A classic French dish, dauphinoise potatoes are a creamy, cheesy potato side that's nothing short of life-changing. Layered in a cream sauce with plenty of Gruyère, thinly-sliced, barely-tender potatoes are baked until the entire casserole is a bubbly, melty dream. Whether you're looking to serve this as a fancy component to your dinner party or as a creative side dish for your holiday dinner, one thing is guaranteed: these cheesy potatoes will be gone in seconds.
What are dauphinoise potatoes?
Dauphinoise potatoes hail from 18th-century France, and are thought to have originated in the Dauphiné region. When you taste this utterly creamy delight, you'll see why they've stuck around so long. The preparation is simple: You simmer sliced potatoes in a garlic-infused cream and milk mixture until just barely tender, then layer them with Gruyère cheese in a casserole dish to bake into cheesy, melty heaven.
What's the difference between dauphinoise potatoes and potatoes au gratin?
Dauphinoise potatoes are very similar to potatoes au gratin—both versions feature potatoes baked in a cream mixture with plenty of cheese. The only difference is that the potatoes are cooked until just tender in the cream sauce before being baked in dauphinoise potatoes, while our potatoes au gratin layers uncooked potatoes with the cream sauce and cheese in the casserole dish.
Scalloped potatoes are similar to dauphinoise potatoes and potatoes au gratin, but normally don't have cheese (but we like to throw some on for good measure 😉).
What should I serve with dauphinoise potatoes?
Year round, these are an ideal cozy addition to your main dish, like our baked salmon, roast beef or baked chicken thighs. While not entirely traditional, these potatoes would be right at home on your Christmas spread next to your glazed ham and green bean casserole.
Top Tip: For the best results, pull out your mandoline for the potatoes. The thinner you slice them, the more tender they'll be after baking. Don't have a mandoline? No problem, use the slicing blade on your food processor, or go with a chef's knife. Slice them as thin as you can, cutting slowly to avoid accidents with the slippery peeled potatoes.
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