Easy Ina Garten Potato Gratin Recipe: Creamy Comfort in Minutes

Potato gratin transforms humble ingredients into a luxurious comfort classic that warms hearts and satisfies hungry souls.

Creamy, decadent layers speak to culinary traditions passed through generations of passionate home cooks.

Sophisticated yet simple, this dish balances rich textures with delicate flavors that dance across your palate.

Cheese melts into silky cream, creating a golden landscape of culinary indulgence that elevates ordinary potatoes to extraordinary heights.

Subtle aromatics whisper complexity beneath each sumptuous forkful, promising a sensory experience beyond mere sustenance.

Bold yet elegant, this gratin represents the pinnacle of rustic French-inspired cooking that feels simultaneously refined and deeply nurturing.

Each carefully assembled layer tells a story of comfort, tradition, and unspoken love: prepare to be transformed.

Why Ina Garten’s Potato Gratin Is So Comforting

• Elevate Comfort Food: This potato gratin transforms a humble side dish into a luxurious culinary experience that brings gourmet restaurant quality right to your home kitchen.
• Layers of Creamy Indulgence: The combination of heavy cream, Gruyère cheese, and perfectly sliced potatoes creates an incredibly rich, velvety texture that melts in your mouth with each heavenly bite.
• Flavor-Packed Technique: Sautéing fennel and onions before mixing them into the potato base adds deep, complex flavors that elevate this dish from ordinary to extraordinary, giving home cooks a professional-level cooking method.
• Stress-Free Entertaining Dish: With simple preparation steps and a forgiving cooking process, this gratin becomes the perfect make-ahead side that looks impressive and tastes amazing, making it ideal for dinner parties or family gatherings.

Essential Ingredients for Ina Garten Potato Gratin

Main Ingredients:

• Russet Potatoes: Starchy potato perfect for creating creamy and tender layers in gratin. Choose firm potatoes without sprouts or green patches.

• Heavy Cream, Gruyère Cheese: Rich dairy ingredients that create luxurious, smooth texture and add deep, nutty flavor. Select high-quality, fresh cream and authentic Swiss Gruyère cheese.

• Fennel, Onions: Provide sweet, subtle background flavor and aromatic complexity. Fresh, firm vegetables with crisp texture work best.

• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential for enhancing overall dish flavor. Use freshly ground black pepper for more intense taste.

• Butter, Olive Oil: Help sauté vegetables and prevent sticking, adding rich flavor and smooth texture. Choose unsalted butter and extra virgin olive oil for best results.

Making Ina Garten Potato Gratin Step by Step

Step 1: Warm Up the Oven

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grab a 10 x 15 x 2-inch baking dish and coat it generously with butter to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Create Flavor Base

Heat a medium sauté pan with butter and olive oil. Add sliced fennel and onions, cooking on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until they become soft and translucent.

Step 3: Prepare Potato Mixture

• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• Heavy cream
• Grated Gruyère cheese
• Salt
• Black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, ensuring potatoes are evenly coated.

Step 4: Blend Fennel and Potatoes

Fold the sautéed fennel and onions into the potato mixture. Mix thoroughly so every potato slice gets a touch of those caramelized vegetable flavors.

Step 5: Layer and Top the Dish

• Heavy cream
• Grated Gruyère cheese

Sprinkle the cheese and cream over the top for a golden, crispy finish.

Step 6: Bake and Rest

Slide the dish into the preheated oven. Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours until the top turns a beautiful golden brown and becomes bubbly. After removing from the oven, let the gratin rest for 10 minutes. This allows the flavors to mingle and makes serving easier.

Advice for Perfect Ina Garten Potato Gratin

• Slice with Precision: Grab a mandoline to create uniform, paper-thin potato slices that guarantee even cooking and stunning layered presentation.
• Choose Premium Cheese: Select top-quality Gruyère for mind-blowing melting potential and a nutty flavor that transforms the entire dish.
• Master Gentle Sautéing: Cook fennel and onions at medium-low temperature to develop deep caramelization without scorching your vegetables.
• Butter Baking Dish Brilliantly: Coat your dish generously with butter, ensuring a golden crust that releases smoothly and looks absolutely gorgeous.
• Embrace Full-Fat Cream: Reach for heavy cream to craft an indulgent, silky texture that makes every bite feel like a luxurious treat.

