These adorable Potato Gratin Stacks are the mini version of Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise). Layers of thinly sliced potato baked in a muffin tin with cream, cheese, garlic and thyme, the best bit are the crusty caramelised cheesy edges!
Serve as a potato side for dinner. Breakfast with eggs. Party food bites. So many possibilities!
Mini Potato Gratin Stacks (Dauphinoise)
All you need to know is that these Mini Potato Gratin Stacks are cheesy, creamy and ridiculously irresistible. I mean, let’s be blunt. Potatoes + cheese + cream + garlic + butter. BAM! That’s a home run right there!
Actually, they’re a mini version of French Potato Gratin / Dauphinoise. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – everything is better in mini form, not just because it’s cute. But because you get the whole thing to yourself.
Right? 🤷🏻♀️
Besides not having to share, making these in mini form means you get nice golden cheesy edges on each piece which might be my favourite part. No golden edges when you make Dauphinoise the usual way!
What you need to make Mini Potato Gratin Stacks
Here’s what you need to make these:
Potatoes – Use starchy or all-rounder ones so they become fluffy when cooked and absorb flavour. Sebago (the common dirt brushed potatoes in Australia), Russet (US), Dutch creams, King Edwards and red delight are all ideal.
If you use waxy potatoes, the layers sort of slip apart when you cut into them.
Shape – Opt for long thin ones so you have less offcuts when trimmed into a cylinder shape to cut slices that fit the muffin thin.
Cheese – Gruyere and Swiss cheese are my favourites here, for their melting quality and flavour. Any cheese that melts will work just fine – cheddar, Colby, tasty cheese. I tend not to use mozzarella because it doesn’t have as much salt / flavour as other cheese but you can if you wish.
Shredded and sliced – I find it best to use slices of cheese between the potato layers and shredded cheese on top.
Cream – Thickened / heavy cream works best because it’s thicker so it pools on the layers better.
Garlic – For flavour, to infuse the cream sauce.
Thyme – Classic herb flavouring for Dauphinoise.
How to make Mini Potato Gratin Stacks
Assembling each gratin stack does take a little more effort than making one big bubbly Dauphinoise for sharing. But it’s worth it – especially for the golden cheesy edges that you never get when you make one big gratin bake!!
1. Cutting the potato slices
Peel and trim – Peel the potatoes then cut the base so it is stable when standing upright. Then trim the potato to make a (rough!) cylinder shape. It doesn’t matter if they are not a perfect round – mine aren’t!. Once they are cooked, you can’t really tell if your potatoes are a little more hexagon-y or octogon-y, or even rectangular or triangular!!!
Check size – The cylinder should be the size of the muffin tin holes.
Potato cylinders – Repeat with remaining potato. To fill a standard 12 hoc muffin tin, you will need 3 potato cylinders cut from 1.2 kg / 2.4 lb of potato.
Slice thinly – Using either a mandolin or a sharp knife, cut the potato into 2mm / 0.1″ thin slices.
Separate slices – Use your fingers to separate the slices as they have a tendency to stick. We want to make sure the creamy sauce seeps between all the potato layers!
Cream sauce – Melt the butter in a saucepan then sauté the garlic for 20 seconds or until it smells amazing. Then add the cream and salt, and simmer for 30 seconds to bring the flavours together.
Now, we’re ready to assemble!
2. Assembling the gratin stacks
Fill halfway – Place a stack of potato slices in the muffin tin hole so they come up halfway.
Pour over cream – Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of cream over the potatoes. No need to be exact here, just use about half the cream.
Cheese slices – Top with a slice of cheese.
Potato and cream – Top each stack with another stack of potatoes so they are just higher than the rim of the muffin tin. We want to make them taller because they sink slightly once cooked.
Then drizzle the remaining cream over each stack.
3. Bake!
Thyme – Sprinkle each stack with most of the thyme. Reserve a bit to sprinkle on at the end. A hint of fresh thyme is a really nice finishing touch!
Cover and bake – Cover loosely with foil then bake for 40 minutes at 180°C/350°F or until the potato is cooked. Check by inserting a knife all the way to the bottom – there should be no resistance.
