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
- 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.
- For vegan and dairy free diners saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil rather than butter.
- 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.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
This dish comprises layered potatoes without cream. Instead, this healthier potato side contains only a little butter and is cooked in vegetable stock. A lower fat option to other gratin style potato sides which contain cream and often some added cheese.
Our easy boulangère potatoes are cooked in vegetable stock in the oven for around an hour. During this time the potatoes absorb most of the stock resulting in this easy potato side being packed full of savoury flavour.
Yes, once cooked allow the potatoes to cool completely before covering the dish with a lid or thick layer of kitchen foil and placing into the freezer. You can heat up straight from the freezer by placing the dish in a warm oven and heating up gently.
This is a great make ahead dish, prepare and cook earlier in the day, or the day before. Then allow to cool, cover and place in the fridge until you are ready to reheat. Reheat in a warm oven at 180CFan/160C/360F and warm until hot in the centre. To avoid the potatoes from becoming too brown on the top, leave the dish covered with some kitchen foil.
You can also prepare elements of this dish ahead of time, ready to layer up and cook later in the day. Prepare the potatoes, slice them and cover with water to stop them oxidising. Next, cook the garlic and onion in the butter and set aside. When ready to cook, simply assemble and layer up the dish before placing in a hot oven to cook.
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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.
Easy Boulangere Potatoes
Ingredients
- 700 g Maris Piper or Desiree potatoes (peeled and very finely sliced)
- 30 g butter
- 1 onion (peeled and sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 3 springs fresh thyme leaves
- 200 ml vegetable stock (warm)
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160CFan.
- Take time to peel and slice the potatoes really 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.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
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Alan says
180 fan/ 160?? Surely should be other way round!
Lesley says
My apologies Alan, thank you for pointing out this error, it's now been fixed.
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says
YUM! I love Boulangere potatoes 😀
Lesley says
Me too Eb, such a lovely potato side.
Cat says
These look absolutely delicious! I can't wait to make them.
Lesley says
Thank you Cat, I hope you enjoy them.
Jo Keohane says
I love potatoes done like this and you've made the steps so easy. Thanks so much for posting.
Lesley says
Thank you Jo, it's such a straightforward cook and requires very little preparation.
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
I would absolutely inhale this!
Lesley says
Thank you Kat, this is such a simple potato dish, comfort food at its best.
Sarah James says
How delicious, a real change to Dauphinoise which I find to rich for me. I like how you can make the dish ahead, will be trying your recipe soon.
Lesley says
Thank you Sarah, I tend to agree, this is a far lighter option and a potato recipe I cook far more often.
Rebecca - Glutarama says
I know for sure than my family are going to love this recipe. I can't eat potato myself but I'm wondering if I could do a sweet potato version all for little ole me!
Lesley says
Thank you Rebecca, you know I think this would work perfectly with sweet potato, you would just need to cut back on the baking time in the oven. In fact I think I might try that out myself.
Janice says
This is such a delicious recipe and one I'll make time and again. Thanks for the really clear instructions.
Lesley says
Thank you Janice, it's so simple and one of my own go-to recipes.