Mega cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin. Thinly sliced white potatoes layered with Parmesan cheese and smothered in a creamy garlic cream sauce.
This recipe and images have recently been updated.
The recipe for these Garlic Parmesan Potatoes Au Gratin came from a cookbook I have and a restaurant I worked at before I moved to the U.S. They're sometimes called Potatoes Au Gratin or Dauphinoise Potatoes. Dauphine is a region of France where these creamy, cheesy slices of potato heaven were born.
The potatoes were thinly sliced and then layered with salt, pepper and grated Gruyere. Then the whole pan would be covered in a creamy sauce which would melt the cheese and cook the potato slices.
I added garlic and used Parmesan instead of Gruyere; no worries, because you could use any strong flavored hard cheese or even drop little chunks of blue throughout the layers of potato. Don't skimp on the cheese!
The secret to keeping this recipe on track is to slice your potatoes as thin as you can. If you have a mandolin, go for it, but don't sue me if you lose a finger.
I think everyone who has used a mandolin before has had an accident with it. Maybe it's like an initiation ceremony?
Keep the layers on the loose side and don't worry too much about everything being equal in size. This is a great dish to prepare before dinner - even the day before - and let it sit in the fridge until you're ready to throw it in the oven.
Serve warm or cold sliced into squares.