10 Comforting Cheesy Potato Recipes
If comfort food is what you seek, there's no better place to get it than in a cheesy potato recipe. Something about the combination of starchy spuds and gooey fromage speaks to our soul, no matter what season it is. And not only are these recipes ultra-satisfying to chow down on, but they're usually pretty simple to whip up as well.
What exactly is a cheesy potato recipe? As long as you have those two main components, it can fall under this umbrella. But most of these dishes are baked so the cheese has time to melt, the potatoes can get soft, and a nice, golden crust can form on top. The variables here include the type of spuds, fromage, spices, and herbs you use, and the thickness of the potato slices (or chunks).
To help you get started, we've rounded up 10 of our favorite recipes. Serve them as a side dish for a big celebratory meal, or just keep them in your back pocket for when you need some seriously cozy comfort food.
Potato gratín
First on our list is a classic cheesy potato casserole: potato gratin. It's the kind of simple recipe that only requires 15 minutes of prep time but will look (and sound) impressive when you serve it to your guests. The ingredient list includes all of the good ones that you'll find in comfort food: Thinly sliced spuds, grated Gruyere cheese, heavy cream, whole milk, and unsalted butter, plus flavorings like parsley, garlic, salt, and black pepper. The potatoes overlap each other in the pan, creating a warm, layered base for the white sauce and melted fromage.
Cheesy funeral potatoes
There's nothing sad about these cheesy funeral potatoes. In fact, the name is thought to come from how easy it is to whip this dish up — so simple, in fact, that it can be made quickly when someone passes away. However, you don't need to wait around for a funeral to make these spuds. Gather ingredients like cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and grated cheddar, which will form the base of your casserole, and top them with a mixture of crushed cornflakes and butter. The result is a goopy, starchy dish with a crunchy, golden layer on top.
Potatoes au gratin with Gruyere
While the previous recipe we discussed for potatoes au gratin is a classic, think of this as the shortcut version. It's still just as gooey, rich, and delicious, but with fewer ingredients and a shorter cooking time. You'll still need all the basics: Spuds sliced thin, milk, heavy cream, garlic, Gruyere cheese, salt, and pepper. But then you'll create two layers of potatoes and sauce in your pan, and pop everything in the oven for just 50 minutes max.
Cheesy hash brown casserole
If you want an excuse to eat gooey potatoes for breakfast, look no further than this cheesy hash brown casserole, which is inspired by Cracker Barrel's hash brown casserole. All you have to do is stir the ingredients together, dump them in a pan (sprinkling shredded cheddar on top), and toss them in the oven for 50 minutes — which leaves you free to go about your morning while your breakfast bakes. Use shortcut ingredients like (thawed) frozen shredded hash browns and one can of condensed cream of chicken soup to make this process even easier.
Old-fashioned scalloped potatoes
In general, potatoes au gratin contain cheese, while scalloped potatoes rely on a cream sauce for their richness. But while our scalloped potatoes recipe does cook up a delicious white sauce with yellow onion, butter, flour, vegetable stock, and whole milk, we also add layers of cheddar and parmesan. So while you'll still get thin rounds of spuds and a tasty side dish, this casserole is just a little more decadent than your average scalloped potatoes. And, after an hour and a half of cooking time, you'll end up with a bubbly, golden crust on top.
Sweet potato casserole with bacon
If you're a bigger fan of sweet potatoes than regular spuds, there's no reason you can't incorporate them into a cheesy recipe as well. This one is perfect for breakfast or holidays normally associated with sweet potato dishes, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Unlike many of the other recipes on this list, you'll want to dice your spuds instead of slicing them thin, since they'll be boiled and mashed. Then you'll douse them with a good healthy dose of butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, and pepper, and spread them in a baking pan under shredded Gruyere and crumbled bacon. The best part? Since everything is pre-cooked, this dish only requires 10 minutes in the oven.
Cajun potato casserole
As rich and satisfying as cheesy potato casseroles are, they don't always pack in the biggest flavor punch. So if a little more spice is what you're looking for, you'll want to try this Cajun potato casserole. You'll find all the usual culprits here (like butter, onion, and milk), but you'll also get plenty of Cajun spice and chopped andouille sausage. Plus, this dish breaks up the smoothness and creaminess of mashed spuds with texture in the form of meat and diced bell pepper. But in the end, the whole casserole is coated in a layer of shredded cheddar, so you still end up with that cheesy crust you're looking for.
Gruyere baked scalloped potatoes
This dish isn't reinventing the wheel, as it involves thinly sliced Yukon potatoes, a bechamel-like white sauce, and grated Gruyere cheese. But it does switch up the order of assembly so that the fromage is layered with the spuds and the cream sauce is poured over the top of the pan before baking. While the crust on top will still become golden, the liquid from the bechamel is able to seep into the whole dish from the top down, effectively soaking the potatoes.
And while parmesan and cheddar make an appearance in this list of recipes, there's a reason Gruyere is the go-to most of the time. It's creamy with nutty notes, which means it blends in with the other elements without taking center stage.
Creamy ham and potatoes au gratin
Make no mistake — this is another potatoes au gratin recipe, but this one comes with a twist. You'll saute sliced onions before tossing them into this dish, which adds a lovely sharp and sweet flavor. You'll also add Dijon mustard into the white sauce, which balances out the mildly flavored richness and creaminess. Then, you'll sprinkle diced, thick-cut smoked ham throughout your pan to add a nice smoky depth and a slight chewiness in each bite. Of course, the whole thing will still be finished off with a white sauce and grated Gruyere.
Ultimate twice-baked potatoes
If you'd like something other than a casserole for your cheesy potato comfort food, these ultimate twice-baked potatoes will fit the bill. Once you bake the spuds and scoop out their guts, you'll mix the insides with a savory combination of crumbled bacon, green onions, butter, sour cream, milk, and grated cheddar. Then after your potatoes are re-filled, they go back in the oven for about 20 more minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or until all that cheese gets nice and melty.