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.
Tips & Tricks
- What are the best potatoes to use for au gratin potatoes? Choosing the right potato can make or break your dish. Your potato should be starchy enough to thicken the sauce and absorb all those great flavors. So I would avoid waxy, red potatoes and opt for Russet or Yukon Gold. Yukon Gold potatoes won’t fall apart like Russet potatoes (due to their higher starch content), but it’s really down to preference. Just save the red potatoes for your potato salad. 🙂
- What kind of cheese should I use? This is where you can get creative! As long as cheddar cheese is in the mix, really anything goes. For this recipe, I use gouda, muenster, sharp cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses, but you can also try gruyere.
- Can I make au gratin potatoes ahead of time? Absolutely! Assemble the dish a day ahead of time, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and foil. It can remain in the fridge for up to 3 days. Since the dish will be cold, baking may take a little longer. Adjust the baking time a little to account for the temperature.
- How should I store potatoes au gratin? You can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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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Cheesy Bourbon Potatoes Au Gratin
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
Cheesy Bourbon Potatoes Au Gratin takes sliced potatoes and covers them in a rich, creamy cheese sauce made with poblano, bourbon, and cheese.
Ingredients
- 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 poblano pepper, finely chopped
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 8 oz chipotle gouda cheese block, cubed
- 8 oz muenster cheese block, cubed
- 1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp pink sea salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
Instructions
- Rinse and dry the potatoes. Slice them into 1/8-inch thick slices. Season evenly with 1 tsp of salt.
- Roast the poblano pepper directly over an open flame until charred on both sides. Remove the char, stem, and seeds and finely chop.
- Add 1 tbsp of butter to a large saucepot at medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the chopped poblano, 2 tbsp of butter, 1 tsp of flour, and minced garlic. Stir together.
- Pour in the bourbon. Allow it to reduce for 3-5 minutes. Add the chopped chipotle gouda and chopped muenster cheese. Cover and allow the cheese to melt.
- Add 1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, ground thyme, red pepper flakes, dried basil, and heavy cream. Stir, cover, and lower the heat. Continue to stir often until the consistency is smooth.
- Spread a little cheese sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and layer the potato slices. Top off with more cheese sauce. Repeat this step until all the potatoes are layered and the cheese is completely covering the potatoes.
- Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, then remove from oven and top off with remaining cheeses and chives. Bake for an additional 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Allow to cool, then serve.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Category: Comfort Food
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 599
- Sugar: 2.9g
- Sodium: 1021mg
- Fat: 43g
- Carbohydrates: 30.2g
- Fiber: 4.5g
- Protein: 24.6g
- Cholesterol: 139mg