Food & Cooking Recipes Dauphinoise Potatoes 4.1 (201) A French bistro classic, this dish involves sliced potatoes cooked in cream, topped with cheese, and baked. Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Servings: 6 Jump to recipe For a rich and indulgent side dish, dauphinoise potatoes can’t be beaten. This classic French bistro casserole starts with sliced potatoes cooked in a mixture of cream and milk on the stovetop. They're then transferred to a shallow baking dish and topped with rich, nutty Gruyère cheese before baking. Nutmeg, a classic spice for creamy dishes, is grated over the finished dish just before serving. Our foolproof recipe solves common issues when making dauphinoise potatoes and other gratins, such as undercooked potatoes, a watery dish, or curdling. Before baking, we simmer the potatoes in the cream and milk mixture to ensure they aren't undercooked when they come out of the oven. Potatoes dauphinoise is a decadent side for special occasions, from Easter to the holidays, and a dish that makes any meal special. Credit: Diana Chistruga Our Most Popular Side Dishes of All Time What Is Dauphinoise Potatoes? Also known as potatoes dauphinoise or gratin dauphinoise, dauphinoise potatoes is a classic French dish. It’s a rich combination of sliced potatoes with cream and milk, baked in the oven. Many people think the dish was created for royalty, the Dauphin, the heir apparent to the French throne. It's actually a traditional specialty of the French region of Dauphiné in southeastern France. What's the Difference Between Scalloped Potatoes, Potato Gratin, and Dauphinoise Potatoes? These three dishes are similar. All are made with sliced potatoes arranged in a shallow baking dish (a gratin dish, perhaps, or a casserole dish) with milk, cream, or a combination of both, and baked. They appear to share French origins; potato gratin is the Americanization of the French potatoes au gratin, and in American English gratin de pommes de terre Dauphinoise has become dauphinoise potatoes. Scalloped potatoes generally do not have cheese, whereas potato gratin and dauphinoise potatoes do. The Right Potatoes for Pommes Dauphinoise For this recipe, we use Yukon Golds, which are considered an all-purpose potato. Neither too waxy or starchy, they hold their shape incredibly well yet contain enough natural starch to thicken the cream mixture. How to Slice Them The key to an evenly cooked gratin like potatoes dauphinoise is evenly cut potatoes. The easiest—and quickest—way to achieve this is by using a mandoline, but you can slice the potatoes by hand if you don't have one. To keep the peeled potatoes steady as you prep them, cut off a thin slice from one of the long sides to create a flat surface; set the potato flat side down on your cutting board and slice crosswise into even, 1/8-inch-thick rounds. If your trusty casserole dish has cooked-on stains you've struggled to remove in the past, try these clever tricks, which rely on household materials. Directions Credit: Diana Chistruga Preheat oven and prepare baking dish: Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle position. Spread butter across the bottom and sides of a 2-quart baking dish. Peel and slice potatoes: Peel potatoes and slice 1/8 inch thick. Place slices in a large bowl of cold water and drain thoroughly. Credit: Diana Chistruga Combine heavy cream, milk, and garlic: Bring heavy cream, milk, and garlic to a simmer in a large, wide saucepan. Credit: Diana Chistruga Add potatoes and cook, stirring: Add potatoes, salt, and pepper and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 20 minutes. Credit: Diana Chistruga Transfer half the potatoes to the prepared dish: Using a slotted spoon, transfer half the potatoes to prepared baking dish and sprinkle with half of the cheese. Credit: Diana Chistruga Add remaining potatoes, cream mixture, and cheese: Add remaining potatoes to baking dish and pour enough cream mixture over potatoes to just cover. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, place on a rimmed baking sheet. Credit: Diana Chistruga Bake: Bake until bubbly and golden brown on top, 40 to 45 minutes. Credit: Diana Chistruga Add grated nutmeg and serve: Grate nutmeg over top just before serving. Credit: Diana Chistruga How to Store Dauphinoise Potatoes Storing: Place the leftover dauphinoise potatoes in an airtight container, or wrap the dish tightly in plastic or aluminum foil to create a lid. Keep potatoes dauphinoise in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freezing: After you have baked the dauphinoise potatoes, let the dish cool completely. To freeze it, wrap the dish in plastic or an airtight container and freeze it for up to two months. Frequently Asked Questions Why are my dauphinoise potatoes soupy? Your dauphinoise potatoes may be soupy because you served them too quickly. Like a roast, dauphinoise potatoes need time to set up after they finish cooking. They are also very hot coming out of the oven, so allowing 10 to 15 minutes for the dish to rest will make it a suitable temperature for eating and means you can serve creamy—not soupy—portions for everyone. Why did the cream curdle in my dauphinoise potatoes? The curdled cream in your dauphinoise is probably caused by the high heat of the oven. When exposed to high temperatures, the proteins in dairy can denature (or unravel), then clump together. The best way to prevent the sauce from separating is to use full-fat rather than low-fat dairy. Do you need to precook the potatoes for dauphinoise? Yes, you need to precook the potatoes for dauphinoise before they are baked. Many recipes call for boiling the potatoes in water. We find that cooking them in the same cream and milk mixture that they are baked in for the final dish yields a richer flavor and avoids issues of the dish being watery. Can you leave the cheese out of these potatoes? While you can leave the cheese out of these potatoes, they will be less rich and the sauce less thick. For a holiday-worthy dish that omits the cheese, consider these simple scalloped potatoes. The ingredients—potatoes, milk, cream, and garlic—are largely the same, but the recipe does not call for simmering the potatoes ahead of time; instead, they're layered with the cream mixture then baked until tender. 5 More Potato Gratin Recipes to Try White-Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes Asparagus and Potato Gratin Muffin-Pan Potato Gratins Leek, Potato, and Morel Gratin Potato, Zucchini, and Tomato Gratin Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the decorvow recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.