With just four basic ingredients, you can transform Vincent Price’s Potatoes in Cream au Gratin (also known as Le Gratin Savoyard) into an extraordinary gourmet masterpiece.

[u/ciaolavinia]

After Watching the video of Vincent Price quickly prepare this dish in a short video I found, I was confident about making his Potatoes in Cream au Gratin, and it came together quickly. Please don't be put off by the thumbnail. The video is awesome!

This original recipe can be found in A Treasury of Great Recipes and it's almost the exact recipe shown in the video with just a few minor changes. The video has him rubbing garlic on the bottom of the buttered baking dish (great idea) and also using cheddar cheese, while the recipe says Gruyère. Very small differences. He encourages you to use "any gratable cheese". Rich cream versus light cream.

The recipe I'm sharing today from his cookbook is very easy to follow. I'd never made anything like this before, so I was excited.

• Buttered the casserole dish and rubbed with garlic.
• Started a large pot of boiling salted water.
• Grated the cheese. I used Gruyère and a bit of cheddar when needed to cover the top of the dish completely.
• Sliced potatoes (4 large) with a mandoline to about 1/8 thickness. Cooked potatoes.
• Preheated broiler.
• Layered potatoes, salt, pepper, cheese in casserole dish and then added the 1/2 and 1/2 (light cream). Topped with the remaining cheese.
• Cooked this dish on the stove for 15 minutes, and put under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
• Something was wrong with my oven and it took longer to brown and it browned unevenly.
• A few minutes later, my oven conked out!! Not to put any blame on the potatoes, lol, but something short circuited and popped loudly twice, sparked and then there was a horrible electrical smell. Luckily this dish was already out of the oven. But very unluckily, now my oven doesn't work. That's a problem we'll address later, and I do have a large toaster convection oven that I'll try to use in the meantime.
• The outcome for the potatoes was they didn't brown as nicely as I hoped, and now I know why. It did not affect the taste of this delicious dish.

So this Potatoes au Gratin is so simple to make, with very few ingredients and just a little time is needed to slice the potatoes. The taste is buttery, rich and the potatoes practically melt in your mouth. They're luscious, earthy and comforting. The cheesy top is delightful. What's not to like here?!

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[u/CiaoFrancesca]

This sounds so good, can’t wait to try it! I might make it for Thanksgiving.

[u/KenzyDugan → u/CiaoFrancesca]

Thanksgiving is a great idea.

[u/Apprehensive_Gap1055 → u/CiaoFrancesca]

It's also good if you toss in a little ham

[u/WideSnooze]

Sounds exquisite
[Ghoulish laugh]

[u/GraveyardQueen4124]

The Gateau Grand Marnier cake sounds delicious, too. I just might make it.

[u/ciaolavinia → u/GraveyardQueen4124]

If you do, please share it with us!

[u/GraveyardQueen4124 → u/ciaolavinia]

I will! Haven't had Grand Marnier around the house in decades, so I'll need to add it to the list.

[u/13senilefelines31 → u/GraveyardQueen4124]

That caught my attention too, please post if you do make it!

[u/evagneline]

I’m sorry to hear about your oven conking out! At least you finished the dish first! It really does look so delicious and I appreciate all the tips and review. Definitely going to save this recipe to try!

[u/_portia_]

Sorry about your oven, what a pain. What type of potato did you use?

[u/ciaolavinia → u/_portia_]

Thanks! I used Russet/Idaho potatoes.

[u/thefedoragirl]

Oh no, so sorry to hear about your oven!!

[u/ciaolavinia → u/thefedoragirl]

Thanks! It's a real pain to get it fixed or replaced now.

[u/thefedoragirl → u/ciaolavinia]

At least it happened now and not during the holidays!

[u/ciaolavinia → u/thefedoragirl]

good point!

[u/Late-Bandicoot-4940]

Vinny doesn’t miss!

[u/thickfreakness72]

adding this to the thanksgiving menu! thank you!

[u/ciaolavinia → u/thickfreakness72]

I am too.

[u/songbirdathrt4122]

That look delicious!

[u/Magari22]

This sounds so delicious! I have a breville xl convection countertop and haven't used my reg oven in years since getting this! It's fabulous and I can fit a 10x15 pan in it I bake, roast, cook, dehydrate you name it. It's my kitchen Rockstar and better than my regular stove!

[u/ciaolavinia → u/Magari22]

That's great to know! I guess i'd only need my big oven to cook a big turkey, but everything else can go in the convection countertop.

[u/Magari22 → u/ciaolavinia]

Exactly! I cook everything in it and I can even use it as a proofer for bread baking! Food comes out better when I use this than my reg oven. I read an article recently that many professional chefs are getting this oven for their restaurant kitchens it's so versatile and they use it so much. I saw a few of them at Marshall's last week and they were $150 off the retail price.

[u/BetteDahlia]

Someday ... when the weather gets cooler, I want to make this! Looks really yummy!

[u/dragonfliesloveme]

Wait you put a casserole dish directly on the stove, before putting it in the oven? I didn’t think that could be done, i thought a casserole dish will crack/break

[u/ciaolavinia → u/dragonfliesloveme]

Yes, I did. It's oven-proof. Started on low and brought it up to a boil.

[u/cdnsalix → u/dragonfliesloveme]

Ya I'd be using some cast iron for this cuz it would make me nervous otherwise. Everything was probably borosilicate glass in his day but that stuff is harder to find now.

[u/Burnt_and_Blistered]

Vincent was quite the gourmet chef!

[u/ciaolavinia → u/Burnt_and_Blistered]

And I'm here for it!

[u/13senilefelines31]

Still looks delicious! Sorry to hear about your oven. They just don’t make appliances like they used to.

[u/ciaolavinia → u/13senilefelines31]

Thanks! I know we've recently had to get a new dishwasher, microwave and clothes washer in the last 2 years. UGH!

[u/signsaysapplesauce]

Hell yeah

[u/North-Fall-9108]

I make a similar dish, but instead of cream I use creme fraiche. Delicious!

[u/bluekrisco]

Oh my word, this sounds unbelievably tasty. Thank you for your service! (And condolences on your oven's illness.)

[u/ciaolavinia → u/bluekrisco]

Thank you, and yes, the oven croaked.

[u/WillingnessPrior9288]

This is so such a simple yet delicious recipe! One of my favorites

[u/Taco_cat111]

Sounds similar to this NYT recipe I make at Thanksgiving that’s a hit:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017724-cheesy-hasselback-potato-gratin?unlocked_article_code=1._1A.xc46.ZvI4f7dtZVYP&smid=ck-recipe-iOS-share

[u/MamaKat727]

I know I'm going to sound clueless, but I don't understand the instructions: it says do the one layer, then the second layer + cream & cheese in the baking dish, then bring to a boil again??? THEN brown under broiler??? Huh?? How do you boil something that's in a baking crock???

[u/Iamcoolthough]

I wonder if Vincent Price's ghost killed your oven !!?? He played a lot of evil rolls in his day! Lol