Easy boulangère potatoes - a delicious layered potato side dish made with thinly sliced potatoes. Serve with lamb, roast chicken, or beef for a tasty dinner!
Layers of white potatoes are baked with onions, herbs (such as thyme or rosemary), and vegetable stock (you can use chicken stock too) until cooked and golden!
I often make these easy cheesy boulangère potatoes (pommes boulangère) instead of roast potatoes for Sunday lunch when we fancy something a bit different!
They're a lot like dauphinoise potatoes but cooked in stock rather than cream, making them healthier!
👩🍳 Love potatoes? Try my easy Parmentier potatoes too!
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✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
Here's why this is the best boulangère potatoes recipe!
- Easy potato side dish.
- Assemble the dish ahead of time.
- Easily doubled to feed a crowd.
- Freezer-friendly
What are boulangère potatoes?
Boulangère potatoes are a traditional French dish, made with sliced potatoes, onion, garlic, and stock.
The name comes from the French word for bakery “boulangerie”. Hundreds of years ago in rural areas of France, people did not tend to own their own ovens, so instead, they took their potato casserole dishes to the local baker who would cook them in the bakery bread oven for them.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Potatoes - use a floury white potato such as Maris Piper, Desirée, or King Edward.
- Onion - peeled and thinly sliced.
- Garlic - 2 cloves peeled and finely chopped.
- Butter - to cook the onions and garlic.
- Vegetable Stock - or use chicken broth or beef stock instead.
- Fresh Thyme - or swap for rosemary.
- Parmesan - not a traditional ingredients but adds loads of flavour.
🔪 How to make boulangère potatoes
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Peel and finely slice the potatoes with a sharp knife (or use a food processor with slicer attachment) to about 4mm thickness.
Two: Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onion, garlic, and thyme on a low - medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until soft.
Three: Place a layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish, season with salt and black pepper, and then follow with a layer of the onion mixture.
Four: Repeat the layers until all the potato and onion mix has been used up, making sure you finish with a top layer of potatoes (I get three layers of each in my baking dish). Pour over the vegetable stock.
Five: Sprinkle over the Parmesan and bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are golden and cooked through.
💭 Expert tips
Use a food processor with a slicer attachment to quickly slice your potatoes to the required thickness.
You can make the dish with unpeeled potatoes if you prefer.
Use an ovenproof dish that is roughly 20cm by 30cm.
Dot a little butter over the top of the dish before baking it in the oven, for an extra indulgent finish.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve these perfect boulangère potatoes as an alternative to roast potatoes for Sunday lunch. It goes really well with a leg of lamb!
They're also great with creme fraiche chicken, pork and chorizo stew, or slow cooker pork chops, with some nice green vegetables such as roasted tenderstem broccoli.
📖 Variations
- Swap the butter for olive oil and omit the Parmesan to make the dish vegan friendly.
- Add bay leaves to the onion mix for extra flavour. Remove the bay leaves before assembling the dish.
- Use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.
- Add chopped smoked bacon and cook it with the onions.
- Make extra cheesy boulangere potatoes and add more grated Parmesan and dot blue cheese over the top.
🥡 Storage
Store: Allow the cooked dish to cool, cover it in foil, and place it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: Place the dish in the microwave and cook until piping hot. Alternatively, put the dish back into a hot oven to warm through.
Freeze: Allow the potatoes to cool, then cover the dish with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the potatoes to defrost before reheating in a hot oven or microwave.
❓ Frequently asked questions
Boulangere potatoes are a great make-ahead potato side dish. Prepare and cook up to 24 hours ahead, then cool, cover, and refrigerate until you are ready to reheat.
Both dishes are made with thinly sliced potatoes and baked in the oven (au gratin). The main difference is that dauphinoise uses cream whereas Boulangère uses stock.
😋 More easy potato recipes
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Recipe
Easy Boulangère Potatoes
Ingredients
- 800 g White Potatoes
- 25 g Butter
- 1 Onion peeled and sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 300 ml Vegetable Stock
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 50 g Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c (160° fan/ Gas 4/ 350F) and lightly butter a 20 x 30cm baking dish.
- Peel and finely slice the potatoes with a sharp knife (or use a food processor with slicer attachment) to about 4mm thickness.800 g White Potatoes
- Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onion, garlic, and thyme on a low - medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until soft.25 g Butter, 1 Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves, 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
- Place a layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish, season with salt and black pepper, and then follow with a layer of the onion mixture.½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Repeat the layers until all the potato and onion mix has been used up, making sure you finish with a top layer of potatoes (I get three layers of each in my baking dish). Pour over the vegetable stock.300 ml Vegetable Stock
- Sprinkle over the Parmesan and bake in the oven for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are golden and cooked through.50 g Parmesan
Notes
- Swap the butter for olive oil and omit the Parmesan to make the dish vegan friendly.
- Add bay leaves to the onion mix for extra flavour. Remove the bay leaves before assembling the dish.
- Use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock.
- Add chopped smoked bacon and cook it with the onions.
- Make extra cheesy boulangere potatoes and add more grated Parmesan and dot blue cheese over the top.
Catherine
This reminds me of scalloped potatoes but so much easier without the cream sauce. Looks absolutely delicious and so elegant too!
Heather Johnson
wow - so delicious and not heavy - i'll be making this again and again!
Tavo
I made this recipe today and has it was a great side dish for my grilled tofu main dish!
Sara Welch
Enjoyed these with dinner last night and they were a hit all around the table! Easy and hearty; the best way to enjoy potatoes, indeed!
Michelle
Perfectly warm and comforting and so flavorful too!