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Home » Sides and salad recipes » Boulangere potatoes

Boulangere potatoes

Author: VJ Published : September 2022 Modified : September 2022 / 2 people have commented

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Boulangere potatoes is a classic French dish, made from slices of creamy potatoes layered with buttery onions, topped with cheese, and baked in a tasty vegetable stock. Try this dish yourself for a delicious change from normal roast potatoes.

A dish of crispy boulangere potatoes with a serving spoon.

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Table Of Contents
  1. Easy boulangere potatoes
  2. Origin of boulangere potatoes
  3. What you will need
  4. What to do
  5. Variations
  6. Tips and FAQ
  7. Save for later
  8. Other recipes
  9. The recipe
  10. Boulangere potatoes

Easy boulangere potatoes

This simple dish of boulangere potatoes is a cousin to dauphinoise potatoes, but whereas dauphinoise potatoes are baked in cream, boulangere potatoes are baked in a tasty vegetable stock.

These potatoes are much lighter than dauphinoise potatoes, and at only 258 calories per serving, they are easier on the hips too!

This is an easy dish to put together. All you have to do is slice potatoes and onions thinly, saute the onions in butter and then arrange them in alternate layers with a little seasoning. Pour over some vegetable stock, top with grated cheese, and pop the dish in the oven to bake.

As the dish cooks, the stock gets absorbed by the bottom layers of potatoes, leaving them soft and creamy, while the top layer turns crispy and golden.

Origin of boulangere potatoes

Boulangere potatoes get their name from the French word ‘boulangerie’ which means bakery. Many years ago when people didn’t have ovens in their kitchens, the housewife would assemble this dish at home and drop it off at the bakery on her way to church or to the shops. The baker would pop the dish in his oven and she would pick up the baked dish on her way home. And there you have it, ‘potatoes from the baker’.

This is very similar to the way housewives in England used to cook a Lancashire hotpot while they were working in the woollen mills during the Industrial Revolution.

A spoonful of boulangere potatoes being lifted from a serving dish.
I wonder what the reaction would be if we tried doing this at our local supermarket’s bakery in this day and age!

What you will need

Equipment

You will need a frying pan for frying the onions, and an 8″ x 8″ baking dish. If you’re doubling up the recipe to cater for more people, obviously you will need a larger dish. This dish is large enough for 4 people. 8

For slicing the potatoes and onions you can use a mandolin, and although I do own one, I find a sharp knife does the job just as well. Even though my mandolin does have a finger guard, I’m always nervous about slicing my fingers when I use it.

Ingredients

This recipe is sufficient for 4 people, but you can easily adjust it to cater for more by simply using more onions and potatoes.

**You can get the complete recipe for boulangerie potatoes on the printable recipe card at the end of this post**

Ingredients for boulangere potatoes.
These are the ingredients you will need for making potatoes boulangere:

Potatoes – you need floury potatoes if possible because they will absorb the stock and stick together better than waxy potatoes. However, that said, it doesn’t really matter too much. I’ve used a mixture of waxy (russet or red potatoes) and floury (Maris piper) with no problems. The only thing you need to remember is not to rinse the potatoes after you’ve sliced them or you will rinse off all the starch that helps thicken the dish. The potatoes should be sliced approximately one-eighth of an inch in thickness.

Onions – you will need approximately half the amount of onions as potatoes. The onions should be thinly sliced.

Butter – this is used to saute the onions and gives a much better taste to the dish than if you sauteed the onions in oil.

Stock cube – I like to use a good quality vegetable stock cube. If you have fresh stock, by all means, use that instead.

Grated cheese – this is for sprinkling on top of the assembled dish before it goes in the oven. I’ve used cheddar, but you could use parmesan or gruyere instead.

Salt and pepper – for seasoning the layers of potato and onion. Be aware of the salt content of your stock when you season the potatoes and onions. You don’t want to over-salt the dish.

What to do

Start off by peeling and slicing your potatoes and onions. Cut the potatoes into approximately one-eighth of an inch thick slices. Cut the onions in half (root to tip) then slice them into thin semi-circles.

Sliced onions in a frying pan.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onions gently until they soften and start to brown.

Take your time and cook them slowly. Don’t allow them to burn.

A layer of sliced potatoes and onions in a baking dish.

Arrange a layer of potatoes on the bottom of a greased baking dish followed by a layer of fried onions.

Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Boulangere potatoes in a baking dish ready for the oven.

Continue arranging the layers (seasoning each layer) until you have used up all the potatoes and onions.

Be sure to end with a layer of potatoes.

Pour over the stock. The stock should come up to the top of the potatoes, but not cover them.

Sprinkle with grated cheese.

A dish of boulangere potatoes with a crispy cheese topping.

Bake uncovered in a hot oven (200C / 400F) for 40 to 50 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and golden on top.

The potatoes will be cooked when you can slide a knife into the dish with no resistance.

Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley and serve hot.

Variations

If you like garlic, you could fry one or two cloves of crushed garlic with the onions. You could also sprinkle fresh thyme or rosemary between the layers of pottoes and onion for a more herby taste.

To turn these boulangere potatoes into a light supper, why not add crispy fried chopped bacon between the layers for a complete meal-in-a-dish.

If you intend to serve these potatoes with chicken or beef, you could use a chicken or beef stock cube instead of a vegetable stock cube.

If you’d like to be notified of any new recipes, why not subscribe to my newsletter. As a thank-you gift, you will receive a free recipe e-book containing some of my most popular cakes and desserts.

Closeup of a dish of potatoes boulangere.

