Description
Cheesy Potato Gratin Stacks are a delightful twist on traditional gratin, featuring thinly sliced starchy potatoes layered in muffin tins with creamy garlic sauce, fresh thyme, and melted gruyere cheese. Baked until golden and tender, these individual stacks make an elegant side or finger food perfect for dinners, breakfasts, or entertaining.
Ingredients
Scale
Potatoes and Preparation
- 1.2 kg / 2.4 lb starchy potatoes (long large ones like Sebago, Russet, King Edwards)
- Oil spray
Butter & Cream Sauce
- 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/2 cup heavy/thickened cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 tsp dried)
Cheese
- 75g / 2.5 oz gruyere cheese sliced into 12 squares (or other melting cheese)
- 3/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese (or other melting cheese)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) ensuring it’s ready for baking the stacks evenly.
- Prepare Muffin Tin with Butter: Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan then lightly brush the insides of the muffin tin holes with it to prevent sticking.
- Make Cream Sauce: To the remaining melted butter, add minced garlic and cook for 20 seconds to release aroma. Add heavy cream and salt, bring to a gentle simmer for 30 seconds, then remove from heat and keep warm.
- Slice Potatoes: Peel and trim potatoes so they stand upright. Shape them into cylinders fitting muffin tin holes and slice into very thin 2mm (1/10 inch) slices using a mandolin or sharp knife.
- Assemble Potato Stacks: Place potato slices into each muffin tin hole, stacking them halfway up. Try to keep size consistent for neat layers.
- Add Cream to Stacks: Drizzle about 1 tsp of the cream mixture over each potato stack, using half of the prepared cream sauce.
- Add Cheese Slice: Top each potato stack with a slice of gruyere cheese to infuse flavor while baking.
- Top with Potato, Cream, and Thyme: Continue layering remaining potato slices so stack rises about 1cm (1/3 inch) above muffin tin rim. Drizzle remaining cream and sprinkle most thyme over the stacks.
- Bake Covered: Loosely cover the muffin tin with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until potatoes are fully cooked and easily pierced with a knife.
- Add Shredded Cheese & Finish Baking: Remove foil, sprinkle shredded cheese on top of each stack and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
- Garnish & Rest: Sprinkle remaining thyme on the stacks, let them cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes. Use a tablespoon or butter knife to gently remove each stack.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve warm as a side to dinner dishes, as finger food, or alongside eggs and bacon for breakfast.
Notes
- Use starchy or all-rounder potatoes such as Sebago, Russet, King Edwards for fluffy interior and proper layering; avoid waxy varieties.
- Any melting cheese works well, but gruyere provides the best flavor and melt; Swiss, Colby, Monterey Jack, cheddar are good alternatives.
- These stacks can be made ahead. Bake, then freeze or refrigerate. Reheat in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10 minutes before serving.
- Nutrition values are estimated per one stack piece.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 potato gratin stack
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 260 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
