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 RecipePotatoes 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

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.

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.

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.

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
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
Recommended Equipment
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
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
- Smooth and Creamy Mashed Cauliflower and Potatoes
- Sheet Pan Salmon with Smashed Potatoes
- Guinness Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes with a Secret Ingredient
- Sheet Pan Ranch Pork and Potatoes
- Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes
- Lemon Thyme Chicken Dinner with Potatoes and Green Beans
- Creamy Homemade Mashed Potatoes
- BBQ Pork Potatoes in the Slow Cooker
- Roasted Potatoes Seasoned for Any Meal
- Potato Leek Skillet
- Sausage Potato and Kale Soup
- Country Ham Hash Breakfast
- Homemade French Fries in 20 Minutes

Photos from the boys


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!
It’s so fun to change things up and make it different, but still yummy. I hope she enjoys this version, too 🙂
OMG, I haven’t had potatoes au gratin for a while. Your recipe will be on my Holiday menu.
I hadn’t before making these, either. We used to make the boxed ones a lot when I was growing up as a side dish.
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
We did so much cooking and trying new things during the quarantine time here, too. I hope you and your family enjoy it!
Oh yum yum yum! I love au gratin potatoes! I have never made them so this is a great recipe to try!
This was my first time really making them from scratch. We had the boxed ones growing up a lot, but these had so much more flavor!
I love a good potato dish. This would be perfect for hosting family and friends.
Potatoes are my favorite! It would be a perfect side dish to any meal for a crowd.
This is lovely, I love making au gratin potatoes. Thanks so much for sharing, its great!
This looks amazing. I love Gratin potatoes but I haven’t had them in years! It’s time to ask the husband to try making some, I think.
I love potatoes au gratin, but haven’t made them in forever! I’m going to have to try out this recipe.
This sounds delicious. I am a huge fan of potatoes too, so I know I will love it!
Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes looks so delicious, I have never had this. I will surely try your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
This is awesome and it looks yummy. A new way to cook and eat potatoes and would love to try it.
Yummy! These look and sound amazing! Pinning for later!
I never would have thought to put miracle whip in a cooked potato dish. It’s rather interesting.
Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes looks so yummy! I hope I can make it soon. Maybe on weekends?
This looks so delicious. I will definitely save this recipe and make it this upcoming Holiday. Thanks for sharing!