Making a ham soon? Potluck brunch on the books? Just really really love cheesy, creamy potatoes? These Smoked Au Gratin potatoes are easy, made from scratch, topped with crunchy panko breadcrumbs, and smoked on our pellet grill!

Traeger Au Gratin Potatoes

Cheesy potatoes are always in my top 10 favorite foods. What’s not to love about creamy, cheesy carbs, AMIRITE? These ones are made from scratch, but don’t let that scare you off. The ingredients are simple, the process is too, and the end result is way worth the effort to make these yourself and not out of a box.

This recipe is perfect on Easter next to that big old Pineapple-Glazed Ham, at Christmas beside your Butter-Basted Prime Rib, or for breakfast with a big Traeger Breakfast Bake.

Don’t forget to check out our Pellet Grill Hub!

Smoked Au Gratin Potatoes shopping list

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Russet Potatoes
Butter
Flour
Garlic
Heavy Cream
Whole Milk
Salt
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Black Pepper
Cheddar Cheese
Smoked Gouda
Panko

Try our Smoked Scalloped Potatoes too!

How to make Scalloped Potatoes in the pellet grill

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Preheat your smoker – 225°F is the goal!
Make the sauce – Melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for a few minutes. Add in the cream and seasonings. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until the liquid is thickened. Add in the whole milk, if necessary. (The sauce should be the consistency of gravy. Thick, but pourable. Only add the milk in if it is thicker than that.)
Build the casserole – Grease your baking dish and layer in some potatoes. Top with half the cheese and half the sauce. Top that with the other half of the potatoes, cheese, and sauce. Top with the breadcrumbs.
Smoke – Put the casserole in the pellet grill and smoke for an hour. Turn the temp up to 325° and continue smoking until the potatoes are fork tender.
Brown the top – Optionally, if your Traeger doesn’t quite do the trick for browning the top of your potatoes, you can stick them under the broiler. Just be careful! As you can see, I was really close to losing this pan walking away from the broiler for a second!

Try this with our Double-Smoked Brown Sugar Ham!

FAQ

How do you store leftovers?

Covered in the fridge. These are easy, and can be made ahead of time too and reheated before serving.

What’s the best way to reheat leftovers?

If you’re reheating a single serving the microwave or air fryer is the best bet. Making a whole pan? The oven or pellet grill works!

What’s the difference between au gratin and scalloped potatoes?

They are very similar, but traditionally scalloped potatoes don’t contain any cheese. Au Gratin Potatoes DO, and also tend to have a crunchy topping (but some do not).

Looking for Easter Recipes? We’ve got all of them here!

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Pancit Bihon
Smoked Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Beer Can Chicken
Smoked Hamburgers
Smoked Chicken Thighs
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Traeger Pulled Pork
Smoked Tri-Tip
Poor Man’s Burnt Ends
Traeger Pulled Pork
Smoked Beef Ribs

Get our 75 ESSENTIAL Traeger Recipes here!

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Yield: 8 servings

Traeger Au Gratin Potatoes

Name: Traeger Au Gratin Potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick; 3 tablespoons butter, softened; 3 tablespoons flour, all-purpose; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 ½ cups heavy cream; 1/4 cup whole milk; 1 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 12 slices smoked gouda; 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

These delicious homemade scalloped potatoes are cooked right on your pellet grill! There's nothing like wood-fired flavor to add that missing piece to your next bbq or holiday meal.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons flour, all-purpose
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 slices smoked gouda
1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

Preheat your pellet grill to 225°, following to factory instructions.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt your butter. Whisk in the flour until there are no more lumps. Cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic for the last 2 minutes of cooking the roux.
Stir in the cream, salt, onion & garlic powders, and black pepper.
Heat over medium heat until simmering, stirring continuously, until thickened.
Add in the whole milk, if necessary. (The sauce should be the consistency of gravy. Thick, but pourable. Only add the milk in if it is thicker than that.)
Coat a 2.5 quart baking dish with butter. Layer half of your sliced potatoes inside, and put half the cheeses on top of the potatoes. Pour half the sauce over the potatoes.
Layer the rest of the potatoes on top, top with the remaining cheese, and pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle the top with the panko breadcrumbs.
Smoke for one hour at 225°. Turn the heat up to 325°. Cook for an additional hour, or until the potatoes are fork tender. (How long this takes depends on the type of potato, how thick they are sliced, and how thick they are layered.)
Optional - brown the top of the casserole under the broiler if the grill doesn't do the trick! You can also pre-toast the crumbs before putting them on the casserole if you would rather do it that way!
Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Smoked Au Gratin Potatoes