This healthy Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes recipe is a clean-eating, savory, and easy upgrade to an old classic. Bake this savory side as a gluten-free accompaniment to your main protein. Perfect as a holiday side, too!
Okay, friends, let me be the first to introduce you to these next-level au gratin potatoes right here. I wanted to go all out with this au gratin potatoes recipe by adding additional yummy flavors to the cheesy potato goodness. I brought in the big guns: onion, bacon, and mushrooms
Yup. And it was goooood.
CAN I MAKE AU GRATIN POTATOES GLUTEN-FREE?
This recipe for Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes is already gluten-free. But, if you are new to the world of cooking without gluten, you should know to check your cheese before purchasing to make sure that there is no added wheat starch or modified food starch made from wheat.
Other things to look out for are the addition of barley or rye to the cheese making process. As long as you keep an eye out for those additions, you’ll be fine! Enjoy the yummy flavor of cheddar cheese used in my recipe, or try variations, like Gruyere.
HOW CAN I MAKE HEALTHY AU GRATIN POTATOES VEGAN?
It’s simple to make this healthy au gratin potato recipe into a vegan dish. Make this wholesome dish super creamy and vegan-friendly by using cauliflower cheese sauce instead of actual cheese. You’ll be adding fiber, vitamin C, and powerful antioxidants to your already nutritional dish!
Of course, there are lots of vegan cheeses out there, too. Explore tastes like cheddar, ricotta, mozzarella, gouda, and more any time you need to transform a cheese-related dish into vegan fare. If you are looking to make a dairy-free version of this savory side, use your vegan cheese option in this case as well.
You can also sub out the bacon for additional mushrooms to make this au gratin potatoes recipe vegan.
IS BACON CLEAN-EATING?
Yes, indeed, bacon can be classified as a clean-eating ingredient as long as there are no nitrates (look for celery salt as the preserving agent, for example) and no added sugar. Many pork producers are in-the-know and have begun to make their products gluten-free, without added nitrates, and without MSG.
Of course, eating bacon in moderation is always a wise choice when striving for a healthy lifestyle!
HEALTHY INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS FOR CHEESY AU GRATIN POTATOES
There are easy ingredient substitutes for Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes. I know sometimes there is a need to replace an item because of a health concern or a specific diet. Here is how to do it:
- Gluten-free: Double check the cheese you buy to verify that there are no wheat additives. As for the bacon, make sure there is no malt used in processing.
- Vegan/Non-dairy: Substitute vegan cheese or make a cauliflower “cheese” sauce. Replace bacon with addiitonal mushrooms.
- Keto: Replace the potatoes with cauliflower for a low-carb, fiber-rich option.
- Paleo: Replace the cheese with coconut cream and almond milk.
In the unlikely event you have any portions of this delicious baked classic left over, you can go ahead and store right in the same dish. Just be careful to wrap these healthy au gratin potatoes well with saran or foil until you reheat. To warm them up, place in a 350 degree oven, covered with foil. Check it in 20 minutes. If you want to freeze the leftovers, do so in an airtight dish and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.
What To Eat With Au Gratin Potatoes
Here's a list of my favorite recipes to eat with au gratin potatoes:
- Easy Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Garlic Roasted Pork Chops
- Roasted Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- Roast Beef
- Pan-Roasted Steak
LOOKING FOR MORE HEALTHY POTATO SIDES?
If you are wondering about healthy potato sides for your next special occasion (or for a weeknight dinner!), look no further. These easy clean-eating dishes are oh, so savory and sure to please every taste:
This tasty side also makes a great side dish for a Christmas ham so keep them in mind during the holidays!
Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes
Equipment
*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 3 medium russet potatoes, sliced between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick
- 8 cremini mushrooms, fienly diced
- ½ large yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 strips nitrate-free bacon, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup PLUS ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place potato slices in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 6 minutes. This will save significant time baking, as it will start to cook the potatoes. If you're wanting to line the potato slices into a neat domino format (as pictured above), do this before heating in the microwave. Lining them up makes for a better presentation, but is not necessary.
- Over medium-high heat, cook bacon for 3-5 minutes, or until it begins to sweat.
- Add onion and mushrooms and cook until tender.
- Add garlic and cook for one additional minute. Then, remove from heat.
- In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Mix in the chickpea flour, garlic powder, and sea salt, stirring constantly. Cook for one minute.
- Add the almond milk and stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring very frequently, until mixture has thickened.(To get even thicker, can add 1 tsp. arrowroot starch, though this is not necessary).
- Add in ¾ cups of the cheddar cheese, and stir until melted.
- Combine the onion-mushroom-bacon mixture with the cheese sauce.
- If you lined the potato slices like dominos, just pour the cheesy onion contents over the potatoes and then giggle the baking dish some to get it to settle in the crevices. If you'd prefer to just combine it all together and not worry about the slices being in an orderly fashion, just gently toss to combine, making sure to coat the potatoes as evenly as possible, and then pour into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 40-50 minutes, until potatoes are completely tender. Remove aluminum foil and bake, uncovered, for an additional 10-15 minutes until top is golden brown.
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.
austin
super yummy potatoes!
Lacey Baier
so yummy!! 🙂
Dustin
Love these. We should make them again and use a healthier twist.
Lacey Baier
Agreed! I've updated the recipe to make them clean and healthy!
BecBec
Hello! I would love to try making these for Christmas but am worried my one oven will not allow for it time wise... Could these be made in a slow cooker? Or do you think they would hold up well being made beforehand as reheated? I'd love your opinion!
Lacey Baier
I've never tried to make this recipe in a slow cooker before so I'm not sure. I think reheating would be fine, but I'd recommend reheating in the oven if you have the space to keep the same texture. If not, the microwaved version will still be tasty 🙂
Quay Po Cooks
That looks so delicious and and I love everything you put in it.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thank you! I agree: a lot of good stuff went into them 🙂
Juliana
Lacey I love potatoes...specially with bacon and lots of cheese...very comforting dish 🙂
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Hi, Juliana! Right? It's hard to go wrong with bacon, cheese AND potatoes.
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit
Yum...those look really good! I can remember the difference 'cause my dad always called the cheesy ones "old rotten potatoes." (au gratin)I love potatoes in pretty much any form.
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Haha! Love your dad's "old rotten potatoes." I think I will finally be able to remember the difference after writing this post 🙂
Tara
Those look so delicious!!
lacey - a sweet pea chef
Thanks, Tara! 🙂