Cheesy Bourbon Potatoes Au Gratin

Cheesy Bourbon Potatoes Au Gratin will be the new crowd favorite! Thinly sliced potatoes covered in a rich, creamy cheese sauce made with roasted poblano pepper, onions, bourbon, heavy cream, and four kinds of cheese — this is the ultimate comfort food! This dish is easy to make, and the flavors will send your taste buds into a frenzy!

Side dishes can steal the spotlight, and this cheesy potato au gratin recipe can be served with almost anything. It’s perfect with chicken, beef, fish, and really any other vegetable.

The X factor in this recipe is the bourbon! Once it’s cooked down and reduced along with the white onions and roasted poblano, it’s the special touch you didn’t know you needed.

Rich, creamy, and very cheesy au gratin potatoes made with four types of cheese is the side dish everyone will enjoy! Serve during the holidays, or when you want a tasty vegetarian side!

Ingredients you need to make au gratin potatoes:

• Yukon gold potatoes, or as I call them, “yellow potatoes,” provide the perfect starchy, buttery, and velvety texture when sliced and layered. You’ll need to grab a few pounds of Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe.
• Poblano pepper and white onion add a tremendous amount of flavor.
• I love cheese so much that I went with four kinds: chipotle gouda, muenster, white sharp cheddar, and mozzarella cheese. They team up nicely and are an all-star team.
• You’ll need a tiny bit of flour to help thicken the cheese sauce. All-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free will do.
• Your bourbon of choice, along with heavy cream, will be the liquids needed.
• Flavor town comes from a combination of seasonings, including smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, minced garlic, dried basil, ground thyme, salt, and black pepper. This is how you elevate the recipe to the top!

How to make Cheesy Bourbon Potatoes Au Gratin:

First, rinse and dry the potatoes. Slice them into 1/8-inch thick slices using a potato slicer or mandoline. Season evenly with salt.

Roast the poblano pepper directly over an open flame until charred on both sides. Allow the pepper to cool, remove the char, stem, and seeds, then finely chop the pepper and white onion.

Add butter to a saucepot at medium heat and add the chopped onions. Cook until the onions are translucent, then add the chopped poblano, more butter, flour, and minced garlic. Stir everything together.

Pour in the bourbon, allowing it to reduce for a few minutes. Add the cubed chipotle gouda and muenster cheese. Cover your pot and allow the cheese to melt.

Add extra sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, ground thyme, red pepper flakes, dried basil, and heavy cream and stir. Cover before slightly lowering the heat. Continue stirring frequently to ensure the cheese sauce develops a smooth consistency.

Now it’s time to assemble! Spread a little cheese sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Layer the potato slices, covering each layer in cheese sauce. Repeat the layering until all potatoes are completely covered in cheese sauce. Pour any remaining cheese sauce on top.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees and remove from oven. Top off with remaining cheeses and chives. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then serve.

Whether it’s game day or a family gathering, this Cheesy Bourbon Potatoes Au Gratin recipe will have the crowd cheering for more. And by the way, don’t worry too much about the alcohol; the bourbon gets “cooked out” and the flavor remains. These are bourbon potatoes, not boozy potatoes!

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