Pancetta and gruyere potato gratin
The freezer-friendly decadent potato side
What’s better than a bubbling, cheesy potato gratin? One you made earlier and can pull out of the freezer when you absolutely cannot be bothered to cook.
This pancetta and Gruyère potato gratin is exactly the kind of recipe I wanted more of in my freezer. I’m talking proper homemade food, loads of flavour and absolutely no need to start peeling potatoes when you’ve already had a long day. We want ease, we want less washing up and we want DELICIOUS FOOD.
More about this beauty…
Thinly sliced potatoes get layered up with crispy pancetta, Parmesan and Gruyère, then drowned in a ridiculously good cream infused with thyme, garlic, bay and nutmeg. It’s indulgent, comforting and the sort of potato side dish that you’ll continually keep stocked in your freezer for all occasions.
An exclusive from my new batch cookbook
This recipe is a little sneak peek from my brand-new book, Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Batch Cookbook.
I wrote this book because I wanted homemade food without the daily faff that comes with making everything from scratch. Especially now that life is busier since welcoming my baby. I don’t want to spend every evening peeling potatoes (as much as I love potatoes, chopping veg and creating a mountain of washing-up. I want to open the freezer and think, oh that looks good!
That’s the whole idea behind batch cooking: put in a little more effort once and eat well all week.
FAQs
Can I freeze potato gratin?
Absolutely. That’s literally the whole point of this recipe tbh. Let the cooked gratin cool completely, then wrap it tightly in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months.
How do I reheat it from frozen?
For the best result, defrost it fully in the fridge overnight, then cook according to the recipe instructions until piping hot. Short on time? You can also cook it directly from frozen. Pop it into a preheated oven at 170°C fan/190°C for around 50 minutes, or until piping hot throughout.
Can I make one big gratin instead?
Yep! The recipe uses two 20cm x 15cm baking dishes, which makes it handy for batch cooking and freezing, but you can absolutely use one larger baking dish instead.
What can I serve potato gratin with?
Pretty much anything that needs a very good potato side. Roast chicken, steak, sausages, a Sunday roast or honestly, just eat it straight from the dish with a fork. I’m not here to judge and I have done that already tbh.
How long does it last in the freezer?
It’ll keep for up to 3 months when wrapped tightly and frozen properly.
Where can I find more batch recipes?
This recipe is just a little taster of what’s inside Poppy Cooks: The Actually Delicious Batch Cookbook.
The book is packed with recipes for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, sides and sweet treats, all designed to make homemade food easier when life is busy. Because I don’t think the answer to being busy is eating boring food. I just think we need to get a little more organised.
Pancetta and gruyere potato gratin
By Poppy Cooks
https://www.poppycooks.com/recipes/pancetta-and-gruyere-potato-gratin/
Ingredients
- 1.5kg maris piper potatoes, peeled and sliced into 2mm slices
- 600ml double cream
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Grating of nutmeg
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and bashed
- 250g sliced pancetta
- 50g parmesan cheese, grated
- 75g gruyere, grated
- Salt and white pepper
Metric
Imperial
Instructions
- Pour the cream into a saucepan and add in the thyme, bay leaf, nutmeg and garlic with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Place over a medium heat and bring to a bubble, then turn down to low and leave to infuse and thicken, around 10-15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 150ºc fan/170ºc. When the cream has changed to an ivory colour, pour it through a sieve over the sliced potatoes in a bowl. Give them a good toss to coat all of the slices.
- Begin to layer up the slices in 2 x 20cm x 15cm baking dishes (you can also do one large one). Season with salt and pepper between each layer, and every 3 layers add slices of pancetta and a sprinkle of parmesan and gruyere.
- Continue layering until you reach the top of the dish, then pour over any leftover cream and top with any remaining cheeses.
- Preheat the oven to 150ºc fan / 170ºc and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden.