Hasselback Potato Gratin

This hasselback potato gratin is a crowd-friendly side dish with thinly sliced potatoes doused in a flavorful cream and baked with a cheesy top.

Difference between scalloped potatoes and gratin potatoes?

The difference between scalloped potatoes and gratin potatoes is cheese. Both are made with thinly sliced potatoes cooked in cream but classic scalloped potatoes are made with just cream and potatoes, while gratin potatoes add cheese over the top.

This hasselback potato gratin is covered with garlic thyme infused cream and topped with shredded Gruyere cheese. It’s absolutely delicious with velvety inside and crispy browned bits on top.

Ingredients You Will Need

• russet potatoes
• heavy cream
• garlic
• thyme
• nutmeg
• gruyere cheese
• salt and pepper

How to Make Hasselback Potato Gratin

Tips and tricks for making cheesy hasselback potato gratin:

Starchy potatoes are key. Russets are high in starch and low in moisture and make the creamiest sauce. Whereas Yukon Golds hold their shape a little better. Use either one.

Cut the potatoes between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick. A mandoline slicer makes this easy and quick. Make sure the slices are all roughly the same thickness so they cook at the same rate.

Use heavy cream for the creamiest potatoes. Also referred to as heavy whipping cream. I do not recommend half-and-half, which is a lower-fat alternative to heavy cream. It contains less fat and will curdle before it thickens.

Warm the cream before baking. Instead of using cold cream simply combine the cream with thyme, garlic, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until steaming hot. Pay close attention as the cream heats it can bubble up quite quickly once it’s warm.

Shred the cheese yourself. Instead of buying shredded cheese, buy a block of Gruyere and shred it yourself. It will taste and melt so much better.

Bake in a deep baking dish. A 2-quart dish or a deep 9X9 baking dish works the best for making this gratin. Otherwise, if you bake in a shallow dish, the cream will overboil.

Equipment Suggestions

While you don’t need any fancy equipment to make a potato gratin, a mandoline slicer makes slicing potatoes easy and quick. You can also achieve this with a sharp chef’s knife. Just make sure to slice the potatoes roughly the same thickness.

To bake the gratin, a 9X9-inch or other 2-quart baking dish is ideal. You want all the potatoes tightly packed in the baking dish.

Hasselback Potato Gratin Serving Suggestions

If you are serving potato gratin as a side dish, try rounding out your meal with any of the following main entrees:

• Simple Whole Roasted Chicken
• Roasted Lemon Rosemary Chicken
• Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
• Grilled Orange Chicken Recipe
• Bone-In Turkey Breast

More Potato Recipes to Try

• Leftover Mashed Potato Cakes
• Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
• Rosemary Garlic Potatoes
• Garlic Parmesan Potatoes in Cream Sauce

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