Potato Bake?
I’ll fight you to the death for the last scoop.
Potato bake, otherwise known as potatoes au gratin (French for holy shit this creamy, cheesy potato dish is amazing), has long been a staple in my life. It causes fights, is jealously guarded, and significantly overindulged in on a regular basis.
It is surprisingly easy to get wrong. I know what you’re thinking… potatoes, cream, cheese. What is there to ruin? But we’ve all been there – RSL potato bakes with still-raw slices. Friends’ mother’s tasteless trays of goo (isn’t that the worst? you get all excited when you see its golden goodness, and you dig in only to find it tastes just this side of depressing). Bakes that have funny ingredients in them that shouldn’t be found within twelve light years of the holiness that is au gratin.
Allow me to help.
ooh. Nice, yah?
Cheesy Garlic Potato Bake
Ingredients
- Potatoes. Lots of them. It actually depends on what size dish, but you’ll probably need four or five decent-sized ones for most rectangle casserole dishes. peel and slice thinly. Please do use the big brown or white ones, the little red ones will hold their shape too much. Still tastes good, but just isn’t the same!
- 3/4 cup vegetable stock (optional)
- 300ml cream
- Garlic: fresh or garlic powder is fine. even that stuff in a jar. go for it.
- Fresh sliced onions or onion powder
- pepper
- Tasty or cheddar cheese (amount depends – for this I’d probably use 1 3/4 cups)
(My usual straight-up potato bake is potaoes layered with onion, salt, pepper, and cheese. Pour cream over, top with cheese. HOT DAMN!)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 and grease your casserole dish. Place a layer of potatoes on the bottom, and sprinkle quite liberally with the garlic, pepper and onion powder. Sprinkle over a layer of cheese.
2. Repeat.
3. On the top layer, pour over the stock and then the cream before sprinkling with the seasonings, and adding cheese to the top.
4. Bake for at least an hour. You don’t want RSL potatoes do you? I would check after an hour by sticking a knife in the middle. If it slides in easily, you’re good to go.
There are honestly so many ways of making this – poaching minced garlic in milk, adding sliced onion, sprinkling the layers with nutmeg or lemon pepper – but I just wanted to give you a basis. It’s so easy, has tons of flavour, and will probably need a security guard if you’re wanting leftovers the next day.
Marita says
June 19, 2010 at 10:35 amI have never successfully made a potato bake, there is always something wrong with them. Am going to bookmark this recipe and try it as soon as I get some potatoes.
Marita says
August 17, 2011 at 3:30 amI have never successfully made a potato bake, there is always something wrong with them. Am going to bookmark this recipe and try it as soon as I get some potatoes.
Flossy says
January 17, 2012 at 11:49 pmI just made this. And I had a mouth orgasm. And I plan on a second and third one tomorrow. Thanks! 😀 x
Veggie Mama says
January 18, 2012 at 7:38 amHahah it’s a little bit good!!
Flossy says
January 17, 2012 at 12:49 pmI just made this. And I had a mouth orgasm. And I plan on a second and third one tomorrow. Thanks! 😀 x
Veggie Mama says
January 17, 2012 at 8:38 pmHahah it's a little bit good!!
Lisa B says
January 12, 2013 at 7:44 pmI’m making this right now! It’s 45 minutes in and looks a little watery. Is this normal? Did anyone find they had to adjust the stock levels at all?
Veggie Mama says
January 12, 2013 at 10:16 pmIt totally depends on your potatoes, waxy ones are going to stay watery to a degree. Floury potatoes will collapse and the sauce will look thicker. Also 45 minutes is still really quite early, I’d cook a potato bake for at least an hour and a half, probably more like two. How did you go? Did it turn out? Xx
Lisa B says
January 13, 2013 at 8:23 amoh my god, it turned out perfectly! i have a pretty hot oven, so it took just over an hour. Easily the best potato bake I have ever eaten!
my husband said there was too much cheese (Im not convinced thos words can be used together in a sentance.. not ENOUGH cheese is surely what he meant?!)
I didnt have onion powder or garlic powder so I used roast vegetable seasoning. YUM.
This is a fantastic website – Im so excited to try all of these recipes! xx
Veggie Mama says
January 13, 2013 at 9:07 pmtoo much… cheese? What?!! Never heard of it. MOAR CHEESE!
So pleased you liked it, potato bake is one of my total favourites. I don’t always do it like this, sometimes I have just onion and no onion powder or garlic powder. Sometimes I sprinkle just a little nutmeg. Delicious!
Jane @ Almost Jane says
November 23, 2014 at 8:35 pmI’m cooking Christmas dinner for the mother in law, and I absolutely cannot cook. (Don’t ask) Give it to me staright Veggie Mama, can I carry this off? xx
Jane @ Almost Jane says
November 23, 2014 at 8:35 pmOr straight even… however you roll…
Veggie Mama says
November 24, 2014 at 10:34 amyou SO can! truly, it is very simple. You will only go wrong if you undercook it, and it doesn’t really suffer from overcooking, so just chuck it in and KEEP IT IN! Use those big brown potatoes and cut them thinly after you peel. If you think the top is getting too brown/burning, spray some foil with cooking spray or butter and pop it on top. You’ll nail it and everyone will cry with joy as they eat it. Promise.
Jane @ Almost Jane says
November 24, 2014 at 11:58 amOK, you’ve convinced me, I’ll give it a go. Am trawling your site for some more side dishes now 😉
Veggie Mama says
November 25, 2014 at 5:29 pmLet me know how you go, bro!
Jane @ Almost Jane says
December 25, 2014 at 8:23 pmI made it, it rocked, hooray!! Thank you 🙂
Veggie Mama says
December 27, 2014 at 3:08 pmhuzzah! nothing better 🙂
Hugzilla says
December 22, 2014 at 7:24 pmDude, I can do potato bake and I am the worlds most woeful cook. Seriously. I was in one of those Guinness World Record books.
Hugzilla says
December 22, 2014 at 7:22 pmI can’t cook for shit but I do a mean potato and pumpkin bake. This looks awesome.