Creamy au gratin potatoes garnished with parsley leaves in a round brown and tan bowl next to a brown and white towel with a plate of food behind all on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes with a Secret Ingredient

My secret ingredient for Au Gratin potatoes is a bit of Miracle Whip. It adds a bit of tang to the potatoes while keeping them creamy.

Jump to Recipe

Potatoes have always been a favorite of mine. In high school, when I got home from school, I would often make a package of instant mashed potatoes. Au Gratin potatoes are delicious, but we didn’t have them very often. Or, if we did, it was a boxed package. Now, don’t get me wrong, those are good, but not as good as homemade.

When I set out to make my own au gratin potatoes, I used my potato salad recipe as a starter. That’s one of the few things I use Miracle Whip in, and I like the tang it adds. I knew I wanted to do the same with these potatoes.

Oh, and they had to be cheesy (of course), and creamy. In other words, I wanted the perfect au gratin potato recipe. For the first try, I got really close to what I was looking for! After a bit of tweaking and remaking, I ended up with this amazing recipe.

Au Gratin potatoes are perfect as a side to turkey for your holiday meals. It’s something different than regular mashed potatoes since this is a special meal.

Au Gratin Potatoes Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Miracle Whip Dressing
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
  • 3 lb russet potatoes (peeled)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp parsley
Ingredients for au gratin potatoes in stainless steel bowls on a wooden surface

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with oil.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the miracle whip, salt, and pepper. Stir in the cheddar cheese.

Miracle whip, salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese mixed together in a stainless steel bowl on a wooden surface

Cut the potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices. I found that my mandolin slicer was perfect for this. The slices were all the same size and it made the job quick and easy. Arrange half of the slices in the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer.

Sliced potatoes in a glass baking dish on a wooden surface

Spread half of the miracle whip mixture over the potatoes.

Sliced potatoes covered with miracle whip mixture in a glass baking dish on a wooden surface

Place remaining potatoes on miracle whip. Top with remaining miracle whip mixture. Pour heavy whipping cream over everything.

Sliced potatoes covered with miracle whip mixture and cream in a glass baking dish on a wooden surface

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, until potatoes are tender. Uncover the baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Sliced potatoes covered with miracle whip mixture, cream, and parmesan cheese in a glass baking dish on a wooden surface

Broil for 2 minutes until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes and garnish with parsley.

Creamy au gratin potatoes garnished with parsley leaves in a round brown and tan bowl next to a brown and white towel with a plate of food behind all on a wooden surface

Au Gratin Potatoes Leftovers

Storage: Store leftover au gratin potatoes in the refrigerator.

Reheating: To reheat, place back in the oven until warm. Or you can heat in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often.

Recipe

Originally Published On: November 2, 2020

Last Updated On: June 30, 2023

Creamy au gratin potatoes garnished with parsley leaves in a round brown and tan bowl next to a brown and white towel with a plate of food behind all on a wooden surface

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

My secret ingredient for Au Gratin potatoes is a bit of Miracle Whip. It adds a bit of tang to the potatoes while keeping them creamy.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Standing Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course:
Appetizer
|
Side Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
au gratin potatoes
|
miracle whip
|
potatoes
Dietary Needs:
Egg-Free
|
Gluten-Free
|
Nut-Free
Servings: 6
5 from 7 votes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Miracle Whip Dressing
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
  • 3 lb russet potatoes (peeled)
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350F
  • Coat a 9×13 baking dish with oil
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the miracle whip, salt, and pepper
  • Stir in the cheddar cheese
  • Cut the potatoes into 1/8 inch thick slices
  • Arrange half of the slices in the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer
  • Spread half of the miracle whip mixture over the potatoes
  • Place remaining potatoes on miracle whip
  • Top with remaining miracle whip mixture
  • Pour heavy whipping cream over everything
  • Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, until potatoes are tender
  • Uncover the baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan cheese
  • Broil for 2 minutes until cheese is lightly browned
  • Let stand for 10 minutes and garnish with parsley
Click the buttons below to share and print this recipe
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 531 Calories from Fat 315
% Daily Value*
Fat 35g54%
Saturated Fat 21g105%
Cholesterol 124mg41%
Sodium 744mg31%
Potassium 1025mg29%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 1372IU27%
Vitamin C 14mg17%
Calcium 215mg22%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Other Potato Recipes to try

Photos from the boys

Side shot of ingredients
Tyler’s attempt at an ingredients shot for me.
Side shot of ingredients
I think Ryan was more interested in photographing their cups and the aerogardens!

20 thoughts on “Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes with a Secret Ingredient”

  1. I love secret ingredient recipes 🙂 And this looks delicious! My mother in law makes a similar recipe, I’ll share your secret with her for brownie points lol!

  2. Oh my gosh this looks so dreamy. this is a fav dish or ours and so will deffo give this recipe a go during lockdown x

  3. 5 stars
    This looks so delicious. I will definitely save this recipe and make it this upcoming Holiday. Thanks for sharing!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating