These potatoes are layers upon layers of cheesy deliciousness! Slow Cooker Potatoes au Gratin are one of the most satisfying sides around.
Slow Cooker Potatoes au Gratin are an amazing copycat recipe of Fleming’s Steakhouse’s potatoes. Pop it in your slow cooker and reap the cheesy benefits.
We recently went back to one of our old haunts, Fleming’s Steakhouse and Wine Bar. All of their food is delicious, but the Fleming’s Au Gratin Potatoes are remarkable.
Make sure you PIN Crockpot Au Gratin Potatoes!
That isn’t an exaggeration. They are so remarkable I always order two. One for the dinner table and one to take home! I don’t mess around when it comes to these potatoes.
PRO TIP: Always freshly shred your cheese. Pre shredded cheese is coated in a powder starch which will prevent the cheese from melting properly.
Instead of spending tons of money to eat potatoes at a restaurant, I decided to create my own recipe using a slow cooker since my Cheesy Crock Pot Potatoes were such a hit!
What makes Fleming’s version so special? It’s not just cheese and potatoes. They add butter sauteed leeks and jalapenos. Not so much that the flavors are overwhelming, but enough that you can get the essence.
Not a fan of heat? Don’t worry! By sauteing them, you are cutting down on the kick and the heat becomes more peppery than spicy.
PRO TIP: If you use red potatoes or Yukon Golds, you won’t need to peel the potatoes. But if you use Russets or another potato with a thick and leathery skin, you will need to peel them first.
In my version of Slow Cooker Potatoes au Gratin, I add flour to create a roux with the jalapenos and the leeks. The roux then thickens the heavy cream to create a rich, decadent sauce.
In all honesty, this recipe violates my strict, “10 minutes. Set and forget it,” rule. These will take you a little longer, but the time spent is well worth it!
Slow Cooker Potatoes au Gratin are perfect for family get togethers and special meals. I prepare my Flemings Au Gratin Potatoes with a juicy Portabella Crusted Strip Steak seared in cast iron!
More recipes that use Potatoes:
- Potatoes O’Brien
- Slow Cooker Garlic Dill Mashed Potatoes
- Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
- Baked Hasselback Potatoes
- Classic Au Gratin Potatoes
Tools for making Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes:
Mandolin Slicer– this is the easiest way to finely shredded anything without pulling out all of the accessories to your stand mixer. It will give you even potato slices. Just be careful, this also happens to be the kitchen tool with the most injuries. Always use the safety guard!
Wood cutting board – wood won’t dull your knives like plastic and if treated properly, has natural antimicrobial properties.
Good knife – If you don’t use a mandolin, you are going to be hand slicing your potatoes. Global is my favorite! They are worth the price, I promise. I am kind of obsessed with them and store them tucked away so no one else can use them. Including hubby. Hands off my good stuff!
Slow Cooker
– If you are making slow cooker potatoes, you’ll need one! I prefer one with a locking lid for easy transportation.
Questions you might have about how to make potato au gratin:
Is it potatoes au gratin or au gratin potatoes? Well, it can be either and you can “gratin” many items beyond potatoes. Gratin simply means a top layer of cheese… or bread crumbs.
Can you make crockpot au gratin potatoes ahead of time? You sure can! In fact, hubby would tell you they taste better the second day. He even likes them cold! I prefer mine reheated.
How do I reheat my au gratin potatoes? I would not recommend reheating them in the slow cooker- it will take too long. It is a dense dish and the center will take a while to get warm. You can, however place the same inner bowl of the slow cooker in the oven for a faster reheat.
Why make au gratin potatoes in the slow cooker? It is true that baking potatoes au gratin in the oven is faster, but making them in a crockpot will keep them moist.
The slow cooker seals in all the liquid instead of it evaporating. It also cooks them slowly, which prevents them from drying out as well.
Can I make this recipe in the oven instead? You sure can. Bake them, covered at 350 for about 90 minutes. Pierce the center to make sure they are soft all the way through. Make it in a large casserole dish.
Can I use a different type of cheese? Sure! Use your favorite cheese and even use a blend of cheeses for more sophisticated flavors. I like sharp cheddar cheese, but gruyere cheese is a close second.
Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potato Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 leeks whites only, thinly sliced
- 2 jalapenos seeds removed, minced
- 1/4 teaspoons pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 5-6 large russet potatoes peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices (or thinner)
- 2 cups cheddar cheese divided
- Cooking Spray
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute leeks and jalapenos until soft. Add garlic and flour, making a paste, continuing to brown for 1 minute. Season with pepper and salt.
- Using a fork, whisk in heavy cream and bring to a low simmer. The mixture should become thick, remove from heat, set aside.
- Coat your slow cooker with cooking spray or aluminum foil. Start with a layer of potatoes, top with a large spoon of cream, leek and jalapeno mixture and sprinkle and quarter cup of cheddar cheese. Continue until your slow cooker is full. Refrain from topping the last layer with cheddar cheese.
- Cover and set for 4 hours on low or 8 hours on high. Thirty minutes before serving, top with remaining cheddar cheese and cover until ready to serve.
- Pierce potatoes with a knife to make sure they are soft. Cheese should be melted and bubbly. Serve your Fleming’s Slow Cooker Au Gratin Potatoes.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
This is my husband and son’s favorite thing to eat at Fleming’s. You better believe I will be trying this recipe. I am going to surprise them!
I haven’t used my crock pot since I got it for Christmas to make anything really good. I’ll have to give this a try because my kids and husband loves it and I had no idea this could be done this way. Will surely save me some time in the kitchen.
Mmmmm, That looks super yummy! I think I am going to try this
Wow! Potatoes in the crockpot that dont get soggy???? Yes, please! Pinned!
Oh, no! Prevents them from drying out, actually. Just make sure you use the right baking potatoes with the right starch content.
Wow!! That looks delicious. I love Crock Pot recipes!!
This looks like layers of deliciousness. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’m definitely going to try it sometime.
Mmmm! Comfort food for me! Layers of potatoes, oooh yum!
This is a great recipe. Thanks for sharing, I will be trying it out!
Let’s just call that layers of love instead of layers of potatoes. It looks amazing!
what a beautiful dish. You’ve set it out perfectly.
Oh wow i have to try this! It looks really good thank you for sharing.
No way! I didn’t even know you could make au gratin potatoes in a crock pot.
I love slow cooker recipes! I would have never thought about cooking au gratin potatoes in a crock pot!
That looks and sounds delish!! And, love that you found a way to make it in the slow cooker. Will be sure to give this recipe a try!
My daughter loves this style of potatoes, thanks for sharing. I love the crock pot, she loves these, win win!
Oh that looks so awesome. I will be trying this since I love au gratin potatoes
This looks amazing!! Cheesy potato goodness……Found your recipe at Simple Supper Tuesday. I am one of the hostesses of Tickle My Tastebuds and would love you to stop by and link up this recipe if you have not yet already. Here is the link
http://bit.ly/1lNY6hK
Lori
Sure will! Thank you for the invite!
Oh my gosh these sound fantastic! I love the dense potato and cheese but jalapeño too?! Fantastic!
Potatoes Au Gratin are one of my favs! Love that these are done in the Crock Pot!
Thanks for this fantastic recipe for au gratin potatoes! I’ve never been to Flemings but I can tell you, Flemings will be coming out our home thanks to your post!
They are addictive- watch out! I have to admit, the first time I made them, I failed to photograph on purpose just so I’d have to make them a second time.