Creamy Potato Bake with Cheese
Layers of potato in cream and cheese, baked until golden. The essential Australian side dish for every roast dinner and barbecue.
The Story Behind This Recipe
My mother's Sunday dinner essential - Jessica Taylor
In Australia, no roast dinner or barbecue spread is complete without a potato bake. It sits alongside the roasted meat, the salads, and the bread rolls - but it's often the first dish to disappear. My mum has been making this potato bake for Sunday dinners since the 1980s, and the recipe came from her mother, who got it from a Women's Weekly cookbook in the 1970s. It's been refined over decades, adjusted for family preferences, and perfected through repetition.
The beauty of a good potato bake is its simplicity - thinly sliced potatoes layered with cream, garlic, and cheese, then baked until the top is golden and crispy while the inside stays creamy and tender. It's comfort food at its finest, requiring no fancy techniques, just good ingredients and patience. "Anyone who says they don't like potato bake just hasn't had a good one," Mum always says. "Or they're lying."
Growing up, Sunday meant roast chicken or lamb, and Mum's potato bake was non-negotiable. She'd start it in the afternoon, the smell of garlic and cream filling the house while we did homework or watched TV. The hardest part was waiting - the potato bake needed at least an hour in the oven, and checking it too early meant disappointment. But when it emerged, bubbling and golden, with crispy cheese edges and that incredible smell, the wait was always worth it.
Mum is particular about her potato bake. The potatoes must be sliced evenly (she uses a mandoline), the cream must be real thickened cream (not milk, not cooking cream - "proper cream"), and the cheese must be tasty cheese, grated fresh. She layers it carefully - potatoes, seasoning, cream, cheese, repeat - and always adds extra cheese on top "for the crispy bits." The garlic is fresh, never from a jar, and she rubs the baking dish with a cut garlic clove before starting.
Every family gathering, someone asks if Mum brought the potato bake. When my brother got married, his wife's only request for the rehearsal dinner was "Can your mum make that potato bake?" When I moved into my first apartment, Mum gave me the recipe written on a card, along with her old mandoline. "You can't adult properly without knowing how to make a decent potato bake," she said.
This dish represents Australian family cooking - taking a simple combination of ingredients and turning it into something that brings people together. It's the side dish that steals the show, the recipe everyone asks for, and the smell that means Sunday dinner is almost ready. When I make it now for my own family, using Mum's mandoline and her handwritten recipe card, I feel connected to Sunday dinners past and the simple magic of potatoes, cream, and cheese done right.
"Every recipe tells a story, and every story brings us closer to the heart of home."
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Scaled Ingredients:
💡 Tip: Cooking times may need adjustment when scaling. Larger batches may take longer, smaller batches may cook faster.
Ingredients
Pro Tips
- • Slice potatoes evenly for uniform cooking - a mandoline is worth the investment.
- • Don't skip patting the potatoes dry - wet potatoes make watery bake.
- • Use proper thickened cream, not cooking cream or milk - the fat content is essential.
- • Covering with foil for the first part of cooking prevents the top burning before the potatoes cook.
- • Let it rest for 10 minutes after baking - it sets up and makes serving neater.
- • Make ahead: assemble in the morning, refrigerate, and bake when needed (add 10 minutes to cooking time).
- • Leftovers reheat beautifully - cover with foil and heat at 160°C for 20 minutes.
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with foil in a 160°C oven for 20-25 minutes. Freezes okay but texture changes - best fresh.
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Cut one garlic clove in half and rub it all over the inside of a large baking dish (about 23cm x 33cm or 3-litre capacity). This infuses the dish with garlic flavor. Then butter the dish generously.
- 2
Peel the potatoes and slice them very thinly - about 3-4mm thick. A mandoline makes this easy and ensures even slices, which means even cooking. If using a knife, take your time and make them as uniform as possible. Place sliced potatoes in cold water to prevent browning while you work.
- 3
In a jug or bowl, combine the cream, milk, and the second garlic clove (crushed or finely minced). Add half the grated cheese (reserve the other half for layering and topping). Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg if using. Whisk together well.
3 minutes - 4
Drain and pat dry the potato slices with a clean tea towel. This is important - excess water makes the bake watery. Dry potatoes = creamy bake.
- 5
Create the first layer: Arrange about one-third of the potato slices in the bottom of the prepared dish, overlapping them slightly in a neat pattern. Mum always does concentric circles or neat rows - it looks better and cooks more evenly.
- 6
Season this layer lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over some of the reserved grated cheese. If using thyme, scatter some leaves over this layer. Pour about one-third of the cream mixture over the potatoes, ensuring it seeps between the layers.
- 7
Repeat the layering process twice more: potato slices, seasoning, cheese, thyme, cream. You should have three layers in total. The final layer of potatoes should be arranged neatly as this will be the top - overlapping circles look particularly good.
- 8
Pour any remaining cream mixture over the top layer. Press down gently with a spatula to help the cream penetrate all the layers. The cream should almost reach the top of the potatoes but not cover them completely.
- 9
Scatter the remaining cheese generously over the top. This creates that golden, crispy cheese crust that everyone fights over. Dot with a little extra butter if you're feeling indulgent.
- 10
Cover the dish tightly with foil - this is crucial for the first part of cooking. It traps steam and helps the potatoes cook through without the top burning. Place in the oven.
- 11
Bake covered for 45 minutes. The potatoes should be starting to soften. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes uncovered, until the top is golden brown and crispy, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
1 hour 15 minutes - 12
The potato bake is done when it's bubbling around the edges, the top is gloriously golden, and a knife slides easily through all the layers. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving - this lets it set slightly and makes serving easier.
10 minutes - 13
Serve hot, cutting into generous squares. The bottom layers should be creamy and soft, the top should be golden and crispy. Mum always serves this alongside roast meat, but it's substantial enough to be a main dish with a green salad.
Ingredient Substitutions
Nutrition Information
Per serving (approximate)
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