Tips and FAQ

Can I freeze boulangere potatoes?

Uncooked boulangere potatoes are not suitable for freezing.
You can freeze the cooked potatoes for up to three months.
If you intend to freeze these potatoes, I would suggest assembling and baking the dish in a disposable foil container and freeze in that.
To use, put the container of frozen potatoes into a hot oven for about 20 minutes until piping hot.

How long can I store these potatoes?

Cooked boulangere potatoes can be safely stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat either in a hot oven or in the microwave.

How long do boulangere potatoes take to cook?

Based on the quantities and thickness of the potatoes in this recipe, the dish will take between 40 and 50 minutes to cook completely. I had three layers of potatoes in my dish.
If you are making a larger quantity, or your potatoes have been cut into thicker slices you may find you need an additional 10 to 15 minutes for it to cook.

Why do you season each layer of potatoes?

We season each layer of potatoes to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed throughout the dish. Do take the salt content of your stock cube (or fresh stock) into account when seasoning so that you don’t over-season.
I find that a light sprinkling of salt (from a salt cellar) and a good grinding of black pepper is sufficient.

Should I peel the potatoes first?

That is entirely up to you. If your potatoes have been well-scrubbed there is no need to peel them first.

Can I prepare the dish in advance?

I wouldn’t leave the assembled dish to stand for too long, because raw peeled potatoes will discolour. Once assembled, the dish should be cooked as soon as possible. The cooked dish can safely be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Save for later

If you would like to make potatoes boulangere yourself, why not save the recipe to one of your Pinterest boards so you can find it easily. Just click on the image below.

Alternatively, you can save the recipe by clicking on the floating heart icon on the right-hand side of the screen.

Other recipes

These are some of my other potato recipes that you may also enjoy:

  • Potatoes Romanoff
  • Crispy smashed potatoes with rosemary
  • German fried potatoes with bacon and onions
  • Scalloped potatoes in batter
  • Potato frittata with cheese
  • Crispy french fries

The recipe

A dish of boulangere potatoes with a crispy cheese topping.

Boulangere potatoes

Boulangere potatoes is a classic French dish, made from slices of creamy potatoes layered with buttery onions, topped with cheese, and baked in a tasty vegetable stock. Try this dish yourself for a delicious change from normal roast potatoes.
Recipe by: Veronica
Side Dish
French
Calories 258
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Print Pin Comment Bookmark Saved!
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5 from 2 votes

(Click the stars to rate this recipe)

Equipment

  • Frying Pan
  • Mandolin OR
  • Sharp Knife
  • Chopping Board
  • 8" x 8" Baking dish

Ingredients

  • 1½ pounds / 700 grams potatoes
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 ounce / 30 grams butter
  • ½ cup / 60 grams grated cheese
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Peel and slice your potatoes and onions. Cut the potatoes into approximately one-eighth of an inch thick slices. Cut the onions in half (root to tip) then slice them into thin semi-circles.
    1½ pounds / 700 grams potatoes, 2 medium onions
  • Dissolve the stock cube in one cup of boiling water and set aside until needed.
    1 vegetable stock cube
  • Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the onions gently until they soften and start to brown. Take your time and cook them slowly. Don't allow them to burn.
    1 ounce / 30 grams butter
  • Arrange a layer of potatoes on the bottom of a greased baking dish followed by a layer of fried onions. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
    salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • Continue arranging the layers (seasoning each layer) until you have used up all the potatoes and onions. Be sure to end with a layer of potatoes.
  • Pour over the stock. The stock should come up to the top of the potatoes, but not cover them.
  • Sprinkle with grated cheese.
    ½ cup / 60 grams grated cheese
  • Bake uncovered in a hot oven (200C / 400F) for 40 to 50 minutes until the potatoes are crispy and golden on top.
    The potatoes will be cooked when you can slide a knife into the dish with no resistance.
  • Sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Variations
If you like garlic, you could fry one or two cloves of crushed garlic with the onions. You could also sprinkle fresh thyme or rosemary between the layers for a more herby taste.
If you would like to turn these bolangere potatoes into a light supper, why not add crispy fried chopped bacon between the layers for a complete meal-in-a-dish.
If you intend to serve these potatoes with chicken or beef, you could use a chicken or beef stock cube instead of a vegetable stock cube.
Freezing
Uncooked boulangere potatoes are not suitable for freezing.
You can freeze the cooked potatoes for up to three months.
If you intend to freeze these potatoes, I would suggest assembling and baking the dish in a disposable foil container and freeze in that.
To use, put the container of frozen potatoes into a hot oven for about 20 minutes until piping hot.

Nutrition

Calories – 258kcal | Carbohydrates – 37.8g | Protein – 7.4g | Fat – 11.4g | Saturated Fat – 7.2g | Cholesterol – 32mg | Sodium – 149mg | Potassium – 809mg | Fiber – 5.9g | Sugar – 6.2g | Vitamin D – 6µg | Calcium – 138mg | Iron – 1mg

I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
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Filed Under: All Recipes, Sides and salad recipes

About VJ

In my previous life, I was an IT Consultant. Now that I've swapped an office for a kitchen I have a lot more time to spend on things that interest me such as trying out new recipes. Most of my cooking is based around quick and easy meals, and you'll probably find a little South African influence creeping in due to the many years I spent there.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    19 December 2022 at 6:38 am

    5 stars
    We made this dish for our dinner last night and it was the bomb! I will definitely make this recipe again. Thanks.

    Reply
    • VJ

      19 December 2022 at 5:39 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it – it’s one of my favourites too!

      Reply

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