Julia Child's Secret to the Best Potato Casserole on Planet Earth

It has the richness of potatoes au gratin but is so much easier to make.

I live in the midwest. That means a meal is not complete without a potato dish of some sort. My default is often roasted Yukon Gold potatoes simply because I can make them with my eyes closed. While roasted potatoes are my go-to, sometimes I want my potatoes to feel a little more fancy. I need a “wow” dish that I can bring to the table that has my guests clapping at the sight. 

I also don’t want it to be super complicated. There’s no way I’m julienning a bunch of potatoes or making a laborious sauce. Luckily, Julia Child always saves the day. Hold your applause (or don’t) because Julia’s shredded potato gratin is the fancy-ish potato dish you need in your life.

What Is a Shredded Potato Gratin?

This dish, straight from the pages of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, is a beautiful combination of potatoes au gratin and rösti. Like rösti, the potatoes are peeled and coarsely grated. Then, like potatoes au gratin, the potatoes are baked in a luxurious sauce made with onion, cheese, eggs, cream, and the herbs of your choice. After 30 minutes in the oven, you’ve got a beautiful dish that tastes as good as it looks and smells.

How To Make Julia's Shredded Potato Gratin

You make the sauce first, and luckily it’s easy. Sauté onions briefly in butter and extra-virgin olive oil before adding them to a mixture of eggs, cream, parsley (or other herbs), salt, and Swiss cheese. 

Next, you’ll peel the potatoes and coarsely grate them. I used my food processor to help get the job done quickly. Add the potatoes to the egg mixture and then pour everything into a skillet or baking dish. Dot the top with butter and bake until the top is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

I barely had the patience to let the potatoes cool down before trying them. The smell coming from my oven had me anxiously monitoring the few last minutes of baking. I think at one point I even muttered, “hurry up!” That’s how delicious they smelled. I took one semi-cooled-off bite and fell in love. 

This dish is all of the things that are good about cooking. Simple ingredients cooked together in a way that yields amazing results. The potatoes were tender and perfectly complemented by the garlic and onions. The crispy edge pieces are caramelized goodness and might be my favorite part.

Tips for Making These Potatoes

Julia’s recipe is perfectly written, but a few things might help with your success. First, get organized. You’ll have to sauté onions before adding them to the sauce. You can get them started right away. Keep the heat low and stir them occasionally so they don’t brown. 

As for the other sauce ingredients, have them prepped and ready to go before you start making the recipe. This will make it easier to just grab and dump. I found that my potatoes needed a bit more than a quarter teaspoon of salt, so I scattered another quarter teaspoon across the top before serving. I also wanted my potatoes a little more golden, so I kept them in the oven for 40 minutes total.

How I Serve Julia’s Shredded Potato Gratin

I must admit, I would be tempted just to fill my plate with these potatoes and nothing else, but I know “balance” is important. That’s why I recommend serving these potatoes alongside roasted chicken, sauteed pork chops, or baked salmon. Add a big green salad as a simple vegetable side and dinner is served!

Julia’s Shredded Potato Gratin Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Sauté 1/2 cup minced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat for 5 minutes or so, until tender but not browned.
3. Beat 4 large eggs in a mixing bowl with 1/2 clove crushed garlic, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, 2/3 cup (3 ounces) grated Swiss cheese, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, a pinch of black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt.
4. Stir the softened onions into the egg mixture.
5. Peel 3 medium russet potatoes and grate them on the large holes of a box grater. A handful at a time, squeeze out any excess water from the potatoes. Stir the potatoes into the egg mixture.
6. Place 2 tablespoons butter in an 11- to 12-inch baking dish or skillet and put the dish in the oven until the butter is melted. Pour the potato-egg mixture into the baking dish and dot with a final 1/2 tablespoon butter cut into pea-sized pieces.
7. Set the baking dish in the upper third of the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.