Potatoes au Gratin is one of those quintessential side dishes frequently found on dinner tables for special occasions. And there’s no wonder why. Potatoes baked in cheese and cream, seasoned to savory goodness, are as close to perfection as comfort food can get.

As a kid, I always thought of Potatoes au Gratin as “the fancy potatoes,” a dish made by grandma or my aunts for holidays with family. Now, I get to make the “fancy potatoes,” and they still taste just as good as I remember.

Thinly sliced potatoes, heavy cream, and Gruyère cheese are the three core ingredients of a good gratin. The gratin is built in thirds; first, a layer of potatoes, a layer of an herby cream and butter mixture, and a layer of cheese. This process is repeated two more times until you’ve built three layers of cheesy, creamy, herby potatoes.

One crucial step is to reserve that last layer of cheese. The gratin goes into the oven, covered, to bake, soften, and soak up the creamy, cheesy sauce. For the final few minutes of baking, the last ⅓ of the cheese is scattered over the top, and the dish goes back into the oven uncovered.

What makes these cheesy baked potato slices “gratin” is that they’re baked until the cheese on top becomes crispy in texture and golden brown in color. Those edges are the pieces that everyone fights over!

As eager as you might be to dive right in to the cheesy-potato goodness, a crucial final step is to allow the gratin to cool slightly before serving. This will help the potatoes set up, making them easier to serve, but it will also save you from a burnt tongue!

Potatoes au Gratin are the “fancy potatoes” that everyone loves! Super simple ingredients baked together into one gorgeous, savory, and comforting dish. The dish practically cleans itself; you’ll be hard pressed to find a scrap of potato left by the end of the evening.