• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Sassy Foodie
  • Holidays
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Holidays
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Holidays
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×

The Sassy Foodie » Recipes » Holiday Recipes

Southwest Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

Published: Aug 18, 2022 by Sunena Anand · This post contains affiliate links. I make a commission from sales. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. · Leave a Comment

  • Share
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Southwest Au Gratin Potatoes recipe is cheesy, hearty, and downright delicious! Tender potatoes are baked until golden brown and bubbly in a delicious, cheesy and tangy sauce, packed with some of your favorite Southwestern flavors, perfect for weeknight dinners or Christmas and Thanksgiving, too!

Potatoes being served in a large serving spoon, showing the cheese and sauce.

Pair these potatoes with a Ribeye with Compound Butter, or Butter Basted Turkey for a filling meal, and if you love this au gratin recipe, you will also love my Cast Iron Skillet Gratin Potatoes and Twice Baked Loaded Mashed Potatoes! These potatoes will go perfectly on your holiday table with roasted hot honey carrots and homemade sourdough stuffing, too!

Jump to:
  • 👩🏽‍🍳Why This Recipe Works
  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 📖Substitutions
  •  🔪Variations
  • ⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
  • 💭 Expert Tip
  • 🍽 Make Ahead & Storage
  • ⭐ Recipe FAQs
  • 📝More Potato Recipes
  • Southwestern Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

👩🏽‍🍳Why This Recipe Works

Delicious dynamic duo - Many people love both cheese and potatoes—together they are even better. It’s sure to become a family favorite from the very first bite. It’s hard not to love a cheesy potato recipe!

Easy base sauce - The base sauce for these delicious potatoes is a classic cheese sauce - like in a classic macaroni and cheese, or a fancier five cheese baked mac, too. This is particularly great, because the options are endless once you nail this sauce!

A great entertainer - These potatoes are perfect for one or a crowd. These potatoes are low-effort and low maintenance to prepare, which makes them perfect for entertaining.

🥘Ingredients

Recipe ingredients labelled on a sheet tray.
  • Yukon gold potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes are ideal because they offer a good amount of starch without being overly starchy. They also hold their shape and texture well, even after being baked. 
  • Half and half cream - Using the right amount will add silkiness and creaminess to your dish. It is not overly heavy like heavy cream, while still adding a good silkiness that you will not get from milk.
  • Cheddar cheese - I recommend using sharp cheddar for the best flavor; it’s a key ingredient in a traditional cheese sauce. 
  • Monterey jack cheese - This cheese adds to the southwestern flair of these potatoes. Monterey jack cheese is neutral, but is very creamy and melts perfectly in a cheese sauce.

A full list of ingredients with measurements is located on the recipe card, below.

📖Substitutions

  • Yukon gold potatoes: You may also use red potatoes or russet potatoes.
  • Half and half cream: You can also use heavy cream instead. Alternatively, you can use milk.
  • Cheddar cheese: You can choose to use white cheddar, velveeta or American cheese.
  • Monterey jack cheese: If you prefer, you can also use pepper jack instead of monterey jack. You can also use colby jack for the entire cheese component of the recipe.
  • Fire roasted green chilies: You can also use chopped pickled jalapeno or chipotles in adobo instead of green chiles.

 🔪Variations

  • Black pepper - You can also add pepper if you want more spice and a little kick of heat.
  • Sour cream - Many people love to add sour cream with potatoes. While these cheesy au gratin potatoes are phenomenal without it, you can add sour cream too.
  • Parmesan cheese - You can also add parmesan as a topping if you want even more cheese goodness!
  • Bread crumbs - Top with seasoned breadcrumbs for an extra layer of texture!

⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions

Prep Work Before Cooking

Collecting all your ingredients - This will make cooking so much easier. Gather all the spices you will need, and keep them nearby.

Cut the potatoes - Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, thinly slice the potatoes into rounds. Try to make the potatoes as thin as possible, so they cook quickly. 

Shred the cheese - Using a box grater or a grater attachment on a food processor / stand mixer, shred your cheddar and Monterey jack cheese.

Preheat the oven - Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Step by step recipe instructions, in a collage.

Arrange the potato slices into layers in a baking dish, or into individual ramekins if you are making individual sides. Do not pack the potatoes into the dish too tightly, as you want the sauce to seep into the layers. [photo 1]

Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the butter to the heated pan, and let it melt. Once the butter has melted, sprinkle in the flour, and combine with a whisk. The mixture should form a paste. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. 

Slowly stream in the cream while whisking the mixture vigorously, to ensure there are no lumps of flour. Continue to whisk the mixture occasionally until it comes to a simmer, and the sauce has thickened. 

Once the sauce has thickened to the point that you can coat the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through the back of the spoon, turn the heat to low. Add in the cheeses in batches. Whisk to combine the cheese, and then add another batch until all the cheese is combined into the sauce. Stir in the seasonings and fire roasted chillies, and remove from the heat. [photo 3]

Pour the cheesy sauce over the potatoes, or ladle into the individual ramekins if you are using them. Move the potato slices around so that the sauce seeps into the crevices of the potatoes. Top with the reserved cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil. [photo 4]

Bake the potatoes for 25 minutes with the foil on, and for another 20 minutes with the foil off. If you are baking in smaller ramekins, bake for 15 minutes covered with foil, and another 15 minutes with the foil off.

💭 Expert Tip

Use freshly grated cheese! Pre-shredded cheese is covered in anti-caking agents, which will often make cheese sauces gritty and ruin that smooth texture you’re looking for. Hopefully this pro tip saves you the trouble!


Use low heat! Adding the cheese to super high heat will also ruin the consistency of your creamy cheese sauce. You want to ensure you have the best au gratin potato recipe results as possible!

