Golden Brown, Bubbly, & Slices Like a Dream
If there’s one side dish that people are always excited to see at the table, it’s this one. A really good potato gratin has a little bit of everything: crisp, lacy, cheese-browned edges, a bronzed top that crackles under a spoon, and soft, custardy layers underneath that melt together without turning to mush.
I have tested gratins in every which way and I gotta say, the key to giving it that je ne sais quoi, or little extra oomph, is Comté. It’s a French Alpine cheese that tastes like toasted hazelnuts and brown butter. Tucked between every layer of potato, it melts into the cream and binds everything together, so each bite is savory, nutty, and creamy all at once.
Serve it alongside a perfectly cooked reverse-seared filet mignon for a steakhouse dinner at home, or make it the star of your holiday spread.
The ingredients are all pretty standard, but it’s worth noting that if you opt to swap the heavy cream with half-and-half or milk (both of which are lower-fat), the gratin is more likely to break and look curdled. I strongly recommend full-fat dairy ingredients when making a French gratin.
Russets will work in a pinch, but slice them slightly thicker since they get softer. Skip red potatoes, new potatoes, and fingerlings (too waxy and won’t absorb the cream).
Quick & Easy Steps For Making Cheesy Potato Gratin
I use a mandoline to slice potatoes (or any vegetable) into thin, even rounds. If you’d rather use a food processor to slice the potatoes, that’s fine. The goal is for everything to be the same thickness.
Another quick tip: overlap the slices in tidy rows, life roof tiles (verses dumping them all in). It looks gorgeous and helps every slice cook at the same rate.
I do not recommend using lower-fat dairy. You can if that’s your preference, however it will make the over dish greasier. Full fat dairy is that gives the smoothest texture.
Planning to double the recipe?
If so, I still recommend baking it in two dishes rather that one extra-deep dish. A deeper gratin will take much longer to cook through, and the top tends to over-brown before the potatoes in the center are tender.
To test for doneness, slide a paring knife into the very middle. When it meets no resistace, it’s dine.
Easy To Make A Day or Two Before Serving
This is one of the best make-ahead holiday sides you can have in your back pocket. A fully baked, chilled gratin is firmer and slices into even cleaner squares than one served straight from the oven.
Bake it a day or two before your gathering, reheat while the roast rests, and you’ve freed up both the oven and your stress levels. 😉
Make It A Complete Meal
Comté potato gratin is rich and savory, so it shines next to simply cooked proteins and something bright and green to balance the plate. A few ideas:
- Steak: Pair it with reverse-seared filet mignon, NY strip, or tender prime rib roast for a classic steakhouse-style dinner.
- Holiday mains: It’s right at home beside glazed ham, crispy-skinned roasted chicken, porchetta-style turkey breast roulade, or a leg of lamb.
- Something green: Cut through the richness with a simple green salad with my 5-minute shallot vinaigrette.
Keep the Alpine theme going with a white wine from France’s Jura region (where Comté is made 😉) or a white Burgundy.
This comté potato gratin is the side dish I come back to again and again — elegant enough for a holiday table, cozy enough for a Sunday night. These golden, cheesy edges are 100% worth fighting over!
If you give this one a try, I’d love to know what you think!
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Comté Potato Gratin with Yukon Gold Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large garlic clove halved
- 2 lb (900g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
- 12 oz (340g) aged Comté, 18-24 months, coarsely grated
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, warmed
- 2¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 3 Tbsp (42g) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes, plus softened butter for the dish and foil
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Prepare the dish. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle. Rub the inside of the baking dish all over with the sides of a halved garlic clove (press firmly!). Butter the bottom and sides generously with softened butter.
- Warm the cream. Gently heat the cream in a small saucepan or in the microwave until warm to the touch.
- Slice the potatoes. Using a mandoline, slice the potatoes into rounds 2mm (about 1/16 inch) thick. Resist going thinner — true paper thin slices collapse over an hour in the oven.
- Combine the seasonings. Combine 2¾ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp grated nutmeg in a small bowl.
- Assemble. Arrange ¼ of the potatoes in the dish in overlapping rows, using the largest slices on the bottom where they’ll support the structure. Season with ¼ of the salt mixture, drizzle with ¼ of the warm cream (3 Tbsp; 45ml), then scatter with ¼ of the Comté (3oz; 85g). Repeat three more times — potatoes, seasoning, cream, and cheese. Dot the surface with 3 Tbsp (42g) cubed butter.
- Cover and bake. Set the dish on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Butter one side of aluminum foil and cover the dish, buttered side down. It’s helpful to dome the foil slightly so it doesn’t press into the cheese. Bake covered for 40 minutes.
- Uncover and brown. Remove the foil, then bake for another 25-30 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and bubbling and a paring knife slides into the center with no resistance. Test in the middle of the dish, not at the edge.
- Rest. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. The starch and fat need time to set, and cut too early the whole thing slumps onto the plate. Finish with flaky sea salt and serve warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- Note that traditional Comté AOP is made with animal rennet, so it isn’t strictly vegetarian. If needed, you can replace with an Alpine-style cheese without rennet.
- Potatoes: Stick with semi-waxy yellow potatoes. Russets will work in a pinch, but they set softer and will need to be sliced slightly thicker. Avoid red potatoes, new potatoes, and fingerlings.
- Make-ahead: Bake completely, cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat covered at 350°F (175°C) for 25-30 minutes, then uncover for 10 minutes to re-crisp the top.
Nutrition
Photography by Megan McKeehan.
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