Classic Aussie Potato Bake Recipe (2024)

The ultimate potato indulgence – just like we made it in the 80s!

It's creamy, cheesy potato perfection. Potato Bake is the star of any BBQ and tastes even better as leftovers the next day!

Potato Bake Recipe

It's a fairly simple dish to prepare, with layers of potato, onion, cheese and cream – and here I'll step you through the method to ensure you get that deliciously creamy inside and golden cheesy top.

As I mentioned above, the recipe here is the one that was hugely popular during the 1980s and 90s – and has never really gone out of fashion.

But to get it right, keep my top tips in mind (and, ideally, read through this entire post before you get to the recipe card):

• Be prepared! This dish needs at least one and a quarter hours of cooking time. You could cheat and par boil or microwave the potatoes first, but I don't recommend that if you want perfect potato bake.
• Get the layers right, starting with potato at the bottom and finishing the top with cheese. More details below.
• Cook covered to start with and then uncovered for best results. Again, more details below.

"Potato Pie" in Nana Ling's day

A similar recipe, known as Potato and Onion Pie, was popular back in the early 1900s.

Here's Nana Ling's recipe for this dish that she sent in to her local paper's recipe competition in August 1938.

While Nana Ling's dish sounds lovely, the modern version is a little more luxurious , being made with cream.

So keep scrolling for my best ever potato bake recipe.

Potato Bake around the world

There are many variations of cheesy Potato Bake, and in other parts of the world similar recipes might be known as potato casserole, potatoes au gratin, funeral potatoes, scalloped potatoes or potatoes dauphinoise.

Creating Aussie Potato Bake perfection

To create a dish that will have everyone raving, start with the right ingredients.

Here's the ingredients you'll need:

• potatoes
• onion
• cheddar or tasty cheese (use good quality cheese for best results)
• thickened cream(heavy cream)
• butter
• garlic(this is optional)
• salt and pepper(to taste).

Quantities for ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but keep reading for more hints and tips.

Which potatoes are best?

This dish is so forgiving that you can basically use whatever is in the cupboard.

However, if we want to get fussy:

• use the freshest potatoes you can find (fresh potatoes should be firm, well-shaped, smooth and free fro cuts or bruises)
• go for starchy or "all-purpose" potatoes rather than a waxy potato (look out for Sebago, Russet, King Edward, Dutch creams, King Edwards or Red Delight – these will work perfectly).

How to make Potato Bake

Read these instructions and tips first to help ensure your dish is:

• is cooked through
• isn't burnt on top
• is creamy and cheesy
• doesn't "break" and turn into an oily mess.

Or, if you're feeling confident, jump to the recipe card at the end of the post now:

Jump to Recipe

Prepping

You'll need a medium baking dish to cook the Potato Bake in. I use a pyrex casserole dish with a lid.

If your baking or casserole dish doesn't have a lid, you'll also need some foil to cover the dish.

Mince the garlic if you're including it and mix into softened butter. Soften the butter by placing it in microwave for 30 seconds form the fridge to soften.

Put half the butter/garlic in your baking dish and use this to grease the baking dish. Set aside the remaining butter.

You'll also need to preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (360 degrees fahrenheit).

Peel and slice the vegetables

Prepare the potatoes and onion by peeling and then slicing thinly.

You can easily do this with a sharp knife, but a mandolin or food processor can also be used to speed up the process.

I stick with the knife in an effort to avoid buying more kitchen gadgets and because I'm too lazy to get out the food processor and then wash it up!

TIP: Try to get the slices about 3-5mm thick and as uniform as possible.

Let's layer

Now it's time to start the layering.

The layering is really the key to this recipe.

Keep in mind that the bottom layer should be potato and the top layer should be cheese and onion.

Okay, let's start:

• arrange ⅓ of the potato slices on the bottom of the baking dish
• next, layer ⅓ of the onion
• sprinkle ⅓ of the cheese as the next layer
• pour ⅓ of the cream over the layers and add a little salt and pepper.

Keep layering, repeating the above steps two more times (but switching to cheese and onion last for the final layer)

• potatoes, onion, cheese, cream, salt and pepper
• potatoes, cream, onion, cheese, salt and pepper.

Next, put dobs of the remaining garlic butter mixture on top of the final layer.

Baking

Cover with the lid (or foil if the dish doesn't have a lid) and bake for 45 minutes.

Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes.

By cooking partly covered and partly uncovered, you should get a lovely creamy potato bake with a top that's golden but not burnt.

I do recommend you keep an eye on it towards the end of the uncovered baking period, and just pop the lid back on or cover with foil if you don't want it to brown any further.

Test whether it's cooked through by pushing a skewer or knife into the layers. It should be very easy and feel soft. If not, cover and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Serving Potato Bake

Serve hot and add a few sprigs of thyme or chives to garnish if desired.

It's not the prettiest dish and it's a bit messy to serve, but it's so delicious that no one will complain!

Variation ideas

As I mentioned above, there are various recipes for this dish.

While this is my "ultimate potato bake recipe", here are some nice substitution and variation ideas:

• Substitute half of the cream with milk for a less "rich" version
• Add chopped bacon with the onion
• Add thyme, chives or your favourite herb with the cheese layer
• Substitute half of the cream with sour cream for added flavour
• Substitute two of the potatoes with sweet potato.

Recipe FAQs

Q. How long will it keep?

It will last about 5 days in the fridge, so it's perfect for making up in advance the day before you're planning to serve it.

Q. Can I freeze Potato Bake?

I'm told you can freeze it for up to a month. I wouldn't know from personal experience as ours always gets eaten before I can even think about freezing!

Q. What is the best way to re-heat this dish?

Allow it to thaw before re-heating.

It can be re-heated in the microwave (on low-medium power) or covered in the oven at 160 degrees celsius for half an hour.

Q. Why did my Potato Bake turn oily when I re-heated it?

If the creamy sauce is is being heated too quickly and unevenly, there is a risk the creamy sauce might "break" and separate into an oil.

The cream starts off as an emulsion, where dairy fats were suspended in water with the aid of emulsifying proteins. When it cools after cooking, the oils can separate in the solution and if you reheat too quickly the oils are not "reabsorbed".

Interesting, hey?! Next time, heat it more slowly.

Q. What does well with this side?

You can't beat a juicy BBQ'd steak (or snags) with a crispy salad and potato bake on the side.

But there are just so many ways to enjoy this potato dish, including with:

• roast chicken
• baked ham
• devilled sausages
• curried sausages
• nothing! (I've eaten it as lunch the next day on many an occasion)

Q. Do you have other potato recipes?

If there is one thing that makes me excited about eating dinner, it's when potatoes are involved.

Baked, mashed, boiled, fried as chips... I love potatoes any which way.

If you love this recipe, you might also like my Potato Cakes or Potato Salad recipe.

And you can find other savoury, side and snack recipes here and my classic "Aussie" collection here.