These adorable Potato Gratin Stacks are the je ne sais quoi your Friendsgiving or Frenchmas party needs. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes baked with cream, garlic, cheese, and thyme—it’s the perfect blend of crispy edges and creamy indulgence. Bonus: serving them in muffin-sized portions makes them easy, elegant, and perfect for any gathering. Whether you’re pairing them with fondue or a holiday roast, these stacks are guaranteed to steal the spotlight.

Au Gratin Potato Stacks

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Ingredients

For the Stacks:

• ▢ Oil spray for greasing the muffin tin
• ▢ 2.5 lbs starchy potatoes large and long
• ▢ 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves finely minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves or 3/4 tsp dried
• ▢ 1/2 tsp salt
• ▢ Black pepper to taste

For the Cheese Layers:

• ▢ 2.5 oz Gruyère cheese sliced into 12 squares to fit the muffin tin
• ▢ 3/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese or any good melting cheese

Instructions

Preheat the Oven

• Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Prepare Muffin Tin

• Lightly spray a 12-hole muffin tin with oil spray.

Make the Cream Sauce

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 20 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the heavy cream and salt, bringing it to a simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare Potatoes

• Peel the potatoes, trim the bottoms to make them stable, and cut them into cylinders that fit your muffin tin. Slice them thinly (about 1/10 inch thick).

Assemble the First Layer

• Place potato slices in each muffin tin hole, layering them halfway up. Add a teaspoon of the cream sauce over each stack and top with a square of sliced Gruyère cheese.

Assemble the Second Layer

• Add more potato slices to each stack, piling them about 1/3 inch above the rim of the muffin tin. Drizzle the remaining cream sauce over the stacks and sprinkle with most of the thyme leaves (save a little for garnish).

Bake Covered

• Cover the muffin tin loosely with foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

Add Shredded Cheese and Finish Baking

• Remove the foil, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of each stack, and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until the tops are golden and bubbly.

Garnish and Serve

• Sprinkle the remaining thyme leaves over the stacks. Let them cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing from the muffin tin with a spoon or butter knife.