Creamy, buttery layers of savory goodness. These leek and pancetta potatoes au gratin (dauphinoise) make a luxurious winter side dish. So if you’re in for a delicious, fancy dinner, these are the potatoes to make!
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Leek and Pancetta Potatoes Au Gratin
If you really want to impress your dinner guests, potatoes au gratin is the dish to make! It looks fancy, tastes great, and is simple to put together. It’s the perfect side dish for any winter dinner. Whether you’re making it for Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. you’re sure to feel warm and cozy with this dish. It’s buttery, creamy, and has a beautiful layer of browned cheese on top. When you take these potatoes out of the oven, they’ll be nice and bubbly and will have your kitchen smelling amazing!
If you’re not sure what potatoes au gratin or dauphinoise are, they’re thinly sliced potatoes cooked in cream and topped with cheese. It’s a rich, luxurious side dish that makes a great addition to any holiday dinner or weekend feast. For this recipe, we wanted to add our own spin to it, so we added some thick-cut pancetta and leeks for a burst of flavor. Pair it with roast beef, roasted chicken, or pork tenderloin for a delicious and fancy dinner.
Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes: We like to use these starchy potatoes since they’re great for baking and sticking to sauces. If you live in the UK, King Edward, Marfona, and Maris Piper potatoes should work just as well.
- Leeks: If you’ve never had leeks before, they’re a bit like onions, except they’re a little sweeter and have so much flavor. They’re perfect for French inspired dishes like this one!
- Pancetta: Be sure to get thick-cut pancetta so you can easily cut it into diced pieces.
- Gruyere Cheese: This cheese pairs perfectly with the other flavors in the dish. It also gives the top that nice golden brown look.
- Unsalted Butter: This gives the potatoes a delicious, buttery flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Just a tbsp of flour is enough to help thicken the sauce a bit.
- Heavy Cream: This is essential for getting that luxurious, creamy texture. If you use milk, it won’t be quite as creamy, so stick with the cream.
- Garlic: 1 large clove gives the cream sauce a nice kick of flavor.
- Fresh Thyme: Gotta have a fresh herb in there! It’s used in the sauce, but we also recommend adding a bit on top.
- Ground Nutmeg: ¼ tsp is enough to add a bit of flavor without being too overpowering.
- Salt & Pepper: We use fine sea salt in our recipes, so if you’re using regular table salt, you may need to decrease the amount just a bit. Keep in mind that there’s also plenty of salt coming from the pancetta and cheese.
How to Make Leek and Pancetta Potatoes Au Gratin
At first glance, potatoes au gratin may seem like a complicated dish to make. But, as you’ll see, it’s so much easier than you may have thought! Once all your ingredients are prepared, it’s just a matter of creating layers in a baking dish. Easy, right? Well, if you’re still not sure, take a look at the step-by-step photos below to see how to make these delicious stacked potatoes.
FAQ
Yes, in fact you don’t even have to peel them! So if you’re pressed for time or these are what you have on hand, they make a great alternative.
– Mandolin: this makes slicing potatoes SO much easier. Without it, you’ll be slicing forever and you may end up with different levels of thickness, which could result in uneven cooking.
– Saucepan: this is for making your cream sauce.
– 9×13″ Baking Dish: this is the perfect size for making this recipe.
There’s so many things that pair well with these potatoes. For example, roast beef, roasted chicken, pork tenderloin, or even salmon are good protein options! Carrots, brussel sprouts, and asparagus are also good if you’re looking to get some veggies in.
More Cozy Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re making food for a get-together, be sure to also check out our Holiday Cheese Board.
A Few Tips
- To see those beautiful layers of potatoes, use a turner/burger spatula to cut and scoop out each serving.
- Add a bit of fresh thyme on top for a pretty topping and more flavor.
- Save a larger portion of cheese for the top of the potatoes. This will ensure you have that nice golden top spread throughout.
📖 Recipe
Leek and Pancetta Potatoes Au Gratin (Dauphinoise)
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 servings 1x
- Category: Sides, Winter Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
Creamy, buttery layers of savory goodness. These leek and pancetta potatoes au gratin make a great winter side dish. Add it to any roast or holiday dinner for an elevated and luxurious meal. You can’t go wrong with these potatoes, they’re simply delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds (1 kg) russet potatoes*, peeled
- 2 leeks, thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 6 oz (170 g) thick-cut pancetta, diced
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (470 ml) heavy cream
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp fine sea salt*
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 8 oz (226 g) gruyere cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta until golden brown. Toss it around occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta from the pan and place over a plate covered with paper towels. This soaks in any leftover grease that’s on the pancetta. Set aside for later.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour until incorporated.
- While whisking, gradually add the cream until smooth. Then mix in the garlic, thyme, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and slice the potatoes using a mandoline.
- In a 9×13″ baking dish, place a light layer of the cream mixture on the bottom. Arrange a single layer of potatoes on top, overlapping them just slightly. Add some of the leeks and pancetta on top followed by some of the cream and gruyere cheese.
- Repeat the process until you have about 3 layers of potatoes. Be sure to reserve enough cream and cheese for the top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown. It will be very bubbly around the edges so let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
- Top with fresh thyme and serve warm.
Notes
Potatoes: See ingredients and FAQ section for alternatives if you don’t have any russet potatoes on hand. Also, if you’re doubling or tripling the recipe be sure to correctly convert the amount if using kilograms. The scale button will not convert kilograms for some reason.
Salt: If you’re using regular table salt, you may need to lower the amount you put in the sauce. Just remember that some of the salt is coming from the pancetta and cheese.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 381
- Sugar: 2.4 g
- Sodium: 447 mg
- Fat: 26.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.8 g
- Protein: 12.4 g
- Cholesterol: 72.5 mg
Keywords: potatoes au gratin, potatoes dauphinoise, potato gratin, dauphinoise, potato gratin recipe, dauphinoise potatoes recipe, pancetta recipe, leeks recipe, winter side dish
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