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Baked Potato with Cheese Recipe

Creamy, golden, and bubbling with cheese, this baked potato dish is everything you want in a cozy, family-style side. Each scoop is soft, savory, and full of garlicky, herby flavor that disappears fast from the table.
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baked Potato with Cheese Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 410kcal

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup 185 ml thickened cream (heavy cream)
  • 2/3 cup 160 ml milk (full or low fat)
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise preferably whole egg (or 1/4 cup cream) (Note 2)
  • 2 cups 200g shredded cheese, for mixing (Note 3)
  • 1 cup 100g shredded mozzarella cheese (or sub with another cheese, Note 3)
  • 1.25 kg / 2.5lb potatoes any type other than waxy – see Note 1
  • 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves plus more for garnish (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 2 large garlic cloves minced
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F, suitable for all oven types. Prepare a 3 litre / 3 quart baking dish (about 22cm / 9" square and 6cm / 2.3" high) by ensuring it is clean and dry, ready to receive the potato mixture.
  • Peel the potatoes and cut them into cubes about 1 3/4 cm / 2/3" in size, aiming for even pieces so they cook at the same rate. Place the cubed potatoes into a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the milk, thickened cream, mayonnaise (or extra cream, if using the alternative), shredded cheese for mixing, thyme leaves, minced garlic, salt, and a generous grinding of black pepper to the bowl with the potatoes. Toss everything together thoroughly until the potatoes are evenly coated in the creamy, cheesy mixture and the seasonings are well distributed.
  • Tip the mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading the potatoes out into an even layer so they cook uniformly. Cover the dish tightly with foil to trap the steam and help the potatoes become tender as they bake. Transfer the dish to the preheated oven and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a knife or skewer.
  • Remove the foil carefully, taking care to avoid the hot steam. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the potatoes, creating a good, even coverage. Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for a further 25 minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted, bubbling, and a deep golden color.
  • Once baked, take the dish out of the oven and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes so the creamy sauce can settle slightly and the dish firms up for easier serving. Garnish with a few extra thyme leaves, if you like, then spoon onto plates or serve straight from the baking dish at the table.

Notes

  • This recipe works well with almost any potato except very waxy varieties typically used for potato salad (like most red potatoes). All-purpose potatoes such as dirt-brushed Sebago (common in Australia) are ideal. In the US, Russet and Yukon Gold are both excellent choices. Waxy potatoes hold their shape too firmly; here you want the flesh to soften and break down slightly so it blends into the creamy sauce with each bite.
  • A little mayonnaise adds extra depth of flavor to the dish. If you’re not a fan of mayo, you can simply replace it with more cream, but it’s worth boosting the seasoning with about 1/4 teaspoon each of mustard powder and onion and/or garlic powder.
  • For the cheese, use any good melting variety (avoid cheeses that don’t melt smoothly, such as feta or goat cheese). A flavorful cheese is perfect for mixing through—Gruyère (a favorite, though on the pricey side), Monterey Jack, Colby, Cheddar, or “tasty” cheese are all great options. For the topping, mozzarella is ideal because it melts beautifully, browns evenly, and doesn’t leave oily puddles on the surface.
  • After the initial covered bake, you may notice that the sauce looks slightly split. This is normal when cream is cooked for a long time. As the dish finishes baking and then rests, the sauce reduces and settles so the split appearance is no longer obvious. The same effect occurs in classic French Potato Dauphinoise and doesn’t negatively impact the flavor or texture—it’s simply part of how the dish behaves.
  • Reheats very well—often better than scalloped potatoes or potato gratin because this version is a bit saucier. Let the dish cool, then cover and refrigerate. Since it’s quite dense, oven reheating can be slow, so the microwave is usually the best option and helps keep it moist; about 10 minutes on medium heat is generally enough.
    Best make-ahead method: Bake until the potatoes are just tender, then remove from the oven, cover, cool, and refrigerate. To serve, either reheat covered in the microwave for 5–8 minutes, or warm in the oven at 180°C / 350°F for 20–30 minutes, then add the cheese on top and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and golden.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal