Easy Boulangère Potatoes

Easy boulangère potatoes are a great tasting easy potato side dish to go with the Sunday roast. The potatoes are cooked slowly in the oven in vegetable stock until deliciously soft.

My easy boulangère potatoes are a side dish I cook often as it takes no time at all to prepare and the oven really does all the hard work. Thinly sliced potato, layered with onion and garlic, covered with a light vegetable stock and baked in the oven, this easy potato side is simple, yet tasty cooking.

Boulangère potatoes are one of my favourite ways to serve potato. Don’t get me wrong I love a good dauphinoise, rich with cream. However, this easy potato side dish is one I cook more often as they’re a lot lighter and go with just about anything I serve them with.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Make ahead earlier in the day and then heat up in the oven just before you are ready to serve.
• Feed a crowd as this recipe can be easily doubled or quadrupled depending on numbers.
• Uses only 5 inexpensive ingredients making this a great low cost side option.

Where do boulangère potatoes originate?

This is a classic French dish, layering potatoes with onion and garlic in a light stock. The name originates from the French for bakery “boulangerie”. This history of boulangère potatoes is that centuries ago in rural France, people did not own their own ovens, their kitchens were not equipped to bake.

So instead they took their potato casseroles along to the local baker who cooked them in the bakery ovens. Hence the name boulangère potatoes (or bakers potatoes).  I like them as an alternative to roast potatoes for Sunday lunch. Soft potatoes on the bottom, a crispy layer of potato on the top. Served alongside a roast and some green vegetables they are delicious.

What is the difference between dauphinoise and boulangère potatoes?

Both dishes comprise thin layers of potatoes baked in the oven. However, Dauphinoise is cooked with milk, cream or a combination of both. Whereas, Boulangère potatoes are cooked in a vegetable or chicken stock.

Recipe ingredients

• Potato– we use desiree or maris piper potatoes which bake really well in this dish, you can substitute with other potatoes. You can peel the potatoes or leave the skin on, it is entirely down to personal choice.
• Vegetable stock – is a great light option which doesn’t overpower the potato. You can substitute with a light chicken stock too.
• Onion and garlic – are softened in butter and layered with the potatoes to add flavour to the finished dish. You could also use shallots or red onion.
• Fresh Thyme – adds flavour to the potatoes. Thyme. garlic and potato are a winning combination. You could also use fresh rosemary or fresh parsley in this dish.
• Butter – is added to saute and soften the onion and garlic. Use salted or unsalted butter, just watch your seasoning if using salted butter. For a dairy free version of this dish, replace the butter with some olive oil instead.

How to make boulangere potatoes

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160CFan/360F.

• Take time to peel and slice the potatoes thinly. No need for fancy kit, a sharp kitchen knife will work perfectly.

• Melt 25g of butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook slowly for 10 minutes to soften the onion, taking care not to colour the vegetables.

• In an oven proof dish (approximately 15x20cm), place a layer of sliced potatoes on the bottom and season with little salt and pepper.
• Don’t be too heavy handed with the seasoning as each potato layer will be seasoned.

• Follow this with a layer of the buttery onion and garlic mixture and sprinkle over a little of the fresh thyme leaves.
• Repeat this process a further twice, then finally finish with a layer of sliced potatoes on top.

• Pour over the hot vegetable stock, season with a touch more salt and pepper and place the final 5g of butter on top.

• Place the dish in the oven for 1 hour or until the potatoes are cooked and a knife slides easily through the layers.
• Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Useful hints and tips

1. No special equipment required, just a really sharp knife to cut the potato into layers. You can also use a mandolin if you have one.
2. For vegan and dairy free diners saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil rather than butter.
3. This is a great gluten free side dish suitable for coeliacs or those following a gluten free diet, just ensure that the vegetable stock is gluten free.
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

For some of our other great tasting side dishes featuring the humble potato try some of these recipes:

• Easy Dauphinoise Potatoes
• Potato Pave
• Creamy Mustard Mash Potatoes
• Easy Fondant Potatoes
• Easy Hasselback Potatoes with Thyme Butter
• Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
• Fried Potatoes with Garlic & Thyme

If you are looking to change things up a bit, have a look at our 12 Best Potato Side Dishes post. It’s full of useful hints and tips, along with all our favourite potato sides.

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