Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

I’ve always had an obsession with au gratin potatoes for as long as I can remember. I used to work in a restaurant and I would order au gratin potatoes almost every time I went to work. Tonight I thought what the heck, I can make mac and cheese why not creamy cheesy potatoes?!?! I got this recipe on the first try and Scott and I are almost ate half of the casserole dish! The key to this dish is to allow the cream to be infused with the herbs long enough. Taste the cream before pouring it over the potatoes and double check to see if it needs to simmer longer or needs more salt and pepper.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 large russet potatoes

2 cups of heavy cream

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 small bay leaves or 1 large leaf

Salt and pepper to season

1/2 cup finely shredded Gruyere cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Butter to grease pan

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a square casserole dish (8×8 or you can use a 9×13 rectangle dish) with butter on bottom and sides. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan on low-medium heat, simmer heavy cream along with the garlic, bay leaf, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes until cream is infused with herbs. i like to keep it simmering until I have finished slicing the potatoes and I’m ready to pour it over. The longer it simmers, the better. Using a slotted spoon, remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Stir in Gruyere cheese.

Scrub potatoes of all dirt. Pat dry. Slice potatoes fairly thin, but not thin enough to see through about 1/8 of an inch thin. If you are going to slice the potatoes ahead of time, be sure to let them soak in cold water to prevent them from browning. Drain before combining with sauce.

Pour a small amount of sauce into the casserole dish to cover the bottom. Pour the remaining sauce over the potatoes in a separate bowl and toss before pouring into the casserole dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and cover loosely with aluminum foil allowing steam to escape while baking.