One of our favorite side dishes is our Individual Au Gratin Potatoes recipe.
This is an easy potato dish to make for Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner.
We use Yukon potatoes in our cheesy Au Gratin recipe, which you can grab below.
Single-serve au gratin that are cheesy and melt in your mouth.
Individual Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
This potato recipe has always been a favorite of mine and is loved by anyone who comes over for dinner.
We turned a classic au gratin recipe into a gourmet-style side dish.
While I will not promise this dish will help you lose weight or stay off your thighs, it’s worth it to cheat for a night and try this delicious dish!
If you do try it, come back and let me know what you think!
What’s the difference between scalloped and au gratin potatoes?
The biggest difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes is cheese.
Au gratin is a creamy, cheesy base, whereas scalloped potatoes traditionally do not include cheese.
Both are very similar, with thinly sliced potatoes and a creamy sauce that bakes to golden perfection.
In my recipe, as you can see, I did some bacon and other toppings to transform the flavor.
It is out-of-this-world delicious.
Other side dishes to try:
Our Au Gratin Potatoes recipe pairs well with other side dishes, such as Creamy Collard Greens. And of course, our easy Thanksgiving Dressing recipe is a must to serve with this easy potato recipe!
For budgeting purposes, if you plan to make this meal, I highly suggest you grab the items when they are on sale, since they can add up quickly!
Other potato dishes worth trying as a side dish: Cheesy Spinach Mashed Double Potatoes, Easy Mashed Potatoes, and Pan-Cooked Garlic Broccolini.
What You Will Need:
Potatoes. For this recipe, I find that Yukon or Russet potatoes offer the best texture and hold up as you bake them in the oven. You will want to remove the water.
Cheese. I did a blend of cheese. Gruyere and Gouda join forces to help really throw this potato side dish over the top. Feel free to swap out the cheese varieties. I share ideas below.
Garlic. Fresh minced garlic is always my go-to. It adds a very light, flavorful component to the potatoes.
Butter. Real butter is needed for this recipe. If you use salted butter, just watch for adding extra salt to the recipe so your dish doesn’t end up too salty.
Heavy Cream. You will want heavy cream to give your potatoes an ultra-rich, creamy flavor. It truly offers that wow factor.
Spices. We used salt, pepper, and parsley.
Green Onions. Optional, but a tasty component!
Bacon. Isn’t everything better with a little bacon? Reach for a thick-sliced bacon that you can wrap around at the end of baking.
Everything you need to make Au Gratin Shredded Potatoes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes, shredded with all of the water removed
- 1 cup of onion, shredded, drained, and patted dry
- 4 cloves of fresh minced garlic
- 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 cup smoked Gouda cheese
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup + 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 or more strips of thick-cut bacon
- 3 stalks green onions cut on a bias
Directions on how to make Au Gratin Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange the thick-cut bacon on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and cook until crispy, about 25-30 minutes; make sure to rotate the bacon halfway through cooking to cook evenly. Remove the bacon when crispy and transfer the strips to a plate or platter lined with paper towels to absorb excess drippings. Set the thick-cut bacon aside.
- Adjust the oven to 375°F.
- Wash and rinse the potatoes, peel them, and shred the potatoes using a box grater. Wrap the shredded potatoes in a paper towel and/or a large cheesecloth or kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Shred the onion using a box grater, then use the same method to remove as much moisture as possible. I transferred onions into a fine-mesh sieve and, using the back of a tablespoon, pressed out as much water as I could. Set aside.
- Mince garlic and parsley and set aside.
- Grate one cup of smoked Gouda and one cup of Gruyere cheese.
- Transfer the shredded potatoes, onions, and minced garlic and parsley to a large mixing bowl, and add 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, melted butter, and cheeses (reserve a little of the cheese for the topping).
- Add sea salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns and mix thoroughly.
- Place parchment lotus cups into a muffin pan, and fill each cup with the au gratin mixture.
- Place the muffin pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375°F. With 5 minutes remaining, top each cup with more cheese and continue to bake until the potatoes are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and top each cup with thick-cut bacon; just before serving, top each cup with green onion and serve.
