Potato Gratin Stacks Recipe | Julie Blanner (2024)

FAQs

Why is my potato gratin runny? ›

My sauce is watery

If you stored your potatoes in water to prevent discoloring, be sure to drain them well and pat them dry before adding to your casserole. Some of the waxier potatoes can release more water than starchier ones, so look for good baking potatoes like russet or Yukon golds.

But it can be frustrating when the creamy sauce and cheese separate or look curdled. The good news is that the dish tastes just fine, even when it looks a little strange. The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven.

Derived from the French verb gratiner — to broil — gratin is a process that involves topping a dish with either cheese or buttery breadcrumbs and baking or broiling until crispy. While potatoes au gratin is most traditional, the contents beneath the golden crust can vary widely.

Try letting the dish rest for 10 minutes or so to let the water get absorbed and let the sauce thicken. Try cooking your recipe longer. Try uncovering the dish in the oven for the last 10 minutes or so.

Add a Thickening Agent

This is the most common way to thicken mashed potatoes. You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well.

High heat will cause the milk to curdle. Use milk or cream with higher fat content. Whole milk, half-and-half, or cream and full-fat cheeses are necessary. Skim milk and reduced-fat products will not be your friend in this dish.

Milk can curdle if you heat it up too quickly, so be careful. If you want to avoid lumps, make sure not to bring your milk to a boil. Heating it too quickly can result in curdling. Instead, heat the milk gently and gradually over medium-low flame until it begins to steam.

What is the difference between au gratin potatoes and scalloped potatoes? Au Gratin potatoes contain cheese, whereas Scalloped Potatoes do not. Scalloped potatoes typically contain cream but can also contain flavorful stock instead of dairy.

The phrase au gratin literally means "by grating" in French, or "with a crust," from the verb gratter, "to scrape, scratch, or grate."

What is the difference between au gratin and gratin? ›

A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover's Companion. The term “au gratin” or “gratinée” just refers to anything prepared in that manner.

If you're here, you'll probably be glad to know that yes, you can peel and cut potatoes the day before you plan to serve them — and that it's super easy! All you have to do is submerge the bare potato pieces in water and refrigerate (more on that later).

Culinary school taught me that leftovers should be eaten within two days, but if I cooked the meal, cooled the leftovers appropriately, and reheated appropriately: I'll eat leftovers for up to 5 days.

Soak the potatoes in water.

This is a step that grandma always did; she said it was to prevent the potatoes from browning or oxidizing. I tried it many times without the soak, and the dish always turned out dry. Turns out that grandmas trick was the perfect way to keep these potatoes moist.

To thicken scalloped potatoes, keep cooking the sauce a minute or so longer than directed before adding the cheese. This will create a rich, extra-thick sauce. You can also use whole or 2% milk in place of the fat-free milk. You can try out these sauce thickening tips, too!

Potatoes or rice can remain rock-hard after prolonged cooking. Starch will not swell if it is acidic. If you have a lot of sour cream in your scalloped potatoes or add something acidic, your potatoes may not soften. You can cook the potatoes with heavy cream or milk and then, after they soften, stir in sour cream.

Soil or dirt has a lot to do with the solids content of the harvested potato. Potatoes grown in clay or very dense soil have a tendency to not be able to get rid of the moisture versus potatoes grown in sandy soil or volcanic soil; which is what Idaho soil is.

Firstly, ensure you've baked it at a sufficiently high temperature (around 400°F/200°C). Secondly, make sure you've allowed enough time for baking—large potatoes may take longer. Lastly, check if your oven is calibrated accurately; an incorrect temperature setting can affect cooking.