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Dauphinoise Potatoes is the classic French recipe for potato gratin. This version is easy to master, using simple ingredients, for the most delicious potato side dish.
When I’m cooking for Christmas, Easter, birthdays, celebrations (or just a rainy Sunday sometimes?!) this dish adds the ultimate in luxury.
But guess what, Dauphinoise Potatoes are secretly super easy to make – here’s how!
Why you’ll love this Dauphinoise Potatoes recipe
⭐️ Impressive and indulgent side dish
⭐️ Cheesy, comforting and so delicious
⭐️ Simple ingredients, easy method
What are Dauphinoise Potatoes?
They are the creamy cousin of Boulangère Potatoes, which are made with stock rather than cream.
This is a classic French side dish that’s made up of layers of thinly sliced potatoes baked in a creamy sauce, with garlic and herbs for a deep flavour, also known as a Potato Gratin.
Traditionally Dauphinoise doesn’t have cheese in it, but I’m sure we can all agree that everything is better with cheese, so we’ve added some deliciously nutty gruyere here. You could always swap this for cheddar or simply leave it off if you prefer.
This will make this recipe a lot easier!
Easy Dauphinoise Potatoes Ingredients
- Butter – You’ll need 50g for the recipe and a little extra for greasing the dish.
- Double cream – Or heavy cream if you’re outside the UK.
- Milk – Go for whole or semi-skimmed if you can.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves and slice them.
- Thyme and grated nutmeg – If you can, use fresh herbs here as they will give a much better flavour. Dried herbs tend to work better when cooked in a larger volume of liquid. If you do need to use dried herbs, halve the amount in the recipe.
- Potatoes – Floury potatoes like Maris Piper or King Edward work best here, or if you’re in Australia, something like Sebago, or in the USA, Russet is perfect. Just NOT waxy types.
- Gruyere cheese – This is optional but does add a lovely flavour.
How to make Dauphinoise Potatoes
1. Melt the butter, double cream, milk, sliced garlic and thyme in a saucepan (as per the full recipe below), then stir in the nutmeg and a good pinch of salt. Leave over a very low heat to keep warm.
2. Thinly slice the potatoes using a mandolin or a sharp knife.
3. Grease a baking dish then layer the sliced potatoes. Pour over the cream and garlic mix, then repeat these layers until you have used all the potatoes and cream.
4. Cover with foil and bake until cooked. Remove the foil, scatter over the grated gruyere and cook until the top is golden.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat fully before serving.
In the freezer This recipe freezes well. Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put it into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or covered in the oven.
More favourite potato recipes…
Side Dishes
Smashed Potatoes
Side Dishes
Sautéed Potatoes {Super Easy Recipe!}
Side Dishes
Parmentier Potatoes {with Garlic and Herbs}
Side Dishes
Roast Potatoes {Best Ever Easy Recipe!}
FAQs
Anything you like really, but as it’s usually an occasion when I cook this dish, I like to serve it with a showstopping main event.
Something like Salmon en Croute works well, Beef Wellington or Mushroom Wellington for vegetarians, or even a simple meat like Roast Lamb or a Slow Cooker Beef Joint.
Just make sure you use one that is safe to go in the oven, and perhaps something that looks nice in the middle of the table! Don’t use a pan that’s too large or your potatoes will cook too quickly, not be deep enough and dry out.
If you’d like to find out how some large pans are rated, read my pan review here.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Dauphinoise Potatoes {Creamy & Comforting}
Ingredients
- 50 g (2 oz) Butter, Plus extra for greasing
- 500 ml (2 cups) Double cream, Or heavy cream
- 200 ml (1 cups) Milk
- 3 Garlic cloves, Sliced
- A few sprigs of thyme
- 1/4 tsp Grated nutmeg
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) Potatoes, Peeled
Optional:
- 150 g (5 oz) Gruyere, Grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan/200℃/350F or Gas Mark 6.
- Place the butter, double cream, milk, sliced garlic and thyme in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir every so often until the butter has melted then stir in the nutmeg and a good pinch of salt. Leave over a very low heat to keep warm.
- Thinly slice the potatoes using a mandolin gadget or a sharp knife. You want them to be about 3-4mm thick.
- Grease a baking dish with the extra butter then layer in 4 of the sliced potatoes. Pour over ¼ of the cream and garlic mix, then repeat these layers until you have used all of the sliced potatoes and all of the cream. (Discard the sprigs of thyme as you come across them when pouring in the cream.)
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour or until the middle of the dish is soft (test this by piercing it with a sharp knife and making sure there is no resistance.) If the potatoes aren’t quite cooked give them another 15 minutes then check again.
- When the potatoes are cooked remove the foil, scatter over the grated gruyere and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the top is golden, or pop under a hot grill for a few minutes. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
Oh WOW. I always play it safe with potatoes but I wanted to try this out to see if it was worth it. It so was! Really easy, just had to plan ahead a bit for the cooking time, but the results were out of this world. Thanks Sarah!