Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes is the perfect side dish to serve this Christmas. It creamy, cheesy and the slow cooker does all the work.
Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe:
Au Gratin Potatoes in the Crockpot is an easy to way to make your favorite side dish. Save space in your oven this holiday, and make Au Grain Potatoes in the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker potatoes Au Gratin is cheesy, creamy and the ultimate comfort food. The thinly slice potatoes are layered in the slow cooker and topped with a creamy cheese sauce. The potatoes get crispy on the top but still have a tender center.
This side dish and Green Beans and Potatoes Crock Pot Recipe is one of our favorites to make. It pairs well with all of holiday meats and always a crowd favorite.
What is the Difference between Scalloped and Au Gratin Potatoes?
Scalloped potatoes are baked in a creamy sauce which make is more of a simple recipe.
Aug Gratin Potatoes are a bit more rich and decadent. The slice potatoes are cooked in lots of layers of cheese and even topped with more cheese.
Either potatoes recipe would be delicious served as a side dish.
Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes peeled and sliced into 1/8” thick slices
- Butter
- All Purpose Flour
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Whole Milk
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- Pepper
- Salt
How to Make Au Gratin Potatoes in the Crock Pot:
- Step 1 – Prepare Slow Cooker – Spray a 6 quart crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
- Step 2 – Melt Butter – Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir until combined.
- Step 3 – Add in Milk and Seasoning – Whisk in the milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Step 4 – Thicken the Sauce – Cook for 2-3 minutes whisking continuously until the mixture thickens.
- Step 5 – Melt Cheese – Then remove the saucepan from the heat and then immediately stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Step 6 – Layer Potatoes and Sauce – Layer a ⅓ of the potatoes slices in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour approximately ⅓ of the sauce on top of the potatoes.
- Step 7 – Continue Layering – Continue with these layers 2 more times.
- Step 8 – Top with Paper Towel – Place a few paper towels on top of the crock pot and then add the lid. This will soak up the extra moisture and make the top of the potatoes crispier.
- Step 9 – Slow Cook – Then cook on high for 3-5 hours until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.
- Step 10 – Remove Lid – Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of the cook time to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Step 11 – Top with Fresh Parsley – Then top with the fresh chopped parsley and the potatoes are ready to serve and enjoy!
Tips for Crockpot Au Gratin Potatoes:
- Slicing Potatoes – We recommend slicing potatoes about the same size. This allows the potatoes to cook evenly.
- Cheese – When preparing this dish, we recommend shredding cheese from hunk cheese. Pre shredded cheeses have added ingredients that are not necessary. Freshly shredded cheese melts and taste better in this recipe.
- Paper Towel – We like to add a paper towel to the top of the slow cooker before adding the lid. This allows for the paper towel soak up the moisture and gives the top a crispy texture.
- Prepare Crock Pot – Make sure to spray the slow cooker with cooking spray before layering the ingredients. This helps for easy clean up and to easily serve this dish.
- Thicken the Sauce – Allow the milk mixture to thicken before layering in the slow cooker.
- Cooking Au Gratin Potatoes – This side dish works best when cooking on high.
- Rest before Serving – We recommend allowing this side dish to rest for about 20 minutes with the lid off to thicken the sauce.
Substitutions and Additions:
- Change the Potatoes – We used Russet Potatoes in this recipe but you can also use Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes.
- Potatoes – We prepared the potatoes by peeling them, but you can easily leave the peel on. It is your preference on how they are prepared.
- Change the Cheese – Sharp Cheddar Cheese adds delicious flavor, but you can easily use other types of cheese. Mix in pepper jack cheese or Colby Monterey Jack Cheese is a great options.
- Seasoning – Feel free to change the seasoning. Italian seasoning is great variation or for extra spice by adding in red pepper flakes.
- Milk – For a creamier texture, feel free to substitute the milk for heavy cream.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes:
This is the perfect side dish to serve for the holidays. It allows you to save oven space and you can start it in the morning and it will be ready for you Christmas lunch.
These are some of my favorite meats to serve with Au Gratin Potatoes:
- Turkey
- Ham
- Pork Tenderloin
- Steak
- Grilled Chicken
How to Store Leftovers:
We always have so much leftovers after our Christmas dinner. The good thing is the cheesy potatoes reheat well. Store the leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge. They will last about 3 to 4 days.
Reheat in the leftovers in the microwave or you can reheat in the oven. Place in a baking dish and cover with foil to reheat. Place in a preheated over at 350 degrees. Heat until potatoes are warm.
Easy Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes:
Potatoes are a side dish that we make often. We make mashed potatoes, bake potatoes, and roasted potatoes pretty much for every meal. Potatoes are budget friendly and always a crowd favorite.
These Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes make the best side dish. We love that the crock pot does all the work. Not only are these perfect to serve for holiday dinner but can also be served during the week.
Print Recipe here for Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes:
Crock Pot Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet Potatoes peeled and sliced into 1/8” thick slices
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 1 1/2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Spray a 6 quart crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Add the flour and stir until combined.
- Whisk in the milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes whisking continuously until the mixture thickens.
- Then remove the saucepan from the heat and then immediately stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
- Layer a ⅓ of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot. Pour approximately ⅓ of the sauce on top of the potatoes.
- Continue with these layers 2 more times.
- Place a few paper towels on top of the crock pot and then add the lid (this will soak up the extra moisture and make the top of the potatoes crispier).
- Then cook on high for 3-5 hours until the potatoes are tender and cooked through.
- Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of the cook time to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Then top with the fresh chopped parsley and the potatoes are ready to serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
More Easy Christmas Side Dish Recipes:
- Instant Pot Green Beans and Bacon
- Asparagus Casserole
- Cornbread Sausage Stuffing
- Crock pot Collard Greens
