Ultimate Creamy Potato Gratin with Emmentaler: Your Go-To Easy French Classic

Forget the humble baked potato! If you’re searching for a truly exceptional potato dish that stands out from all other potato recipes, this creamy potato gratin is an absolute must-try. It’s a beloved French classic elevated with simple, wholesome ingredients. Imagine tender layers of thinly sliced potatoes, infused with aromatic garlic, bathed in rich milk, kissed with butter, and perfectly complemented by the nutty sweetness of Emmentaler cheese. What makes this recipe even better? By using whole milk instead of heavy cream, we create a delicious “slim” version without compromising on that coveted creamy texture and irresistible flavor. This isn’t just a side dish; it’s the star your dinner table deserves.

Preparing a multi-course dinner can often feel like a juggling act, trying to ensure every dish arrives at the table hot and ready at the same precise moment. This Emmentaler potato gratin recipe truly is a lifesaver in such situations! Its incredible advantage lies in its make-ahead potential. You can assemble and even “pre-bake” this delicious gratin well in advance, and then simply slide it into the oven for its final bake just before you’re ready to serve the main course. This means less stress in the kitchen and more time enjoying your guests or family.

This easy potato gratin recipe is a universally loved dish, guaranteed to please everyone at your table. It’s the secret to a stress-free dinner, offering both gourmet appeal and practical convenience. Whether you’re hosting a sophisticated dinner party or simply seeking a comforting family meal, this gratin promises to be a delightful addition, making your culinary endeavors feel effortlessly elegant.

A Gratin Recipe for Effortless Entertaining

I recently hosted a dinner where the main course was a succulent deer steak with crispy bacon (which, conveniently, could be prepared almost entirely in advance and simply grilled at the last minute). To accompany it, I served haricots verts wrapped in bacon (requiring just a quick bake in the oven) and flavorful red cabbage from the slow cooker. The final, essential component was, of course, the potato dish.

Knowing that the haricots verts would also occupy oven space during the final cooking phase, I strategically opted for this potato gratin. I was able to “pre-bake” the gratin for an hour earlier in the afternoon. This crucial step meant that come evening, I only needed to pop it back into the oven for a mere 30 minutes. This advanced preparation was a game-changer!

Looking back, I can confidently say that the strategy worked perfectly. Everything arrived at the table simultaneously, beautifully warm and incredibly delicious. Another culinary challenge successfully completed! If you have a dinner party on the horizon, or even just a busy weeknight, I highly recommend trying this potato gratin. Its versatility and make-ahead potential will undoubtedly work wonders for you, much like it did for me (or explore one of the other fantastic recipes linked here for more inspiration!).

Essential Ingredients for Your Perfect Potato Gratin

Crafting the perfect potato gratin begins with selecting the right ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in achieving that creamy, flavorful, and irresistible result:

• Butter and Garlic: The Flavor Foundation – The preparation begins by generously rubbing the inside of your oven dish first with softened butter, then with a freshly cut garlic clove. This simple step creates an aromatic foundation, ensuring every bite is infused with a subtle yet distinct garlic flavor. As the gratin bakes, these foundational flavors will beautifully meld with the potatoes and cheese. Additionally, small cubes of butter are scattered over the top layer before baking. These melt down to enrich the milk, contributing to the gratin’s creamy texture, and, crucially, help create that desirable golden, crispy crust that everyone loves.
• Potatoes: The Heart of the Gratin – For the best results in a potato gratin, using floury (starchy) potatoes is key. These varieties break down slightly during cooking, releasing their starches into the milk, which helps thicken the sauce and create a wonderfully creamy consistency. Ideal choices include Russet, King Edward, Doré, and Maris Piper. For convenience and to ensure even cooking, it’s preferable to use pre-cooked, thinly sliced potatoes. If you’re starting with raw potatoes, simply peel and slice them evenly. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the sliced potatoes, and cook for about ten minutes until they are slightly tender but still firm enough to handle. Drain them thoroughly and allow them to cool slightly before layering. This par-boiling step ensures the potatoes cook through evenly in the oven.
• Emmentaler Cheese: The Melty, Nutty Star – Hailing from Switzerland, Emmentaler is a fantastic choice for this gratin due to its slightly sweet, nutty, and full-bodied flavor profile. It melts beautifully, creating delectable cheesy layers throughout the dish and a gorgeous golden-brown top. If Emmentaler isn’t readily available or if you prefer an alternative, Gruyère makes an excellent substitute, offering a similar rich and complex flavor. A good aged cheddar can also work. While Mozzarella can be used for its meltiness, be aware that it offers a significantly milder flavor compared to Emmentaler or Gruyère, so you might want to boost other seasonings.
• Milk: The “Slim” Secret to Creaminess – Traditionally, many gratin recipes call for heavy cream, which certainly delivers a rich, creamy taste but also comes with a higher calorie count. In this recipe, we ingeniously use whole milk instead. I’ve found that with the robust flavors from the Emmentaler cheese and butter, the gratin doesn’t truly need the extra richness (and calories) of cream. Whole milk still provides a wonderfully creamy texture and a delicious base for the potatoes and cheese to cook in, making this a lighter yet equally satisfying version of the classic French dish.

