Enjoy this creamy, cheesy potato bake layered with onion and garlic that will have everyone fighting to be the first to dig in! Serve up a big batch at your next BBQ for guaranteed smiles.
Why We Love This
This easy cheesy potato bake or potato casserole is our go-to side dish for family gatherings and BBQs. It’s always a hit and there are almost never any leftovers.
It’s the kind of side dish you can prep before everyone gets there, and have cooking in the background while everything else is going on. That’s our kind of cooking!
Related: Cauliflower Cheese / Spinach & Feta Triangles / Tuna Mornay
Microwave to save time!
Need a potato bake but don’t have over an hour for it to cook? While your oven is pre-heating, pop the potato bake in the microwave on high for 10-15 minutes. This will help soften up the potatoes slightly to par-cook them, so you can reduce the time in the oven to just 30-45 minutes!
What is Aussie style Potato Bake?
Australian potato bake or potato casserole is one dish you’ll usually find alongside freshly grilled snags and lamb chops at a family BBQ. Depending on where you’re from, there are many variations of this classic potato dish.
You may have seen it called potatoes au gratin, the traditional French name for a dish consisting of sliced potatoes covered in cheese and breadcrumbs, which is baked until the top is golden brown. With origins in the Dauphiné region of southern France, where it’s also known as potatoes dauphinoise.
Scalloped potatoes is another variation where the origins may be from England. These days, whatever name you know it by, it’s just as popular across Australia, Europe and beyond.
What You’ll Need
- Potatoes – Floury / starchy potatoes are the best choice to give you that lovely soft and fluffy texture once baked. Great options are desiree or sebago (aka brushed potatoes in Australia) or Yukon Gold (America). Though when we make this at home, we’ll use any potatoes we have on hand and still get a yummy result. Try to avoid waxy potatoes if you can, as you’ll be waiting forever for them to soften in the oven. Sub with half sweet potato or all sweet potato.
- Cream – We use thickened cream / heavy cream to give the dish a lovely creamy texture. Sub with sour cream or leftover white sauce if you have some on hand. Traditional potatoes au gratin uses milk, so you can use that in a pinch, although the texture of the finished bake will be a bit looser.
- Cheese – Shredded cheddar cheese (known as tasty cheese in Australia) is the best choice. It has a lovely sharp flavour and turns the topping that magic golden brown colour you know and love on potato bake! If you’re feeling extra naughty, throw in a handful of parmesan cheese.
- Garlic & Onion – We love using fresh garlic and onion here. Sub with garlic powder and onion powder for a shortcut if you don’t feel like chopping the real stuff.
How to make Potato Bake:
First, gather your ingredients! See recipe card below for full measurements.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 360°F.
- In a large baking dish, line and layer half the potato slices.
- Sprinkle half the chopped garlic and onion slices over the top then give a generous crack of salt and pepper over the top. Evenly pour over half the cream.
- Now repeat the steps, layering the remaining potato slices and sprinkling over the remaining garlic and onion on top. Pour over the remaining cream, then top with the shredded cheese. Garnish with an extra crack of salt and pepper if you like.
- Pop it in the oven and bake for around 1 – 1.5 hours. If your oven browns your cheesy top quickly, add a layer of aluminium foil over the top. Test with a fork or chopstick and remove from the oven when potato is soft.
- Top tip: If you’re dishing this up alongside a bbq, and the meat isn’t quite ready, top with aluminium foil to stop it over cooking and drying out then switch the oven to off or “keep warm” until everything is ready to be dished up.
Wandercook’s Tips
- Cover with Foil – Covering the tray with foil for the first part of baking will help to steam and soften the potatoes more quickly. Taking it off after that will ensure a deliciously golden cheesy topping.
- Baking Dish – A large, shallow baking dish works best to ensure you maximise your cheesy topping.
- Double the Recipe – If you’re feeding a crowd, double the recipe and make a huge batch!
- Use a Mandoline Slicer – These will give you even, thin slices that will help everything cook through. It will also you loads of time!
- Storage – Leftover potato bake will last around 3-5 days in the fridge (although with our hungry families, there’s hardly ever any leftovers to be found!).
FAQs
If you’ve used waxy potatoes instead of starchy potatoes, don’t stress! You’ll still end up with a delicious potato bake, you just may need to cook it for longer to reach the soft and fluffy texture you’re looking for. Cover with foil to stop the cheesy topping from browning too fast, then remove towards the end to brown it up perfectly once the potatoes are close to being cooked through.
We love it alongside BBQ sausages, rissoles steak or cevapi with a refreshing side salad of tomato and cucumber shopska. It’s delicious alongside a serving of curried sausages.
Yes, you can freeze potato bake for up to a couple of weeks. We recommend separating leftovers into small portions to make them easier to reheat later. Always store in an airtight container.
Allow refrigerated potato bake to come up to temperature first before reheating. If frozen, allow enough time to fully defrost on the bench and come up to temperature. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until heated through. You can also use a microwave to reheat (in short bursts) until warmed through – the texture won’t be quite the same but the speed makes up for it!
Leftover potato bake is actually super adaptable. Mash it up and form into fried patties or potato pancakes. Use as a topping on shepherd’s pie or moussaka. Or for something a little bit fancier, use a piping bag to turn them into duchess potatoes.