Optional: Make This As A Casserole
If you want to skip the individual portions and go classic, here’s how to make this recipe into one baking dish.
- Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish
- Spread the potato mixture evenly into the dish
- Top with the reserved cheeses
- Bake at 375°F for 40–50 minutes, until the top is bubbling and golden
- Let it rest 10 minutes before serving
- Crumble bacon over the top and finish with green onions
Tips For The Best Results
- Squeezing out liquid is the secret to preventing soggy gratin
- Bake bacon in advance so the fat doesn’t water down the mixture
- Use parchment cups to avoid sticking and make clean-up simple
- For extra crisp edges, bake directly in the muffin pan with a light spray of cooking oil
Storage for Individual Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
When your potatoes are done and cooled, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate.
It will store for around 3-5 days in the fridge. I love storing these potatoes leftover as they reheat really nicely.
Can You Reheat Individual Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe?
For reheating, you can warm it in the microwave for a quick reheat, or cover it in a dish and bake it in the oven to heat it slowly.
Either route will work. The texture will be a bit crisper if you opt for the oven route.
Do you peel potatoes for au gratin?
So, for our au gratin, you will see it is shredded potato rather than a traditionally thin-sliced potato.
You can peel and wash the potatoes really well. You will find the texture is best when the potatoes are peeled for either method of making au gratin.
Alternative To Cheese Used
I used Gruyere and Gouda cheese for the perfect combination. If you don’t have access to or don’t like either kind of cheese, you can swap them out.
A white cheddar, pepper jack, etc., could be great options. Feel free to use whatever variety of cheese you enjoy. Even a mozzarella could be a delicious alternative if you prefer to swap it out.
Can I Make Without Muffin Cups
You can make these cups without a muffin tin, but you need to make sure you grease your pan really well.
You risk them sticking in the muffin tin, and then you can’t take them out without breaking them.
Find additional side dish recipes below:
25 Side Dishes For Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Side Dish Idea | Baked Butternut Squash Potatoes
Cheesy Sweet Potato Pomme Purée
Spinach & Bacon Smashed Potatoes
Creamy Collard Greens with Caramelized Onions & Bacon
Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pound Yukon Gold or Russett potatoes shredded with all of the water removed
- 1 cup of onions shredded drained, and patted dry
- 4 cloves of fresh minced garlic
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 cup smoked Gouda cheese
- 1 cup + 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 or more strips of thick-cut bacon
- 3 stalks green onion cut on a bias
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange the thick-cut bacon on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and cook until crispy, about 25-30 minutes; make sure to rotate the bacon halfway through cooking to cook evenly. Remove the bacon when crispy and transfer the strips to a plate or platter lined with paper towels to absorb excess drippings. Set the thick-cut bacon aside.
- Adjust the oven to 375°F.
- Wash and rinse the potatoes, peel them, and shred the potatoes using a box grater. Wrap the shredded potatoes in a paper towel and/or a large cheesecloth or kitchen towel, and squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Shred the onion using a box grater, then use the same method to remove as much moisture as possible. I transferred onions into a fine-mesh sieve and, using the back of a tablespoon, pressed out as much water as I could. Set aside.
- Mince garlic and parsley and set aside.
- Grate one cup of smoked Gouda and one cup of Gruyere cheese.
- Transfer the shredded potatoes, onions, and minced garlic and parsley to a large mixing bowl, and add 1 1/4 cups heavy cream, melted butter, and cheeses (reserve a little of the cheese for the topping).
- Add sea salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns and mix thoroughly.
- Place parchment lotus cups into a muffin pan, and fill each cup with the au gratin mixture.
- Place the muffin pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes at 375°F. With 5 minutes remaining, top each cup with more cheese and continue to bake until the potatoes are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and top each cup with thick-cut bacon; just before serving, top each cup with green onion and serve.
Published 7/2013 | Updated 11/2020
Ruth Cataldo says
These looks great! I LOVE potatoes so I am always looking for a new delicious recipe! I am doing a Thanksgiving Round-Up Series next week on my blog and I would love to share this recipe. Please email me if you are happy for me to include this recipe (and any other Thanksgiving delights you may have to share!) Ruth x