These Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes are a cheesy, creamy au gratin potatoes recipe filled with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon. Everything you love in a loaded baked potato turned into a delicious potatoes au gratin recipe.

Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes makes the perfect easy holiday side dish


 

These easy Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes take a classic au gratin potato recipe and add our two favorite things, cheese and bacon. It’s a simple potato recipe that is great for easy weeknight dinners or holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.

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Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes layered with cheese

What is the difference between Au gratin and Scalloped potatoes?

The big difference between the two dishes is the cheese. “Au gratin” by definition means covered with breadcrumbs or cheese and then baked until brown whereas scalloped potatoes are baked in a creamy sauce and topped with breadcrumbs. Both are delicious!

easy make ahead holiday side dish of Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes

How to Make Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Grease a 2-qt. baking dish with butter.
  3. Peel russet potatoes and use a mandolin to slice the potatoes into 1/8 inch slices.
  4. In a large bowl whisk together the heavy cream, and flour.
  5. Add sour cream, garlic, salt, and pepper, mixing thoroughly.
  6. Arrange ⅓ of the potatoes slices in the bottom of the casserole dish, overlapping the edges.
  7. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over them, then sprinkle 1/3 of the bacon and ⅓ of the sharp cheddar cheese on top.
  8. Repeat this step to make a second layer.
  9. For the final layer arrange potato slices and cover with last ⅓ of the liquid. Keep last ⅓ of cheese and bacon in reserve.
  10. Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then uncover dish and continue baking for 20 minutes.
  11. In the last 10 minutes add cheese and bacon to the top of the potatoes. Continue baking for 10 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
  12. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
  13. Garnish with chives

Do the Potatoes Really Need to Be Sliced That Thin?

The trickiest part of making au gratin potatoes is making sure the potatoes cook all the way through. No one wants a little crunch when they bite into a forkful of cheesy potatoes!

I have experimented with slicing the potatoes 1/4 inch thick and 1/8 inch thick and the thinner potato slices bakes more evenly and faster than the 1/4 inch potato slices. That why for this recipe I strongly recommend using a mandolin to quickly slice your potatoes into 1/8 inch slices.

IF you don’t have a mandolin and you want to slice them by hand you can slice them into 1/4 inch slices. If you do this you’ll want to bring a pot of salted water to a boil and carefully drop the slices into the boiling water to let them cook for 3-4 minutes until they are slightly softened (this is called par-boiling). Then drain the water and pat them dry before continuing on with the recipe as it is written.

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Servings: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes

Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes full of cheese, sour cream, and bacon.
Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes loaded with bacon and cheese
Print Recipe
3.91 from 41 votes

Ingredients

  • 4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch slices
  • 2 tablespoons Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
  • 1 cup Sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons Flour
  • 1 clove Garlic, finely minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
  • 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 9 slices Cooked bacon
  • 1 teaspoon Chives

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Grease a 2-qt. casserole dish with butter.
  • Peel and use a mandolin to slice the potatoes into 1/8 inch slices.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the heavy cream, and flour.
  • Add sour cream, garlic, salt, and pepper, mixing thoroughly.
  • Arrange ⅓ of the potatoes slices in the bottom of the casserole dish, overlapping the edges.
  • Pour 1/3 of the mixture over them, then sprinkle 1/3 of the bacon and ⅓ of the cheese on top.
  • Repeat this step to make a second layer.
  • For the final layer arrange potato slices and cover with last ⅓ of the liquid. Keep last ⅓ of cheese and bacon in reserve.
  • Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then uncover dish and continue baking for 20 minutes.
  • In the last 10 minutes add cheese and bacon to the top of the potatoes.
  • Let dish cool for 10 minutes before serving.
  • Garnish with chives

Nutrition

Calories: 436kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 28g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 456mg, Potassium: 891mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 845IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 177mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimer: We are not certified nutritionists. Nutrition facts are an estimate and are provided as a courtesy. They are generated by an online API which recognizes ingredient names and amounts and makes calculations based on the serving size. Results may vary.
Author: Kat Jeter & Melinda Caldwell
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: au gratin potatoes, cheesy au gratin potatoes

This recipe was originally published on November 15, 2016. It was republished with updated photos on November 15, 2019.