Potatoes are the perfect side to, well, anything. Top those potatoes with a silky, buttery, creamy sauce, and you have sheer perfection. These cast iron skillet potatoes au gratin are the perfect way to make a decadent, delicious side dish, without tons of effort. Once they come out of the oven, you will have a hard time not digging in with a fork!
These skillet potatoes au gratin can be scaled down to be an easy, minimal-prep weeknight side dish. They are even better, however, for the holidays! They can be prepped ahead of time, and the cream mixture requires no fussy techniques or preparation.
These potatoes are the perfect side to a juicy, roast turkey for Christmas or Thanksgiving.
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Ingredients
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Shallots
- Heavy cream
- Melted butter
- Cheddar and asiago cheese
- Fresh garlic
- Onion powder, thyme and salt
A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.
Instructions
Start With...
- Slicing your potatoes and shallots - You will want to slice your potatoes relatively thinly, to allow them to cook quickly. You can do this either using a sharp knife, or, to make life super easy, use a mandoline. Likewise, thinly slice your shallots into rings.
- Shred cheese - Shred your cheddar and asiago cheese. I do not recommend pre-grated cheese, but if it's all you have that's fine!
- Preheat the oven - Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- In the microwave or in a sauce pan, melt your butter. Once melted, add to a mixing bowl with heavy whipping cream, garlic, and seasonings.
- In a cast iron skillet, layer sliced potatoes and shallots. You do not need to grease the pan if it is a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. If you are making this for a fancier occasion, you can carefully arrange the potatoes so they are in a concentric pattern. This is not required, though!
- Pour the heavy cream mixture over the potatoes and shallots, and top with asiago and cheddar cheese.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes at 425°F. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. You can put the oven on broil for an extra golden brown crunch.
Expert Tip
Season the potatoes with a little bit of salt prior to pouring over the heavy cream. While there is salt and seasoning in the mixture, this will be your only chance to directly season the potatoes!
Substitutions
- Yukon gold potatoes - If you do not have yukon golds, you can also use russet potatoes, or idaho potatoes. You want to avoid overly waxy potatoes, such as red-skinned potatoes. The starch helps to thicken the sauce.
- Cheddar and asiago cheese - You can also use gruyere cheese if you are looking for a fancy twist on cheese. Gruyere is nutty, and delicious!
- Garlic - If are not a big fan of fresh garlic, you can also use garlic powder.
Variations
- Make it loaded - Give these potatoes a loaded baked potato twist, by adding crispy bacon, cheddar cheese and green onions.
- Make it cozy - Steep some fresh sage in the butter while melting it. It will add a familiar holiday note to the potatoes!
- Add roasted garlic - Instead of fresh garlic, use roasted garlic!
Equipment
This is what I used to make this recipe - Please be mindful that different equipment and cooking utensils may yield varying results.
- Cast iron skillet
- Mixing bowls
- Box grater
- Sauce pan
- Whisk
Storage
Store the baked potatoes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
These potatoes do freeze well, but only after being baked. Freezing raw potatoes is not advisable, as they can get watery. As long as the baked potatoes are stored in an airtight container, you can keep them in the freezer and heat them up in the oven!
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Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes Au Gratin
Ingredients
- 10 large Yukon gold potatoes thinly sliced
- 3 Shallots thinly sliced
- 2 cups Heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup Melted butter
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- ½ cup Cheddar cheese grated
- ½ cup Asiago cheese grated
Instructions
- Prepare cream mixture: In the microwave or in a sauce pan, melt your butter. Once melted, add to a mixing bowl with heavy whipping cream, garlic, and seasonings.
- Layer potatoes: In a cast iron skillet, layer sliced potatoes and shallots.
- Assemble: Pour the heavy cream mixture over the potatoes and shallots, and top with asiago and cheddar cheese.
- Bake: Bake covered for 30 minutes at 425°F. Bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. Broil on LO if desired.
Equipment
- Mandoline / Knife
- Grater
Estimated Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
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