Potato and cheese gratin is a classic French dish, also known as "Gratin Dauphinois". Its origin dates back to the Dauphiné region in southeastern France, where it was traditionally prepared with potatoes, cream, and cheese, baked until a golden and creamy crust was obtained. This dish has transcended borders and has been adapted in various Latin American countries, where it may go by different names depending on the region, such as "pastel de papas" in Argentina and Uruguay, or simply "gratinado de papas" in Mexico and other countries. In some places, a local touch is added with native cheeses or additional ingredients, but the essence of the gratin with layered potatoes, cream, and cheese remains intact, making it a comforting and very popular recipe.
Potato and cheese gratin
How to Prepare Potato and Cheese Gratin
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Rub the bottom and sides of a gratin dish or a 2-quart casserole dish with the cut sides of the garlic, if you are using garlic.
Leave the garlic in the dish, if you wish, or remove it if you prefer a less garlicky flavor.
Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly.
Place a layer of potato slices in the dish and sprinkle with a little salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cheese (gruyere is best, but if you are on a budget you may prefer Swiss).
Pour a little cream over the potatoes.
Repeat the layers until you run out of potatoes, cream, and cheese.
Place the dish in the oven, uncovered, with a baking sheet underneath to catch spills and bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden and the cream has reduced to a thick sauce.
During the first half hour of cooking, use a wide spatula to push the top layers of potatoes down into the cream from time to time.
Serve hot.
Ingredients: Garlic cloves, Idaho potatoes, salt and pepper, Gruyere cheese, whipping cream.
Ingredients (5)
- Garlic Cloves
- Idaho Potatoes
- Salt And Pepper
- Gruyere Cheese
- Whipping Cream
Instructions (21 steps)
- 1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F
- 2 Rub the bottom and sides of a gratin dish or a 2-quart casserole with the cut sides of the garlic
- 3 if you are using garlic
- 4 Leave the garlic in the dish
- 5 if you wish
- 6 or remove it if you prefer a less garlicky flavor
- 7 Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly
- 8 Place a layer of potato slices in the dish and sprinkle with a little salt
- 9 freshly ground black pepper
- 10 and cheese (Gruyere is best
- 11 but if you are on a budget you may prefer Swiss)
- 12 Pour a little cream over the potatoes
- 13 Repeat the layers until the potatoes
- 14 cream
- 15 and cheese are used up
- 16 Place the dish in the oven
- 17 uncovered
- 18 with a baking sheet underneath to catch spills and bake for 1 hour or until the top is golden brown and the cream has reduced to a thick sauce
- 19 During the first half hour of cooking
- 20 use a wide spatula to push the top layers of potatoes down into the cream from time to time
- 21 Serve hot