5 Ingredients or Fewer

Stovetop White Potato and Cheddar au Gratin

January 12, 2018
5
5 Ratings
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Serves 4 to 6
Author Notes

Mildly starchy and firm-fleshed white potatoes provide a great canvas for the sharp bite of aged cheddar and garlicky chives, resulting in a mellow, comforting gratin. Pro tip: Cooking the potatoes and cream on the stovetop before baking allows the potatoes’ natural starch to thicken the sauce and reduce the oven time. (I learned this trick working with former SAVEUR food editor Todd Coleman, whose own gratin recipe can be found here.) And bonus: Using an oven-proof skillet such as cast-iron for both stovetop and baking cuts down on extra dishes! —Judy Haubert

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Ingredients
  • 3 pounds white potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced ⅛-inch thick
  • cups light whipping cream
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • cups grated aged white cheddar (about 6 ounces), divided
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
  • ¼ cups finely grated parmesan
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 425°F.
  2. Combine potatoes, whipping cream, salt to taste, and a few grinds of pepper in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until cream is slightly reduced and potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 12 minutes. Fold in 1 cup of cheddar and the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Cover the top of the gratin with the remaining cheddar and the parmesan. Bake until the edges are bubbly and the topping is golden, about 20 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

4 Reviews

Georgine July 12, 2023
What is “light whipping cream”? That doesn’t exist. Is the intended ingredient light cream or whipping cream?
Sheree April 13, 2020
I made this for Easter Sunday dinner. Substituted a mix of TJ's unexpected cheddar and mild cheddar and only used 2 cups of cream. The 2 cups was still too much, as the dish was a bit soupy. I also had to bake it much longer than an hour to fully cook the potatoes. I used garlic herb season and TJ's 21 season salute, so the flavor of the dish was amazing. I would certainly make this again.
Jessie February 14, 2019
I’ve made this at least a dozen times now. Definitely a crowd pleaser and so simple and quick. Great recipe.
Delia November 11, 2018
I appreciate how simple and foolproof this recipe is. When I'm tempted to make baked mac and cheese, I just make this instead, and feel much happier for it.