Creamy au Gratin Potatoes – thinly sliced russet potatoes cooked ever so perfectly in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, these Creamy au Gratin Potatoes are mmm-mmm good!

Okay, in my opinion, potatoes of any form are superior to literally everything. And no one can argue that no matter how you cook them, they always turn out amazing.

And I’ve always made the au Gratin potatoes from the box, the ones you just throw a little milk, water, and butter in (and of course a few seasonings) and either cook on the stove or if you’re feeling fancy throw a little cheese on and bake.

But most of that is because when I’m cooking those with dinner it’s because I don’t have the time (or energy) to make them from scratch.

I had the time today though. And woah let me tell you, they are amazing!

Creamy cheese goodness, and the potatoes, oh my gosh the potatoes!!

Let’s get it started!

Creamy au Gratin Potatoes

For this recipe, you’ll need :

3-4 large russet potatoes
half of a white onion, diced
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
half a stick of butter (1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon of dried parsley
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning (optional)
2 cups of milk
2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Start by washing and drying your potatoes then thinly slicing your potatoes and then arranging then in a baking dish (about 8×8 in size). Set aside for now.

In a saucepan/skillet (I used a skillet but it’s probably best to use a saucepan), melt the half a stick of butter on medium to low heat. When it’s completely melted, throw in the diced onion and let sauté for a few minutes then throw in the minced garlic. Stirring consistently, careful to not let them burn.

Add in the dried basil, dried parsley and cajun seasoning (I used Slap Ya Mama) and let that cook for another minute or so. This way all the flavor soaks into the melted butter.

Now cut the heat to low, and stir in the milk.

Time to add in the cheese (save 1/2 cup of each for the topping). Once it’s all melted and ooey gooey, the sauce should look like this.

Pour this sauce onto the potatoes and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. In the last few minutes of baking, spread the rest of the cheese on top and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes. Once the cheese is melted, turn the broiler on hi and broil for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Be super careful with this, because broiling to make the top look pretty can quickly turn into a burnt mess. Don’t ask me how I know.

When it’s finished baking, it’s ready to serve! It’s perfect for any special occasion and for me and mine, it 100% has a spot on the Thanksgiving dinner table!

Yield: 12-14 servings

Creamy au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients

3-4 large russet potatoes
half of a white onion, diced
6-7 garlic cloves, minced
half a stick of butter (1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon of dried parsley
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of cajun seasoning (optional)
2 cups of milk
2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

thinly slice the potatoes and arrange them in and 8x8 (or larger) baking dish. set aside for now.
In a saucepan, melt the butter. Saute the onion for 2-3 minutes, then add in the miced garlic and saute for another 2 minutes, stirring consistently. Add in the dried parsley, basil, and cajun seasonings, and let saute for another minutes.
stir in the milk, then the cheese (save about 1/2 a cups of each cheese for the topping). Pour the sauce onto the potatoes, then place in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Spread the saved cheese onto the top of the potatoes, bake again for 5 minutes, then turn the broiler on to hi and let cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Careful to not let it burn.
ready to serve!