Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin

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Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin made easy in your pressure cooker! These cheesy scalloped potatoes are thinly sliced, coated in a rich, creamy, cheese sauce, and crowned with a crispy panko breadcrumb topping. These Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin are the perfect side dish for a holiday dinner—or to make any weeknight meal special!

Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes, plated on a small white plate with an Instant Pot Duo and a white baking dish in the background

I love to serve these Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes with ham for an Easter or Christmas holiday dinner. However, these potatoes are so quick and easy, they’re in regular rotation on my weeknight menu as well. 

The potatoes cook in only 5 minutes in the pressure cooker, and you make the cheese sauce right in the pressure cooking pot.

Click to pin Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes for later

Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin plated and ready to serve in front of an Instant Pot

How to Make Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes in an Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker

This Instant Pot Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes recipe will work in any brand of electric pressure cooker, including the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, or Mealthy MultiPot. 

I love cooking potatoes in the pressure cooker! They cook quickly, evenly, and when you use a steamer basket, they don’t break down around the edges.

Easy scalloped potatoes ready to cook in a steam basket placed inside an Instant Pot.

Do I Have to Cook the Potatoes in a Steamer Basket?

I strongly recommend making the potatoes in a steamer basket. Getting them up out of the liquid makes a difference in texture of the potatoes.

You can use any steamer you like. I’ve made these with a metal OXO Steamer as well as a plastic Oxo steamer or a mesh steamer basket

If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can use the trivet that came with your pressure cooker. In a pinch, just add the potatoes directly to the liquid in the bottom of the pot. 

Au gratin potatoes in a serving dish ready to be served. with a wooden spoon

How to Brown the Au Gratin Topping

If you have a Mealthy CrispLid, Ninja Foodi, or Instant Pot Duo Crisp, you can add the topping and brown these easy scalloped potatoes right in your pot! This is perfect for pot luck meals where you serve directly from the pressure cooker!

If you’re using a traditional broiler, pour the potato-cheese mixture into an oven-safe baking dish and broil at 350ºF until golden brown. Remember, once it starts to brown, it will change quickly, so keep a close watch on it!

Instant Pot Potatos au Gratin made in a pressure cooker and plated with salad, ham, and a roll.

What to Serve with Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes?

Can I Half or Double the Recipe?

To make a half batch: To avoid the burn notice, you will need to use at least 1 cup of liquid so your pot will come to pressure. After cooking, remove half of the liquid and proceed with the  cheese sauce.

To make a double batch: You can easily double this recipe with no change to the cook time. Just be sure not to fill your cooking pot above the max fill line.

If you’re making this in an 8-quart or larger pressure cooker, you may need additional liquid for your pot to come to pressure. Doubling the recipe is an easy way to achieve this!

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes on a plate in front of an Instant Pot

What’s the Difference Between Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin?

Many people use these terms interchangeably. Technically, scalloped potatoes are just cooked in a rich cream sauce with no cheese. And au gratin means “covered with breadcrumbs and/or cheese and browned.”

However, you can use this recipe to make either cheesy scalloped potatoes or au gratin potatoes. Just omit the breadcrumbs for scalloped potatoes and add them for potatoes au gratin.

Instant Pot cheesy au gratin potatoes plated up and ready to eat.

What Potatoes to Use for Homemade Scalloped Potatoes?

I recommend making pressure cooker au gratin potatoes with fresh, sliced potatoes. If you have a mandoline, they slice up quick and easy!

💡 Pro Tip: Save time on these cheesy au gratin potatoes by using a package of refrigerated, fresh sliced potatoes! (If your brand is sliced thinner than ⅛ inch, you’ll need to cut down on the cook time by a minute or two.)

Russet potatoes (aka Idaho potatoes) are an excellent choice! However, if there’s a great sale on Yukon Golds, those will give you a slightly different texture but should work just fine. 

I don’t recommend substituting red potatoes. (Try my Instant Pot Garlic Roasted Red Potatoes instead!)

And no matter what potato you choose, be sure to scrub them well before slicing.

Instant Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes, dished in a serving bowl with a wooden spoon sitting on the side

Try These Next

I’ve made a quick video showing you how easy these Instant Pot Potatoes Au Gratin are to make! You can also watch my recent Facebook Live for a step-by-step walk through of how to use your Duo Crisp to brown the topping.

Love this recipe? Help me get the word out by leaving a review!

Homemade scalloped potatoes in a serving dish ready to serve.

Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin

Yield: 6 - 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin are thinly sliced scalloped potatoes, coated in a rich, creamy, cheese sauce, and crowned with a crispy panko breadcrumb topping. The perfect side dish for a holiday dinner—or to make any weeknight meal special!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 6 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and sliced to about 1/8-inch thick
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  1. Select Saute and add the butter to the pressure cooking pot. When the butter is melted, add the onion and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the onions.
  2. Place the steamer basket in the bottom of the cooking pot. Distribute the sliced potatoes evenly. Lock lid in place, select High Pressure and set the cook time for 5 minutes.
  3. In a small bowl, mix the panko with 3 tablespoons melted butter. Set topping aside. 
  4. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker and do a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid. Remove the potatoes and steamer basket from the pressure cooking pot. 

Browning - Traditional Oven Directions

  1. Preheat the broiler and spray a 9x13 oven-safe dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the potatoes to the prepared pan. 
  2. Stir the sour cream and cheese into the cooking liquid remaining in the pressure cooker. Pour over the potatoes. Use two forks to gently mix sauce with the potatoes. Top with panko topping and broil for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown.

Browning - CrispLid / Duo Crisp / Ninja Foodi Directions

  1. Set the potatoes aside.
  2. Stir the sour cream and cheese into the cooking liquid remaining in the pressure cooker. Gently fold in the potatoes in small batches, carefully coating the potatoes with the cheese sauce. 
  3. Top with panko topping. Place the crisping lid on top. Select Air Fry or Air Crisp, set temperature to 350ºF, and set the time to 5 minutes. Select Start to begin, and cook until golden brown, checking after 3 minutes.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 327Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 506mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 9g

Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.

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Sliced potatoes in an Instant Pot for Cheesy Potatoes au Gratin

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