Potatoes & cheese are a classic side dish for a reason. They’re delicious enough to stand on their own, I say. They’re rich, creamy, and the perfect accompaniment to any large format meat. But these baked potato gratin will definitely fill you up - it eats like a meal!
I would be happy eating only cheesy baked potatoes for lunch & dinner: well seasoned, tender potatoes in a rich and vevelty cream sauce topped with a golden brown cheese crust.
Pure potato heaven.
~ A-peeling (appealing) isnt it? hehe ~
What is baked potato gratin?
Basically gratin style casserole made from thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy sauce. The potatoes end up tender and soft and decadent, full of flavor. The concoction includes potato, meat ( beef or chicken), white button mushrooms, layered twice by mozarella & cheddar cheese.
The unique stacked texture is the best part of potato gratin, kind of like a potato lasagna with layers of potatoes instead of noodles. The type of potato plays a big part too!
What are the best potatoes for baked potato gratin?
There are only two kinds of potatoes that are perfect for potato gratin:
Yukon golds and Holland.
Yukon golds are slightly starchy, beautifully yellow, and have a rich buttery potato taste. They’re dense potato with a thin skin, and when you use them, you get a more luxurious casserole.
Holland potatoes are those big potatoes with the dusty skin. They are fluffy, dry, and starchy, when cooked right. Holland are the more mild potato of the two potatoes I recommend and if you’re a fan of lighter, fluffier potatoes, they make baked potatoes with a more delicate, fall apart texture.
- Yukon golds: dense, buttery, rich, more potato flavor, sauce won’t be as thick but the potatoes will hold their shape
- Holland: light, delicate, fluffy, mild potato flavor, will thicken the sauce more, but fall apart
If you want the best of both worlds, you can use a mix!
How to make baked potatoes?
For such a rich and flavor forward dish, making baked potatoes is surprisingly easy.
- Boil, peel and slice. Boil, peel and evenly slice the potatoes into rounds.
- Simmer. We’re going to give the potato slices a quick bath in some warm milk and cream.
- Rest. Let the potatoes rest so the cream thickens up and soaks into the potatoes.
- Layer. Lay concuction in a tray & layer them with a mixture of cheddar & mozarlla cheese.
- Bake. Bake, until the potatoes are tender and cooked through with beautifully brown crust.
~ Enjoy! Bon Appetit! ~
More detailed information in our downloadable PDF E-Book.
