Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Au Gratin Potatoes–thinly sliced potatoes with a creamy, white garlic and parmesan cheese sauce.
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Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Au Gratin Potatoes
Do the potato dance! Oh, you don’t know what that is? Well once you eat a bite of these potatoes you’ll know…your body will start dancing because your mouth will love these potatoes so much. My son said that these potatoes were his new favorite! I kind of agree. They’re cheesy comfort food to the max.
Usually au gratin potatoes take a long time to cook in the oven (about an hour!). When you use your electric pressure cooker you can make them so much faster! Steaming the potatoes only takes a 1 minute pressure cook time. Because the potatoes are cut so thinly they cook very quickly. Then you stir up the sauce and fold the thin potatoes into it. At that point you are welcome to bake the potatoes so they get that baked casserole type of consistency or you can dive right into them as is.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Instant Pot Au Gratin Potatoes
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes–you can choose to peel them if you want. I left the peels on. They are sliced so thinly I didn’t even notice the peels. You can also use another type like Yukon gold potatoes.
- 4 Tbsp butter–to saute the onions and create a roux for the cream sauce
- 1/4 cup diced onions–for flavor
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic–for flavor
- 2 Tbsp flour–to make a roux to thicken the sauce
- 1 3/4 cup half and half–you can also use milk or cream
- 1 tsp kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder–to season the sauce
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese–for cheesy, salty flavor. You can also use cheddar cheese.
Equipment I used
- 6 quart Duo Crisp* (it has an air fryer lid)
- Avokado Silicone Steamer Basket* it’s large and flexible
- Mandoline* to slice the potatoes nice and thin. This helps cut down on prep time!
- My favorite knife* to cut the onions
- Baby whisk* to stir up the sauce without lumps
- Cutting board* to slice up the onions
- Saute paddle* to saute the onions
How to make Au Gratin Potatoes in your Instant Pot
Instructions:
- Pour 1 ½ cups water or chicken broth into bottom of Instant Pot. This will help bring your pot to pressure.
- Wash potatoes. If you want you can peel the potatoes. Slice potatoes very thinly with a mandoline or as best you can with a knife. Place the potatoes into a steamer basket*.
- Place the steamer basket into the Instant Pot. Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Remove the steamer basket out of the pot and set aside. Dump the water out of the Instant Pot liner and dry it out. Return the liner to the Instant Pot.
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the onions and saute until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour a little at time. Whisk in the half and half, kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook on the saute setting until sauce has thickened. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Stir parmesan cheese into the sauce. Fold the potatoes into the sauce.
- At this point you can serve and enjoy or you can bake using your air fryer lid to brown up the top. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees (you can also do this in the oven, in a 9×9 inch baking dish under the broiler).
Do I Have to Cook the Potatoes in a Steamer Basket?
In my experience cooking potatoes up above the water in the pressure cooker is so much better. The texture turns out perfect. When the potatoes cook in the water they get a little grainy. So if you can use a steamer basket! I like this large, flexible, silicone steamer basket*. If you don’t have a steamer basket you can try to place the potatoes on a trivet. Chances are some of them will fall through but it’s better than nothing.
Can you make this in the oven?
Yes you can. Slice the potatoes and set aside. Then create the sauce by heating a pan over medium high heat. Add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the onions and saute until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour a little at time. Whisk in the half and half, kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook until sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat. Stir parmesan cheese into the sauce. Fold the potatoes into the sauce. And then pour the mixture into a 9×9 inch baking dish. Cover the dish with foil. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for another 3-5 minutes.
Do the potatoes keep well on the warm setting?
These instant pot potatoes au gratin are best served and enjoyed right as they are finished. If you need to get a head start on the recipe I suggest cooking the potatoes in the steamer basket for 1 minute with a quick release. Then just let the potatoes sit on the keep warm setting until you are ready to make the white sauce and finish up the dish.
Can I Half or Double the Recipe?
Yes you can easily double or halve this recipe. However, if you double the potatoes they will likely not fit in your steamer basket. You may wish to cook in 2 batches. You don’t need to double the amount of water under the steamer basket but you can double every other ingredient. To halve the recipe keep the same amount of water under the steamer basket. Halve all the other ingredients. Keep the same cooking time for both doubling and halving the recipe.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes?
This side dish tastes great with honey baked ham, smoked turkey, marinated pork chops, grilled steak or any other meat dish you like.

What’s the difference between scalloped potatoes and au gratin potatoes?
These words are often used interchangeably and I’m okay with that. I’m not the food police. However according to the internet there is a difference between au gratin and scalloped potatoes. Au gratin potatoes are sliced thinner. Scalloped potatoes don’t use cheese. And au gratin potatoes usually use a breadcrumb crispy topping. Both have amazing layers of potatoes!
More Instant Pot Potato Recipes You’ll Love…
Instant Pot French Onion Potato Bake
Instant Pot Hasselback Potatoes
Instant Pot Twice Baked Potato Casserole
Instant Pot Hungry Man’s Casserole
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc. Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.


Instant Pot Garlic Parmesan Au Gratin Potatoes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Thinly sliced potatoes with a creamy, white garlic and parmesan cheese sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup diced onions
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pour 1 ½ cups water into bottom of Instant Pot.
- Wash potatoes. If you want you can peel the potatoes. Slice potatoes very thinly with a mandoline or as best you can with a knife. Place the potatoes into a steamer basket*.
- Place the steamer basket into the Instant Pot. Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Remove the steamer basket out of the pot and set aside. Dump the water out of the Instant Pot liner and dry it out. Return the liner to the Instant Pot.
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. Add in the butter and let it melt. Add in the onions and saute until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour a little at time. Whisk in the half and half, kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook on the saute setting until sauce has thickened. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- Stir parmesan cheese into the sauce. Fold the potatoes into the sauce.
- At this point you can serve and enjoy or you can bake using your air fryer lid to brown up the top. Bake for 5-10 minutes at 400 degrees (you can also do this in the oven, in a 9×9 inch baking dish).
- Category: Side
- Method: Instant Pot/Air fryer lid
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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Helpful if size of INSTAPOT given….use a 3qt or 6qt for best results…also can use the 3qt crockpot casserole? (Rectangulsr…slowcooker)..
Thank you for recipes…also would like recipes for 2-3 people….not all leftovers can be used up by a single person living alone..
Written above: “Equipment I Used – 6 quart Duo Crisp* (it has an air fryer lid)”.