Cheese then oven – Top with the shredded cheese and return to the oven uncovered for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and there are some lovely golden spots on the surface.
Garnish with thyme & serve! Sprinkle the top with the remaining thyme, then serve immediately!
What to serve with Mini Potato Gratin Stacks
You will want to eat them straight out of the oven, and they are certainly tasty enough to do so! But actually, they are intended to be a side dish.
I tend to pull these out for special occasions when we want a side dish that’s a bit special. Think, holidays and celebratory gatherings, alongside things such as:
the most glorious buttery, herby, garlicky roast chicken
the roast pork of your dreams (because it’s completely encased in crackling)
a grand Thanksgiving Turkey (brined is the only way!)
a big juicy steakhouse steak
If you make these for just-a-usual-midweek-dinner, I wish I was you. I could eat these everyday and never tire of them. There’s a reason my nickname was Potato Girl when I was growing up!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Cheesy Potato Gratin Stacks (Muffin Tin)
Ingredients
- Oil spray
- 1.2 kg / 2.4 lb starchy potatoes , large long ones (Note 1)
- 30g /2 tbsp butter , unsalted
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1/2 cup heavy / thickened cream
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 tsp dried)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 75g / 2.5 oz gruyere cheese sliced into 12 squares to fit into muffin tin (or other melting cheese, Note 2)
- 3/4 cup gruyere cheese (or other melting cheese), shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C (all oven types).
- Brush muffin tin with butter: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat then use what you need to lightly brush the muffin tin holes with butter. (Remaining butter is for the cream sauce)
- Cream sauce: Into the remaining butter, add garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add cream and salt then bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 seconds, then remove from stove and keep warm.
- Slice potato: Peel potatoes. Trim base so it stands upright. Then cut into cylinder shapes that fit the muffin tin. Cut into 2mm/ 1/10" slices using a mandolin or sharp knife.
- Assemble stacks: Place potato slices into the muffin tin so they go halfway up the muffin tin holes. Try to match by size to make them into neat stacks.
- Cream: Drizzle each potato stack with 1 tsp of cream mixture – use 1/2 of the mixture.
- Cheese slice: Top with cheese slice.
- Top with potato, cream then thyme: Top each stack with remaining potato slices so the height is about 1cm / 1/3" above the rim of the muffin tin (they sink once baked). Drizzle with remaining cream mixture and sprinkle with most of the thyme (reserve some for topping).
- Baked 40 minutes: Cover loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until potato is cooked through. A small sharp knife should go through without any resistance.
- Top with cheese, bake 10 minutes: Remove from oven, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake without foil for 10 minutes or until golden.
- Garnish with thyme: Sprinkle with remaining thyme.
- Stand 5 minutes then remove to serve. Use a tablespoon or butter knife to help scope them out. (Note 3)
- To Serve: Dinner – serve as a side. Finger food – serve warm as is. Breakfast – serve with eggs and bacon.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published September 2015. Updated November 2021 with improved recipe, new instructional photos and better video.
Life of Dozer
Happy to help with the washing up….!
This is how I deal with dishes on big recipe development days for the cookbook – pile them into tubs to keep them out of the way then do giant loads at a time. The amount of dirty pots and pans we generate on big cook days is pretty phenomenal…!!!
These look so good! Do you think I could make them in advance and freeze them? Would I freeze before or after baking? This would sure save time on Christmas day! Thank you!
Hi Mari – They are perfect to make ahead. All directions are in note 2 of the recipe ☺️
Hi Nagi! Can I line the muffin pans in aluminium foil or grease them in butter them if I don’t have oil spray?
Butter would be brilliant! 🙂 N x
Why does the video show a cube of butter but recipe only says 2tbs? Help want to do it right. Thanks
Did you get an answer? I’m curious too!
Hi Cindy and Ray! It’s just the shape of the butter I have cut from a big block of butter! It is 30g/2 tbsp 🙂 It must just be the shape that makes it look like more!
Great, thank you!!
