Easy steakhouse potatoes au gratin recipe perfect for your holiday prime rib. Cubed potatoes in rich cream, topped with Parmesan panko breadcrumbs. No mandolin is needed. No separation of the sauce, curdling, or cottage cheese texture. Ready in one hour!
I almost gave up on making potatoes au gratin. Every single method I tried ended up with a broken cream sauce where the cream over-reduced into curds and oil.
Finally, I found success with a two-stage cooking process adapted from this Lighthouse Inn potatoes recipe by Cook's Country. This is the best and easiest way to make creamy au gratin potatoes at home.
Rustic bite-sized potato chunks are first gently simmered in heavy cream. The partially cooked potatoes get a second dose of heavy cream and butter before being topped with a blend of Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs, then head into the oven. As it bakes, the top turns golden while the cream below bubbles and thickens into pure indulgence.
When your holiday dinner calls for a special side dish alongside that perfect prime rib roast or tomahawk steak, this steakhouse potato au gratin recipe delivers restaurant-quality results. If you are looking for other potato side dishes, try my mashed potato casserole, pan-roasted potatoes, or these steakhouse-style baked potatoes.
Jump to:
🔥 Why This Recipe Rocks
- No chunks of curds and oil from a broken cream sauce.
- It bakes in the oven in just 30 minutes!
- No mandoline needed.
Problems When Cooking Potatoes Au Gratin
- Broken sauce: We will use heavy whipping cream to prevent this. Do not substitute half and half or milk.
- Using heavy cream and still having a broken sauce: Not enough cream. This recipe has a high ratio of cream in 2 stages to prevent over-reducing and losing too much water, which also creates a broken sauce.
- Potatoes are not done: The 2-step cooking method in this recipe corrects this issue.
- Wrong type of potato: Always use russet potatoes because their starch thickens the cream.
Ingredients
You only need 6 ingredients to make this amazing potato au gratin!
- Potatoes: Always choose russet potatoes, also called baking or Idaho potatoes. They are starchy, which helps thicken the sauce. Avoid potatoes with green spots, sprouts, or blemishes.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Pasteurized or ultra-pasteruized heavy whipping cream both work. Do not substitute half and half, or the sauce will break.
- Unsalted Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter for most of my holiday cooking, as I can add kosher salt as needed.
- Parmegiano-Reggiano: An umami-rich Italian cheese. Grate over everything. Don't use the stuff in the green can. The rind can be added to soups, stews, and beans for more depth. Costco sells a budget-friendly one.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Light and crispy Japanese-style breadcrumbs. They are crispier than regular breadcrumbs. I buy the Kikkoman brand.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
Variations & Substitutions
Here are some other ideas for adjustments you can make to potatoes au gratin, or try my other side dishes to serve alongside.
- This is a light topping of breadcrumbs. Double the breadcrumb topping to add more crunch.
- Replace the breadcrumbs with 1 cup of shredded cheese on top, like fontina, Monterey Jack, or a mild cheddar.
- Infuse the cream with fresh thyme sprigs while parboiling the potatoes.
- Sauté an onion and add it to the bottom of the casserole dish before adding the potatoes.
Equipment
- Microplane grater
- 3 to 4-quart saucepan
- 9 x 13-inch oven-proof casserole dish
Top Tip
Keep a watchful eye on your simmering pot of potatoes and cream. It will quickly boil over and make a mess.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Tip: If making this with prime rib, you can prepare this dish 2 hours before the roast is expected to come out of the oven. Then let it rest on the counter until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 375℉. Butter or grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Step 1: Combine panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: As you peel and cut the Russet potatoes into 1-inch chunks, submerge the chunks in the saucepan with 2½ cups of the whipping cream (not water) to protect their starch, which helps thicken the sauce.
Step 3: Bring 2½ cups of the whipping cream, potatoes, and salt to a low boil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat.
Once starting to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer (206℉) for 10 minutes until the potatoes are just starting to soften when poked with a fork, but not falling apart. Stir occasionally.
Step 4: Turn off the burner. Add the remaining ½ cup of whipping cream and 6 tablespoons of butter. Gently stir until the butter has melted.
Step 5: Pour the potato mixture into the 9 x 13-inch casserole.
Step 6: Sprinkle the panko and parmesan topping over it.
Step 7: Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and golden, 25-30 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Make Ahead Instructions
You can prepare the potatoes au gratin up to 24 hours ahead. Don't add the breadcrumbs. Store covered in the refrigerator, then add the breadcrumb topping and bake when ready to serve. You need to add 15 extra minutes to the baking time if starting from cold.
Storage & Reheating Information
Storage: This recipe is best enjoyed fresh out of the oven. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator covered for up to 2 days.
This cream-based casserole simply won't freeze well. The texture may separate and become slightly grainy after thawing.
Reheating: Reheat individual servings of leftovers in the microwave. The sauce will break.
You can also reheat the leftovers in the casserole dish in the oven at 350℉ for 30 minutes. You will notice some separation of the sauce and oil, but not as significant as with a microwave.
FAQ
Heavy whipping cream is essential for this recipe's success. Half-and-half or milk will curdle during the cooking process because it doesn't have enough fat content and won't create the same rich, velvety texture.
According to Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering The Art Of French Cooking, a gratin is to lightly brown the top of a sauced dish. The top is usually breadcrumbs or cheese.
I haven't tried adding cheese to this recipe. Adding cheese to the cream might cause it to become oily or grainy during cooking. If you do add cheese to the cream, can you let us know how it turned out in the comments below?
You can make gratins with a flour-based sauce. However, I find that heavy cream creates a richer, silkier, and luxurious mouth-feel when compared to a sauce made with roux. It's a personal preference.
Did you try any of these tips? Leave a comment below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
Steakhouse Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe
Equipment
- microplane grater
- 3 to 4-quart saucepan
- 9 x 13-inch oven-proof casserole
Ingredients
For The Topping
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (1 ounce)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
For the Potatoes
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream divided, set aside ½ cup
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Butter or grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Prepare The Topping
- Combine panko, Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt in a bowl. Set aside.
Prepare The Potatoes
- As you peel and cut the Russet potatoes into 1-inch chunks, submerge the chunks in the saucepan with 2½ cups of the whipping cream (not water) to protect their starch, which helps thicken the sauce.
- Bring the whipping cream, potatoes, and salt to a low boil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Once starting to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer (206℉) for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are just starting to soften when poked with a fork, but not falling apart.
- Turn off the burner. Add the remaining ½ cup of whipping cream and 6 tablespoons of butter. Gently stir until the butter has melted.
- Pour the potato mixture into the 9 x 13-inch casserole. Sprinkle the panko and parmesan topping over it.
- Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and golden, 25-30 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ali says
Love that you don't need a mandoline.