Potato Cheese Gratin with Béchamel Recipe

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Today’s recipe is a Potato Cheese Gratin that anyone can make at home with a countertop oven. Gratin has a reputation for being fussy, but this version skips the complexity — the flavor is mild and satisfying, and the technique is well within reach for beginners. Let’s walk through it.

Table of Contents

📋 At a Glance

Dish: Potato Cheese Gratin
Servings: 2
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: approx. 10 minutes (oven at 200 °C / 390 °F for 6 min; or microwave 2–3 min)
Key ingredients: potato 200 g, pizza cheese (mozzarella blend) 80 g, butter 2 tbsp, flour 2 tbsp, milk 300 ml, bacon 2 strips
Notes: béchamel sauce base; can be finished in a countertop oven or microwave
Storage: airtight container, refrigerated 2–3 days; reheat in microwave or oven
Verdict: ★4.0 — A mild, not-at-all-greasy homemade gratin; beginner-friendly and satisfying

Ingredients for Potato Cheese Gratin

Let’s run through the ingredients. Potatoes and cheese are the obvious stars. For the cheese, a pizza mozzarella blend works perfectly, and a dusting of parmesan on top is optional — parmesan powder is a fine substitute. For potatoes, one medium potato per person is enough, but since I prefer a generous potato ratio and was making two servings, I used three medium ones here.

[Ingredients — serves 2]

Potato 200 g (2–3 medium)
Water 300 ml
Bacon 2 strips
Onion ¼
Olive oil 1 tbsp
Pizza cheese (mozzarella blend) 80 g
Salt 1 tsp
Black pepper 1 tsp
Butter 2 tbsp
All-purpose flour 2 tbsp
Milk 300 ml
Parmesan cheese, a little (optional)

[Recipe Summary]

Dice 2–3 potatoes. Bring 300 ml water with 1 tsp salt to a boil, add the potatoes, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 8 minutes until fully cooked.
Thinly slice ¼ onion. Cut 2 bacon strips into roughly ½ cm pieces.
Once the potatoes are done, mash them while still hot.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt 2 tbsp butter, then sprinkle in 2 tbsp flour evenly. Stir continuously to form a roux without burning. Add 200 ml (1 cup) milk, season with salt and pepper, and whisk to a smooth béchamel sauce.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the bacon and onion until golden. Add a pinch of pepper to taste.
Combine the mashed potatoes with half the béchamel and 100 ml milk. Stir well and taste; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Lightly coat the gratin dish with olive oil. Spread the potato mixture, top with the sautéed onion and bacon, spoon the remaining béchamel over, and finish with 80 g mozzarella cheese.
Bake in an oven preheated to 200 °C (390 °F) for 6 minutes. Done.

🧀 Feel free to stir a little cream cheese or shredded cheese into the béchamel for extra richness.
🧀 For a crispier cheese topping, finish with a kitchen torch after baking.
👩‍🍳 Since all ingredients are already fully cooked, a microwave on high for 2–3 minutes works as a quick alternative. Reduce the milk in the potato mix slightly for a firmer texture when using the microwave.

🥧 Prep time: 20 minutes
🍳 Cook time: 10 minutes

Preparing the Ingredients

Start by dicing 2–3 potatoes, placing them in a pot with 300 ml water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 8 minutes until completely soft. Fully cooked potatoes are much easier to mash and blend later.

Thinly slice the ¼ onion and cut 2 bacon strips into roughly ½ cm pieces. Both can go into the same bowl for now.

Once the potatoes are done, mash them straight away while they’re still hot — warm potatoes blend with the other ingredients much more easily than cold ones.

Cooking the Potato Cheese Gratin

Time to cook. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tbsp butter over low heat. Once melted, sprinkle in 2 tbsp flour evenly.

Keep the heat low and stir constantly to cook out the raw flour into a roux. Keep stirring until no flour lumps remain. If it starts bubbling too aggressively, pull the pan off the heat momentarily and continue stirring.

Pour in 200 ml (1 cup) of milk, season with salt and pepper, and whisk vigorously to bring the béchamel together. Don’t worry about small lumps — just keep whisking and they’ll smooth out.

Sautéing the Bacon and Onion, Then Mixing the Potato

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and onion and cook until golden. Season with a pinch of pepper while sautéing.

Add half the béchamel and 100 ml milk to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Assembling the Gratin Dish and Baking

Lightly coat the gratin dish with olive oil and spread it evenly with a paper towel.

Spread the potato mixture evenly in the dish, then arrange the sautéed onion and bacon on top.

Spoon the remaining béchamel over the top, then cover evenly with 80 g of mozzarella cheese.

A light finish of dried parsley and cracked pepper adds a nice visual accent to the pale surface — a small touch that goes a long way.

Preheat the oven to 200 °C (390 °F) and bake for about 6 minutes. No countertop oven? A microwave on high for 2–3 minutes works too. When using the microwave, any heat-safe glass container works in place of a gratin dish — just remove the lid completely before heating.

Potato Cheese Gratin — Finished Gallery

Finished: Potato Cheese Gratin

Here’s the finished potato cheese gratin. A light grating of parmesan went on top as the final touch. The result is slightly dense but mild — not at all heavy — and very easy to eat.

Less cheese than expected means it won’t feel greasy at all. Hot sauce or a spoonful of tomato pasta sauce alongside works well if you want to switch things up. For travelers visiting Korea, this style of simple home gratin is a great way to experience everyday Korean home cooking beyond restaurant food.

For background on the history of gratin and the origins of béchamel sauce, see the Wikipedia article on Gratin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can I make this without a countertop or halogen oven?

Absolutely — a microwave works fine. Since all the components are already fully cooked, 2–3 minutes on high is enough to heat everything through and melt the cheese. The main trade-off is texture: the microwave won’t produce the crispy cheese surface that an oven delivers. When using the microwave, use slightly less milk when mixing with the potato, and any heat-safe glass container with the lid removed works as a substitute for a gratin dish.

Q. Is béchamel sauce difficult to make?

Far less than its reputation suggests. The most common failure is burning the flour roux by using too much heat, so keep the flame low and stir continuously. Even if the sauce looks slightly lumpy after adding the milk, keep whisking — it smooths out almost every time. A small balloon whisk makes it noticeably easier.

Q. How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1–2 minutes, or return it to the oven for a few minutes to restore some of the original texture. Oven reheating brings the cheese closer to its freshly baked state. Freezing is not recommended — the potato and cheese texture changes noticeably after thawing.

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