Hi Nagi, I would like to make this recipe ahead but left uncooked and stored in the fridge before roasting. Would this be ok? Can’t wait to try it! 😍
Hi Emm! Unfortunately I don’t recommend that because the salt salt will drawn liquid from the potatoes 🙂 Best to bake then reheat!
Can you please answer Cindy’s question? Im also curious as to the quality of the butter. 2Tbls. or a stick like the video shows?
Gosh that’s not a stick in the video! 🙂 It’s just the way I have cut a piece from a big block. It is as per the recipe please – 2 tbsp!
Can you use red potatoes
That should be fine Sheila!
These were, as my husband said, “Quite fantastic!”
That’s so great to hear Marie! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x
I made these last night as a side dish for beef tenderloin and grilled asparagus and I have to say they were delicious. I used shredded gruyere cheese as that is my husbands favorite and he said these are now a must have on a regular basis! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
That’s great to hear Sharon! Thanks so much for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x ❤️
This recipe is impossible! Today I attempted to make these for a wedding shower that I’m having ar my home next week. Everything went as planned, the first batch came out of the oven looking perfect and smelled heavenly. I ate 3 to be sure they were ok. Hubby walked in and downed 4 before I could turn around. With a second batch in the oven. I ran out to get another muffin tin. I returned to find my son and daughter eating the second batch. I sent them out for more ingredients, they came back with hungry friends. The cable guy grabbed a few on his way out the door. Thank you Nagi for a fabulous recipe and maybe I’ll be able to sneak a few batches into the freezer if I’m quick.
Your family could be in a sitcom! That’s sooooooo funny!!!!😂
HI Nag, how far ahead can you make these if you don’t want to freeze them? Are they okay a day before?
Even 2 to 3 days is fine! 🙂 N x
How would you suggest freezing these? Would you freeze them covered or like blanched vegetables, uncovered on a tray?
Hi Judy! I let them cool then put them in an airtight container to freeze. Or even into ziplock bags!
Hi Nagi, i have been enjoying your recipes for quite sometime. Not only are you creative, but fun to read. These stacks are yummy. They have become a staple for Thanksgiving dinner with only one tweak. Instead of regular potatoes, i use white sweet potatoes which already are cylindrical and so i just have to slice them. Besides, they are white so my husband and brother had no idea they weren’t white potatoes.
Thank you for such a good recipe. Had my Irish family for corned beef and these potatoes were the star of the show! Everyone asked for the recipe and I sent them to your site. Don’t think i’ll Have a choice about making them again.
Really nice taste and very easy. Had these with the Beef and Guinness for St Patrick’s Day dinner. Will definitely make again.
Oooh what a pairing! 🙂 N x
I made these and they are delicious! I did have to cook them a little bit longer than the directions. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed this Kaila! N x
OK, Nagi! Here goes. I am making these for dinner tonight with the Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin for myself, my boyfriend who is a a die hard foodie, and Buddy Boo, our Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog. This could be the dinner that gets me a ring! If it doesn’t, nothing will. I’ll let you know…
Can you use sweet potatoes? I’m looking for a healthier option than regular potatoes.
Oooh yes! have you seen the sweet potato version of this recipe on my site? 🙂 N x
No, can you post it?? Sounds delish!!!
I made this the other night (with steak) and they were soooooo good. It’s a flexible recipe, too – you could tweak the cream sauce, spices/herbs, and add-ins (e.g., add bacon as others have mentioned). I didn’t sweat the cylindrical shape that much. Once it’s in your mouth, it’s delish regardless.
So pleased to hear that Ginger! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
Everything is better with bacon! I layered thick cut bacon on top and bottom and was simply heaven!
Thinking of serving these for an elegant holiday party. May add a dollop of creme fraiche and tiny bit of caviar. Too rich?
Amazing x a million!!!😍
How would you shift this recipe if you were going to do it as a large dish instead of muffin tins? I made them as tins and they were amazing, but now I want to make again for a larger party.
Hi Amanda! Make this potato dauphinoise which is the same thing -> https://promotown.info/julia-childs-potato-dauphinois-gratin-potato-bake/%3C/a%3E Then, let it cool and cut into squares, then brush with butter and sprinkle the squares with extra cheese and bake until the edges are golden!