How to Store Ina Garten Potato Gratin

• Vacuum Seal Method: Remove air completely from storage container to prevent moisture and bacterial growth. Place cooled potato gratin in vacuum-sealed bag, press out excess air, and seal tightly. This technique extends shelf life up to 5-6 days and maintains original texture.
• Individual Portion Freezing: Slice gratin into single servings before storing. Wrap each portion separately in freezer-safe plastic wrap, then place in freezer-safe container. Frozen portions stay fresh for 2-3 months and provide convenient quick meal options.
• Glass Container Storage: Transfer cooled gratin to glass container with tight-fitting lid. Glass prevents flavor absorption from other foods and allows easy reheating directly in container. Refrigerate for maximum 4 days, ensuring crisp edges remain intact when gently warmed.

Flavor Variations on Ina Garten Potato Gratin

• Rustic Herb Garden Gratin: Enhance the potato gratin by mixing in fresh thyme, rosemary, and chopped chives. These herbs will add a bright, earthy flavor that complements the rich, creamy base.
• Smoky Bacon Potato Bake: Crisp up some bacon and crumble it into the potato mixture. The salty, smoky bacon bits will provide a delightful contrast to the smooth, cheesy potatoes.
• Mediterranean Vegetable Fusion: Replace fennel with roasted red peppers and add some crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle in some oregano and kalamata olives to bring a Greek-inspired taste to the classic gratin.
• Truffle and Mushroom Indulgence: Sauté wild mushrooms like shiitake or porcini and layer them between potato slices. Finish with a drizzle of truffle oil for an luxurious, earthy flavor profile that elevates the entire dish.

A Note on Ina Garten Potato Gratin

Potato gratin emerges as culinary poetry, weaving Ina Garten’s signature elegance into each creamy layer.

Luxurious Gruyère cheese dances with delicate fennel, creating symphonic harmony on your plate.

Russet potatoes become silky canvases absorbing rich cream’s embrace.

Mediterranean influences whisper through caramelized onions, elevating classic comfort cuisine.

Sophisticated yet approachable, this dish promises memorable dining experiences bridging rustic charm and gourmet refinement.

Passionate cooks who savor authentic flavors – this masterpiece calls you to explore, share passionate kitchen stories, spark conversations in comments, and spread delightful culinary inspiration across social platforms.

Ina Garten Potato Gratin Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 22 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Ina Garten’s potato gratin delivers creamy, luxurious comfort with layers of thinly sliced potatoes nestled between rich cream and sharp Gruyère cheese. Hearty and indulgent, this classic French-inspired side dish will transport you to a rustic countryside kitchen with its golden, crispy top and velvety interior.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (907 grams) russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 fennel bulbs, stalks removed
• 1 yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 ½ cups (283 grams) grated Gruyère cheese

Dairy Ingredients:

• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (480 milliliters) heavy cream, divided
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Seasoning and Oils:

• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven by heating it to 350°F (175°C). Generously coat a 10 x 15 x 2-inch (25 x 38 x 5-centimeter) baking dish with butter to prevent sticking.
2. Heat a medium-sized sauté pan with butter and olive oil. Add sliced fennel and onions, cooking on medium-low heat for approximately 10 minutes until they become soft and translucent.
3. Carefully slice peeled russet potatoes using a mandoline or sharp knife into thin, uniform pieces. Transfer the potato slices to a large mixing bowl.
4. Pour heavy cream over the potato slices. Incorporate grated Gruyère cheese, salt, and black pepper into the mixture, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
5. Fold the sautéed fennel and onions into the potato and cream mixture, gently stirring to create a uniform consistency.
6. Transfer the combined ingredients to the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly and creating a smooth surface.
7. Drizzle the remaining heavy cream over the top and sprinkle the reserved Gruyère cheese to create a golden, crispy topping.
8. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours, watching for a rich brown and bubbling surface.
9. Remove from the oven and allow the gratin to rest for 10 minutes, enabling the flavors to meld and the dish to set before serving.

Notes

• Crisp up those potato slices by layering them meticulously, ensuring each piece absorbs the luxurious cream and cheese blend.
• Mandoline slicers guarantee paper-thin potato cuts, preventing uneven cooking and promoting a silky, uniform texture.
• Gruyère cheese transforms this humble side dish into a gourmet experience with its nutty, complex flavor profile.
• Fennel’s delicate licorice undertones introduce an unexpected yet harmonious dimension to traditional potato gratins.
• Resting the dish post-baking allows sauce to thicken, making serving smoother and enhancing overall flavor melding.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Category: Dinner, Side Dish
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 524 kcal
• Sugar: 2 g
• Sodium: 525 mg
• Fat: 36 g
• Saturated Fat: 22 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 41 g
• Fiber: 4 g
• Protein: 12 g
• Cholesterol: 105 mg