Cheesy Potato Gratin | Slimming Eats Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do you eat with potato gratin? ›

Serve potatoes au gratin with a roast pork loin or beef tenderloin, alongside a green salad. There's nothing like au gratin potatoes to take any meal over the top. The creamy, decadent, and oh-so satisfying recipe is sure to please everyone at your table.

The difference comes down to cheese. Scalloped potato recipes are usually baked in a basic cream sauce until soft and tender, with no cheese topping. Potatoes au gratin are a bit more decadent. They are made with lots of cheese sprinkled in between the layers of potatoes and also on top of the casserole.

The phrase au gratin literally means "by grating" in French, or "with a crust," from the verb gratter, "to scrape, scratch, or grate."

These cheesy party potatoes pair well with smoked meats like ribs, pulled pork, brisket, ect. Another side we love to serve alongside these cheesy potatoes is broccoli salad. This recipe can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge.

Scalloped potatoes are rich and filling. Lean proteins and other veggies pair nicely, try grilled ham, pan-seared fish, roast chicken, broiled lobster, or even a filet of beef tenderloin. If no animal proteins are desired a lovely side salad with a sharp vinaigrette works great.

It is called "funeral" potatoes because it is commonly served as a side dish during traditional after-funeral dinners, but it is also served at potlucks, and other social gatherings, sometimes with different names.

Gratin (French: [ɡʁatɛ̃]) is a culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg or butter. The term may be applied to any dish made using this method.

The Rich History of Potato Gratin

Potato Gratin, also known as “Gratin Dauphinois,” hails from the Dauphiné region in southeastern France. It was created as a hearty peasant dish, relying on readily available ingredients like potatoes, cream, and cheese.

Surprisingly, aluminum foil is his secret weapon. After beautifully shingling the potatoes (he's got a genius trick for doing this quickly, too) he covers the dish in foil before hitting the oven.

The best potatoes to use for a homemade scalloped potato recipes like this one are baking/frying potatoes, either russet or Idaho. They have dry, light, and fluffy interiors that hold their shape when cooked. The starch in the potatoes helps to thicken the sauce while the casserole bakes.

Why does my cheese curdle in scalloped potatoes? ›

The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven. Instead of simply layering grated cheese and milk or cream with the potatoes, you need to make a smooth cheese sauce.

My sauce is watery

If you used a pre-prepped potato from the refrigerator section instead of slicing your own, they can have preservatives that make them a bit watery. If you stored your potatoes in water to prevent discoloring, be sure to drain them well and pat them dry before adding to your casserole.

A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover's Companion.

Potatoes dauphinoise, on the other hand, is named not after a person (or a sea mammal), but after the Dauphiné region itself where the local cuisine is known, among other things, for featuring a wide variety of gratin-style dishes.

What do I serve a potato bake with? While hearty potatoes simmered in milk and cheese may be seen as a wintery dish, not so much for Australians. We serve it all year-round; with sausages or chops for a mid-week meal, as well as dinner parties.

The Au Gratin dish is typically used for making gratins, roasting, and baking. The dish's oval base and stoneware construction ensure that ingredients are consistently exposed to the heat source. This ensures that dishes retain heat longer and maintain their flavour well after it reaches the table.

Once the potatoes are cooked, add some concentrated lemon juice to the water, as the little bit of acidity will help the potatoes from turning brown from oxidation. Let sit until room temperature and then drain and place in a glass pan (not metal) and refrigerate before using the next day.

Both are baked in the oven, but a gratin is a special form of a casserole. When cooking it, you will layer the ingredients instead of just adding them all together. In most cases, a gratin is also served as a side dish, not a main, and it has a signature crust that has to be, well, gratinated.