Vegan Potatoes Au Gratin Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my au gratin potatoes watery? ›

If you used a pre-prepped potato from the refrigerator section instead of slicing your own, they can have preservatives that make them a bit watery. If you stored your potatoes in water to prevent discoloring, be sure to drain them well and pat them dry before adding to your casserole.

Scalloped potatoes also won't be as crispy in texture as au gratin. Both are golden brown and creamy, but if it's crispiness and crunchiness you're after, au gratin will probably be your best bet. Either one is sure to be a hit with your dinner guests, but it just depends on what sort of vibe you're going for!

Potatoes or rice can remain rock-hard after prolonged cooking. Starch will not swell if it is acidic. If you have a lot of sour cream in your scalloped potatoes or add something acidic, your potatoes may not soften. You can cook the potatoes with heavy cream or milk and then, after they soften, stir in sour cream.

The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven. Instead of simply layering grated cheese and milk or cream with the potatoes, you need to make a smooth cheese sauce.

If you find yourself faced with a soupy pan of potatoes, shake a few tablespoons of flakes into the sauce and mix them around with a fork or a small whisk. The flakes will soak up the extra liquid in a flash, and you can keep adding them until the sauce is at the proper thickness.

This is normal, but a step that many skip that can lead to trouble is not patting the potato slices dry completely. Any residual water that carries into the dish will affect the sauce, so it is crucial to fully drain your sliced potatoes and press them with paper towels until their surfaces are dry entirely.

The vessel best suited for most au gratin dishes is, simply enough, an au gratin pan. It can be round, oval or rectangular, and most commonly it is about an inch and a half deep. The material can be copper, stainless steel, enameled iron, aluminum, glass.

High heat will cause the milk to curdle. Use milk or cream with higher fat content. Whole milk, half-and-half, or cream and full-fat cheeses are necessary. Skim milk and reduced-fat products will not be your friend in this dish.

The phrase au gratin literally means "by grating" in French, or "with a crust," from the verb gratter, "to scrape, scratch, or grate."

Au gratin potatoes bake uncovered for 60 to 75 minutes.

You'll know they're done when a paring knife can be easily slipped into the center of the casserole and the top is browned and crisped. Cool the whole dish for at least 10 minutes before scooping and serving.

How do you fix watery gratin? ›

Try letting the dish rest for 10 minutes or so to let the water get absorbed and let the sauce thicken. Try cooking your recipe longer.

To thicken scalloped potatoes, keep cooking the sauce a minute or so longer than directed before adding the cheese. This will create a rich, extra-thick sauce. You can also use whole or 2% milk in place of the fat-free milk.

If you're here, you'll probably be glad to know that yes, you can peel and cut potatoes the day before you plan to serve them — and that it's super easy!

Culinary school taught me that leftovers should be eaten within two days, but if I cooked the meal, cooled the leftovers appropriately, and reheated appropriately: I'll eat leftovers for up to 5 days.

Surprisingly, aluminum foil is his secret weapon. After beautifully shingling the potatoes (he's got a genius trick for doing this quickly, too) he covers the dish in foil before hitting the oven.

Try letting the dish rest for 10 minutes or so to let the water get absorbed and let the sauce thicken. Try cooking your recipe longer.

Whisk a little cornstarch into the warm potatoes, only a teaspoon at a time, until the potatoes thicken to your liking. The potatoes must be warm. You can also use tapioca starch or potato starch, although most cooks are less likely to have those products on hand.

You can use what you have on hand: Flour, cornstarch, or powdered milk are all solid options that are probably already in your pantry. Potato flour and potato starch would work as well. Stir in the thickening agent gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, until the potatoes have reached your desired consistency.

It's probably just differences in the type of potato - some are wetter than others and it changes with the seasons. Do you cover it when you bake it? I would use double cream rather than milk if you want it thicker, or bake it for longer to burn off the liquid.