I received a mandoline slicer for my birthday one year. It was something I’d wanted for a while to prep potatoes, zucchini, and Brussels sprouts. I made a classic au gratin potato recipe for the first time when my husband and I had our first Christmas at home alone together. Before I opened my birthday gift, the idea of slicing all those potatoes was daunting. As soon as I opened the gift, I knew Christmas dinner would be so much easier.
This classic, cheesy recipe turned out great on Christmas day, but since I now had a mandoline and could slice potatoes to my heart’s content, I came up with this loaded au gratin version with bacon, sour cream, and green onions.
You can absolutely skip the extras and this makes a delicious classic, cheesy version. Totally up to you!
Loaded Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
8 slices bacon – cooked and chopped fine (6 for the potatoes, 2 for topping)
5 russet potatoes – peeled and sliced thin
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
4 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 oz. shredded mild cheddar cheese
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt
Black pepper
Green onions for garnish
Get your bacon cooked and cooled. I bake mine at 400-degrees for 15-20 minutes until it’s crispy. Chop into little pieces and set aside. Bake it on a wire rack to keep cleanup super easy!
Pre-heat your oven to 350-degrees for the potatoes.
To start, you’ll get your potatoes peeled and sliced. You can use a knife to slice them pretty thin, but they may need to cook a little longer as they’ll likely be thicker than mandoline sliced potatoes.
In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter on medium heat until it starts to bubble. Add your flour and garlic.
Cook until the entire mixture is bubbly and just starts to turn a pale brown.
Pour in your milk while whisking and then stir pretty frequently for about 10 minutes until you have a thick sauce.
Add your cheeses, sour cream, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and stir until the cheese melts and you have a creamy sauce.
Take half of your sliced potatoes and create a layer on the bottom of your pan. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, 3 slices of chopped bacon, and then drizzle half of your cheese sauce on top.
Layer the rest of the potatoes on and then cover with 3 more slices of chopped bacon (reserving 2 slices to chop for the top) and cheese sauce. I set aside a little additional bacon for garnish at the end, but that’s optional.
Bake for 45 minutes at 400-degrees covered with foil. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly and you can slide a knife or fork through the potatoes easily.
Finish with some thinly sliced green onions and enjoy!
Do you prefer the classic au gratin recipe or the loaded version? Let me know in the comments!