Crafting Your Emmentaler Potato Gratin: A Step-by-Step Visual Guide

Follow these detailed steps to assemble your perfect potato gratin. While the full recipe card below provides precise measurements, this section offers a visual and descriptive overview of the process.

Step 1 – Prepare the Baking Dish with Butter and Garlic

1. Allow the butter to soften at room temperature, then generously brush the entire inside surface of your oven-safe dish. Ensure an even and thick coating.
2. Take a fresh clove of garlic, peel it, and cut it in half. Use one half to rub vigorously over one half of the buttered bottom of the baking dish, then repeat with the other half of the garlic clove for the remaining half of the dish. This technique creates a beautiful, infused aroma that will permeate the potatoes as they bake.

Step 2 – Begin Layering with Potatoes and Emmentaler

1. Take approximately one-third of your prepared potato slices and arrange them in an even layer across the bottom of the garlic-and-butter-infused oven dish. Try to overlap them slightly for a cohesive base.
2. Evenly sprinkle one-third of the grated Emmentaler cheese over the potato layer. Season this layer with about ¼ teaspoon of salt and a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Proper seasoning at each layer is crucial for a flavorful gratin.

Step 3 – Continue Layering for Richness

1. Spread another one-third of the potato slices over the first layer, ensuring good coverage.
2. Sprinkle this second potato layer with another one-third of the Emmentaler cheese.
3. Season this layer again with salt and pepper.
4. Finally, distribute the remaining potato slices over the baking dish, creating your top potato layer.
5. Finish by sprinkling the last portion of Emmentaler cheese generously over the very top.

Step 4 – The Final Touches Before Baking

1. Pour the milk carefully into the oven dish, allowing it to seep down through the potato and cheese layers. Ensure it is distributed as evenly as possible.
2. Dot the very top of the gratin with small cubes of the remaining butter. These butter pieces will melt, enriching the surface and contributing to a beautifully golden and slightly crispy topping.
3. Cover the entire baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This initial covering ensures that the potatoes steam and cook through thoroughly in the milky mixture without drying out. Bake for 1 hour at 390 °F (200 °C).
4. After an hour, carefully remove the aluminum foil. Return the gratin to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the top turns a beautiful golden-yellow and becomes bubbly and delicious. This final uncovered bake creates that irresistible crust!

Potato Gratin vs. Gratin Dauphinois: Understanding the Classic Distinction

While both dishes are beloved French potato casseroles, the key difference between a general “potato gratin” and a “Gratin Dauphinois” lies in one essential ingredient: cheese. A potato gratin, as we’re making here, typically includes cheese as a foundational layer, adding a rich, savory, and often nutty flavor, along with a delightful crust. A Gratin Dauphinois, on the other hand, is a very specific regional dish from the Dauphiné region of southeastern France, and it is ALWAYS traditionally made without cheese. It relies solely on potatoes, milk (or cream), and garlic for its flavor and creamy texture, focusing purely on the potato’s natural starches to create its characteristic richness. Both are incredibly delicious, but their distinct characteristics are important in French culinary tradition.

