Cheesy Hasselback potato gratin from The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science (page 469) by J. Kenji López-Alt

Ingredients

thyme
potatoes
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Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

emilee_c2k10x on April 07, 2026

This is my favorite au gratin potatoes recipe. I make it for every holiday dinner with my family and the dish is always scraped clean.
Potawatomus on April 05, 2026

This was really good but so labor intensive.
patti_cosfzx on April 05, 2026

Delicious but be careful not to overstuff the pan! I think I did this and therefore the potatoes were a bit dry as they soaked up much of the sauce. Will try again.
simone_lu3llo on March 05, 2026

Potatoes did not cook all the way through.
kbrooks on May 21, 2025

Admittedly takes time and effort, but so worth it if you have the time and a mandoline. The crunchy edges and creamy interior with the lovely combination of flavors ...wonderful. Not to mention the beautiful presentation of the finished dish. Company worthy.
FromScratch on February 01, 2025

Prep on this takes at least an hour, plus 1½ hours to cook
luluinphilly on November 25, 2022

Well, this is wonderful. It was easy to make with a mandoline and quite impressive ! The stacked -on- end potatoes lead to delightful crunchy bits as well as softer pockets filled with cheese & cream. Yum. I made it both times with Yukon gold potatoes and the bake time was spot on .
bernalgirl on November 24, 2022

Without a doubt the most perfect potato gratin, with a few adjustments. I added 1/2 teaspoon of espelette chile and 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce for some umami, and baked it with the foil on for 50 minutes instead of 30. It was perfectly tender, flavorful, and wonderfully crispy on top with 1.5 hours of total cooking time. My new standard for a potato gratin.
jenmacgregor18 on December 29, 2021

We liked this so much better than our usual scalloped potatoes. I will be using this for our future holiday meals. I swapped oregano for thyme. And I also had to use a smaller baking dish. I ended up with a 2 qt dish for 3 1/2 # of potatoes.
Rinshin on December 28, 2021

Has a wonderful taste but with plenty of cream and cheese I am not surprised. Made a half a recipe so originally buttered a 2 qt square pan but 1 and 2/3 lb potato slices were not even 2/3 to 3/4 filled so had to use a smaller round baking dish. May need to adjust your baking dish with this recipe. Some reviews indicated potatoes were not quite done, so I adjusted. 40 min covered, 30 min uncovered, and after sprinkling the remaining cheese, 25 min covered. It was perfectly cooked and loved the texture and taste. This had some crunchiness but not excessive. Even using a half recipe, this was enough for 5 normal servings instead of 2-3. A repeat for sure and photo added.
bskj123 on February 10, 2021

4/5. I liked this but didn't love it and am not sure it's worth the extra hassle.
debkellie on February 12, 2017

A nice crunchy top as Jojobuch says; and needed longer as tasteslike says.. I subbed in 1.5 cups buttermilk as I was short on cream.. so almost "healthy".. nice side.
consortiumlibrary on December 31, 2016

Wonderful flavor & easier to make than it looks. Used fontina and parmigiano reggiano for 2 cheeses. Otherwise, followed recipe exactly (cut potatoes to specified size with mandoline and used specified size copper gratin dish). Unfortunately, the potatoes weren't cooked all the way through (discovered only when served). This needed another 30 minutes (add time while potatoes are still foil covered). First Food Lab recipe that wasn't perfect. Will make again and cook longer.
Jojobuch on August 06, 2016

Very tasty! Used double cream in the UK, you can probably get away with single cream though. Stacking vertically gives a really nice crunch across the top of the dish.