Variations
- Cheese – Switch out half of the regular cheddar cheese for something extra fancy, like camembert or gruyère. Or add sharpness with aged cheddar or parmesan!
- Herbs – Layer a small handful of fresh dill, chives or thyme through the potato slices or over the top before baking.
- Garnish – Top with a sprinkling of thinly sliced spring onion or fried shallots.
- Extra Flavour Variations – Think about adding extras like bacon bits, chicken stock or smoked paprika.
- Make it Spicy – Stir a little cayenne, tabasco or shichimi togarashi through the cream for a subtle spicy zing.
Serve it up along these Aussie BBQ favourites:
- Quick & Creamy Spinach Cob Loaf Dip
- Super Creamy Cauliflower Cheese
- Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake
- 5 Ingredient Australian Damper Recipe
- Australian Beef Party Pies (Mini Meat Pies)
- Easy Australian Pavlova Recipe
★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5-6 potatoes sliced thinly, around 1 kg / 2 lbs, starchy potatoes are best
- 1 onion sliced in thin half moons
- 2 garlic chopped finely
- 300 g thickened cream heavy cream or whipping cream is best, sub sour cream
- 2 cups tasty cheese grated or shredded pizza cheese mix works well
- Salt and pepper to taste, between each layer
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 360°F.
- In a large baking dish, line and layer half the potato slices.5-6 potatoes
- Sprinkle half the chopped garlic and onion slices over the top then give a generous crack of salt and pepper over the top. Evenly pour over half the cream.1 onion, 2 garlic, 300 g thickened cream, Salt and pepper
- Now repeat the steps, layering the remaining potato slices and sprinkling over the remaining garlic and onion on top. Pour over the remaining cream, then top with the shredded cheese. . Garnish with an extra crack of salt and pepper if you like.1 onion, 2 garlic, 300 g thickened cream, 2 cups tasty cheese, Salt and pepper
- Pop it in the oven and bake for around 1 – 1.5 hours. If your oven browns your cheesy top quickly, add a layer of aluminium foil over the top. Test with a fork or chopstick and remove from the oven when potato is soft.
- Top tip: If you’re dishing this up alongside a bbq, and the meat isn’t quite ready, top with aluminium foil to stop it over cooking and drying out then switch the oven to off or “keep warm” until everything is ready to be dished up.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Cover with Foil – Covering the tray with foil for the first part of baking will help to steam and soften the potatoes more quickly. Taking it off after that will ensure a deliciously golden cheesy topping.
- Baking Dish – A large, shallow baking dish works best to ensure you maximise your cheesy topping.
- Double the Recipe – If you’re feeding a crowd, double the recipe and make a huge batch!
- Use a Mandoline Slicer – These will give you even, thin slices that will help everything cook through. It will also you loads of time!
- Storage – Leftover potato bake will last around 3-5 days in the fridge (although with our hungry families, there’s hardly ever any leftovers to be found!).
- Cheese – Switch out half of the regular cheddar cheese for something extra fancy, like camembert or gruyère. Or add sharpness with aged cheddar or parmesan!
- Herbs – Layer a small handful of fresh dill, chives or thyme through the potato slices or over the top before baking.
- Garnish – Top with a sprinkling of thinly sliced spring onion or fried shallots.
- Extra Flavour Variations – Think about adding extras like bacon bits, chicken stock or smoked paprika.
- Make it Spicy – Stir a little cayenne, tabasco or shichimi togarashi through the cream for a subtle spicy zing.
Nutrition
44 Comments
Tony
21/01/2024 at 3:54 pmThis is delicious, family and friends love this recipe!
Wandercooks
21/01/2024 at 3:56 pmThat’s so good to hear Tony! Always good to make a batch to share with everyone. 😁
Sandy Harrison
20/01/2024 at 6:23 amAbsolutely delicious! Creamy, tender potatoes with so much flavor. Definitely must make them again.
Wandercooks
21/01/2024 at 4:04 pmYay! They’re one of our go to dishes as well. Hope you had them with the rissoles – they’re a match made in heaven haha. Or any BBQ meats really!
Jan
04/01/2024 at 11:23 amDidn’t have cream so substituted 150ml chicken stock, 150ml milk and 2 tbs sour cream. Worked a treat. Easy, tasty and satisfying ⭐️
Wandercooks
08/01/2024 at 10:45 amYes! Awesome work on the subs Jan, so glad that worked for you. Great job and happy cooking!
Laura
30/12/2023 at 3:36 pmLooks amazing! Going to make this for NY eve but how many is this recipe for? How much longer will the cooking be if I double up?
Wandercooks
31/12/2023 at 12:28 pmAwesome Laura! It’s a decent size, it usually feeds 6-8 as side portions. If you’re doubling the recipe, you may need an extra 20-30 minutes or so – but also depends on your oven or thickness of your potatoes. A good test is to use a skewer and once it pierces through nice and easy you should be set!
David
27/12/2023 at 2:01 pmCooked this for Christmas lunch. Amazing outcome for such a simple recipe.
Wandercooks
27/12/2023 at 3:45 pmSo good to hear David, hope you had a wonderful Christmas! 🙂
Jack
28/11/2023 at 11:12 pmA perfect recipe for the family. many attempts to get it perfect but it has made a difference to ordinary pasta bake on Monday’s.
Wandercooks
30/11/2023 at 10:47 amThat’s awesome Jack, so glad you’ve perfected it – enjoy every bite!