🍽 Make Ahead & Storage

Make Ahead Instructions

To save yourself time, you can cut the potatoes in advance but ensure you store them in a ziploc bag and keep them in the fridge. Use within the next day or two.

You can also prepare the casserole entirely, with the exception of baking. Cover the baking dish with foil and keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days in advance of serving. Bake when you are ready to serve!

Storing Leftovers

Store in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator. If stored properly, it can last in the fridge for up to three to five days. If frozen, it can last up to two weeks.

Closeup of cheesy potatoes being scooped out of a baking dish, with a serving spoon.

⭐ Recipe FAQs

What does au gratin mean?

It means that your dish will be sprinkled with bread crumbs and/or grated cheese and then baked golden brown.

What is the difference between scalloped and au gratin?

The main difference: Au gratin often means it has cheese whereas scalloped potatoes are creamy but don’t necessarily include cheese. So if you love cheesy potatoes, you’re going to want au gratin style!

What can I pair this with?

This can easily be paired with green beans, a pork chop, or whatever other veggies and protein you can’t get enough of.

📝More Potato Recipes

  • Steakhouse Red Skin Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Bob Evans Style Sweet Potato Mash
  • Greek Style Potatoes [Spicy Tomato Sauce!]
  • Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes

Looking for more meal inspiration? Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly recipe roundups, straight to your inbox! Follow us on our socials, on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook! If you try one of our recipes, let us know how it was by rating and commenting!

Southwestern Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

This Southwest Au Gratin Potatoes recipe is cheesy, hearty, and downright delicious! Tender potatoes are baked until golden brown and bubble in a delicious, cheesy and tangy sauce, packed with some of your favorite Southwestern flavors, perfect for weeknight dinners or Christmas and Thanksgiving, too!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Estimated Calories: 587kcal
Author: Sunena Anand

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 4 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoon Salted butter
  • 2 tablespoon All purpose flour
  • 2 cups Half and half cream
  • 1 cup Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
  • ½ cup Fire roasted green chillies
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika
  • Salt to taste

Equipment

  • Mandoline optional
  • Mini Cocottes optional
  • Baking Dish
  • Sauce Pan

Instructions

  • Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, thinly slice the potatoes into rounds. Try to make the potatoes as thin as possible, so they cook quickly.
    4 Yukon gold potatoes
  • Arrange the potatoes into layers in a baking dish, or into individual ramekins if you are making individual sides. Do not pack the potatoes into the dish too tightly, as you want the sauce to seep into the layers.
  • Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the butter to the heated pan, and let it melt. Once the butter has melted, sprinkle in the flour, and combine with a whisk. The mixture should form a paste. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
    2 tablespoon Salted butter, 2 tablespoon All purpose flour
  • Slowly stream in the cream while whisking the mixture vigorously, to ensure there are no lumps of flour. Continue to whisk the mixture occasionally until it comes to a simmer, and the sauce has thickened.
    2 cups Half and half cream
  • Once the sauce has thickened to the point that you can coat the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through the back of the spoon, turn the heat to low. Add in the cheeses in batches. Whisk to combine the cheese, and then add another batch until all the cheese is combined into the sauce. Stir in the seasonings and fire roasted chillies, and remove from the heat.
    1 cup Cheddar cheese, 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, ½ cup Fire roasted green chillies, 1 teaspoon Garlic powder, 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, 1 teaspoon Onion powder, 1 teaspoon Smoked paprika, Salt to taste
  • Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes, or ladle into the individual ramekins if you are using them. Top with the reserved cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil.
  • Bake the potatoes for 25 minutes with the foil on, and for another 20 minutes with the foil off. If you are baking in smaller ramekins, bake for 15 minutes covered with foil, and another 15 minutes with the foil off.

Notes

  • Use freshly grated cheese! Pre-shredded cheese is covered in anti-caking agents, which will often make cheese sauces gritty and ruin that smooth texture you’re looking for. 
  • Use low heat! Adding the cheese to super high heat will also ruin the consistency of your cheese sauce. 
  • Taste the sauce before adding salt! Cheese is naturally salty, and so are some cajun seasoning blends. I recommend taste the sauce right at the end to see if you  want to add more salt. For reference, I did not add any salt to my sauce as I found it did not need it.

Estimated Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 587kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 548mg | Potassium: 974mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1846IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 569mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Have You Tried This Recipe?Don’t forget to leave a comment and rate the recipe! Take a picture and tag @the.sassy.foodie on Instagram for a chance to be featured on our socials!
« Creamy Skillet Chicken Al Limone
Tomato Basil Pasta {Cheesecake Factory} »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Sunena! I am a law student by day, and a homecook with a passion for food, by night! Welcome to my online kitchen, where I make easy, quick recipes that are tried and true family favourites!

  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

More about me →

Holiday Recipes

  • Skillet Green Bean Casserole {No Soup!}
  • Air Fryer Salsa Verde Spatchcock Chicken
  • Roasted Hot Honey Glazed Carrots
  • Garlic Parmesan Skillet Rolls {Yeast Dough!}
  • Sourdough Bacon & Pecan Stuffing
  • Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes {Lemon Tahini Sauce}

Popular Recipes

  • Greek Style Potatoes [Spicy Tomato Sauce!]
  • Easy Creamy Lemon Caper Pasta
  • Yellow Shawarma Rice {Halal Cart Copycat}
  • La Scala Copycat Salami Chopped Salad
  • Red Lobster Copycat Brussel Sprouts {Air Fryer}
  • Roasted Eggplant Dip (No Tahini!)

Footer

↑ back to top

Resources

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

Connect

  • Subscribe
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Contact

  • Contact
  • Collaborate

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 The Sassy Foodie