adds a deep, aromatic flavor throughout the dish.
- Using a mandoline slicer is highly recommended for achieving thin, uniform potato slices, which ensures they cook evenly.
- The two-stage baking process—covered first, then uncovered—is crucial for ensuring the potatoes become tender before the cheese topping gets too brown.
What to Serve With Your Scalloped Potatoes
This beautiful and savory dish is a fantastic and incredibly versatile side. It is the perfect accompaniment to almost any holiday main course or Sunday supper.
- Holiday Roasts: It is an absolute must-have alongside a classic Roasted Turkey, a Glazed Ham, or a beautiful Prime Rib.
- Weeknight Dinners: It is also the perfect, elegant side for a simple roasted chicken or some classic meatloaf.
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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate make-ahead holiday side dish!
- Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! You can prepare and fully assemble the entire, unbaked gratin up to 2 days in advance. Simply cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator. When you are ready for your dinner, you may need to add 15-20 minutes to the total baking time.
- Storage: Store any leftover casserole, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to simply place it back in a 350°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, until it is warmed through and bubbly.
Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why were my potatoes still crunchy after baking?
Crunchy potatoes are almost always because they were not sliced thinly enough. The 1/8-inch thickness is crucial for allowing the potatoes to steam and become tender in the short, covered bake. A mandoline is the key to this perfect, uniform thickness.
Q2: Can I make this side dish ahead of time for a holiday dinner?
Yes, absolutely! This is an ideal make-ahead side dish. You can fully assemble the unbaked gratin up to two days in advance. When you are ready for your dinner, you can simply pop it in the oven to bake.
Q3: Can I use a different kind of potato?
Yes! If you prefer a creamier, slightly waxier potato that holds its shape a bit more, a Yukon Gold potato would also be a fantastic choice for this recipe.
Q4: Can I use a different kind of cheese?
Of course! This recipe is wonderful with other good-melting cheeses that have a nutty, savory flavor, like a classic Gruyère, a Comté, or even a sharp white cheddar.
Q5: Can I make this in a sheet pan for an “all-crust” result?
Yes! For an incredible version where every bite is the crispy top piece, you can arrange your cream-coated potatoes in a thin, overlapping layer on a large, 18×13-inch sheet pan. The cooking time will be slightly shorter.