Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese, divided
- 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche or mascarpone cheese
- fresh thyme, to garnish
Chef notes
What's not to love about thinly sliced potatoes layered with caramelized onions, heavy cream, tons of cheese, herbs, salt and pepper? It's basically the most magical side dish on the planet. Somehow, this cheesy potato gratin always disappears very quickly. This will be making an appearance on my holiday dinner party table this year, and I am 100% confident in saying you should be doing the same.
Swap option: You can use Russet potatoes or sweet potatoes, or a combination of any of the potatoes mentioned, instead of Yukon Gold.
Preparation
1.Preheat an oven to 400 F. Grease a 9-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
2.Cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices. Arrange the slices, slightly overlapping, on the bottom of the baking dish and season with salt and pepper.
3.In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until starting to caramelize, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream and bring the liquid to a simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup of the Gruyère cheese and all of the Parmesan and cook until smooth and melted. Remove the mixture from the heat, let cool slightly and stir in the crème fraîche. Season with salt and pepper.
4.Pour the cream mixture evenly on top of the potatoes and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Gruyère evenly on top. Bake until golden-brown and bubbly and the potatoes are fork-tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let the gratin rest for about 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with thyme and serve.