More Delicious Potato Recipes to Inspire Your Kitchen

If you’ve enjoyed this potato gratin, or if you’re simply looking for more delightful ways to prepare potatoes, explore these other fantastic recipes. Potatoes are incredibly versatile and can be transformed into countless comforting and exciting dishes:

📖 Recipe

RECIPE CARD

Potato gratin with Emmentaler

Andréa

Creamy potato gratin, flavored with garlic, butter, milk and Emmentaler cheese. By using milk instead of cream this is a skinny version!

5 of 6 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine European Cuisine

Servings 6 persons

Calories 340 kcal

Equipment

• A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
• aluminum foil
• casserole pan 13 x 9 inch

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter, to grease the oven dish
• ▢ 1 clove garlic
• ▢ 2½ pounds potato , slices pre-cooked
• ▢ 2 cups milk
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon salt , to taste
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 8 oz. Emmental cheese , grated

Topping

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter , room temperature

All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• ▢
  Preheat the oven to 390 °F (200 °C).
• ▢
  Butter an oven dish with one tablespoon of butter.
• ▢
  Peel the garlic clove and cut it in half. Rub the baking dish with the sliced clove of garlic.
• ▢
  Divide ⅓ of the potato slices over the bottom.
• ▢
  Sprinkle with ⅓ of the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
• ▢
  Repeat this 2 more times (first a potato layer and then top with the cheese).
• ▢
  Carefully pour the milk into the oven dish.
• ▢
  Slice 2 tablespoons of butter into small cubes and place them on the top.
• ▢
  Put an aluminum foil over the baking dish and bake it in the oven for one hour.
• ▢
  Remove the foil from the dish and let it bake for another 15 minutes, so that the cheese becomes nicely golden brown.

Notes

1. Salt – Don’t be shy with salt in this recipe! Because milk is used, which has a milder flavor than cream, adequate seasoning at each layer is crucial. Otherwise, your gratin might quickly turn out bland.

2. Milk – This potato gratin stands out as a much lighter option compared to its classic, cream-laden counterparts, thanks to the use of whole milk. It still delivers fantastic creaminess without the extra calories.

3. Potatoes – For the creamiest and most delicious results, always opt for floury potatoes such as Russet, Doré, King Edward, or Maris Piper. Pre-cooked and thinly sliced potatoes are ideal for even cooking. If you’re starting with raw potatoes, simply peel and slice them, then par-boil them in a pot of boiling water for about ten minutes. Drain them well and allow them to cool completely so they are easy to handle and layer.

4. Alternatives –

Emmentaler – While Emmentaler is highly recommended for its unique flavor, you can certainly experiment with other cheeses. Gruyère makes an excellent substitute, offering a similar nutty depth. An aged hard cheese like Parmesan or even a sharp cheddar could also work. If using Mozzarella, be aware that it provides a significantly milder flavor profile, so you might want to enhance other seasonings.

Milk – For a truly indulgent and richer gratin, you can absolutely replace the whole milk with heavy cream. If you’re aiming for an even slimmer version than the one presented, semi-skimmed milk can be used, though it will result in a slightly less creamy texture.

5. Storage –

This potato gratin is fantastic for making ahead! You can “pre-bake” it for an hour, let it cool completely, then cover and store it in the refrigerator for up to one day. When you’re ready to serve, simply bake it at 390 °F (200 °C) for an additional 30 minutes, or until heated through and golden.

Leftover potato gratin will keep beautifully covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

For longer storage, you can freeze the cooled potato gratin. It will maintain its quality in the freezer for up to 2 months. Make sure to transfer it to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Please note that freezing may slightly alter the texture of the potatoes, making them a little softer.

6. Nutrition -This recipe is designed to serve six adults comfortably. The stated nutritional values ​​are provided per person, offering a clear guide to dietary information.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 14gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 425mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 493IUVitamin C: 37mgIron: 2mg

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