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My crispy potato stacks take everything you love about cheesy, golden potatoes and turn it into a perfect side dish. Thin slices bake into crisp edges and tender centers, with melty cheese and dripping with seasoned garlic butter!
How These Stack Up Next To Their Competition
- Crispier edges, softer centers: If you follow my lead and get thin, even slices, they will turn out perfect! Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
- Better cheese melt: If you hand-grate your cheese, it will brown beautifully and add richer flavor. Trust me on this one, it makes a difference.
- Easy, reliable results: I give you simple slicing, trimming, and pan tips to make sure you get even baking and no sticking.
Ingredients Needed For Potato Stacks
- Cheese: Swap gruyere for mozzarella or cheddar if you want a more budget-friendly option. Hand-grated cheese melts and browns better than pre-shredded.
- Potatoes: Peel them or leave the skins on. Leaving skin works well if the potatoes are evenly shaped and fit the muffin wells without trimming.
- Metal Over Silicone: Use a nonstick or well-greased metal muffin pan for the best crisping. Avoid silicone pans, which prevent browning.
- Stack ’em High! The stacks will sink as they bake. You can fill each well slightly above the rim or build them taller. Just increase bake time for higher stacks.
How to Make Potato Stacks
These potato stacks come together easily if you follow my recipe directions. If you love easy side dishes like this, you might also enjoy my cheesy scalloped potatoes or my roasted Parmesan potatoes.
- Prep & Make Garlic Butter: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray, then set it aside. Add the butter, garlic, cream, salt, pepper, and thyme to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter has melted and become fragrant with the garlic and thyme.
- Coat Potatoes in Buttery Sauce: Add the sliced potatoes to a large bowl, then pour the garlic herb butter over them and toss until evenly coated.
- Stack: Layer the potato slices in the muffin tin wells until they are about halfway filled. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over all the stacks, then layer the potatoes on top until the wells are filled, about half an inch above the rim.
- Bake: Top the potato stacks with the remaining cheese. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until a sharp knife easily cuts through the potato to the bottoms of each cup. They should have crispy edges and be golden brown. Let the potatoes sit for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with a fresh thyme sprig.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Mandolin: I recommend using a mandolin slicer. It makes thin, even slices (shoot for ⅛–1/16 inch). Cut larger slices so they sit flat in the muffin pan.
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Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
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Add ¼ cup unsalted butter, 4 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 5 sprigs fresh thyme to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the butter has melted and become fragrant with the garlic and thyme, about 3-4 minutes.
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Add 3 pounds sliced russet potatoes to a large bowl and pour the butter mixture over them, tossing everything together until the potatoes are all evenly coated.
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Layer the potato slices in the wells of the muffin pan until they are filled about halfway. Sprinkle half of the 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese and ⅔ cup shredded Parmesan cheese evenly over all of the stacks, then layer the potatoes on top until the wells are filled about half an inch above the rim of the muffin wells.
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Top the potato stacks evenly with the remaining gruyere and parmesan cheese.
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Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until a paring knife can easily prick the center of a potato stack all the way down to the bottom of the muffin well and the edges are golden brown and crispy.
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Let the potatoes sit for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack or serving plate. Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.
- Fridge: In an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 until re-crisped and warmed through, about 15 minutes.
- Freezer: Not recommended.
- Make Ahead: You can prep this up to 24 hours ahead. Just be sure the potato slices are fully coated in the herb butter (or already stacked in the muffin pan). If the potatoes aren’t coated or kept in water, they’ll oxidize and turn brown.
Calories: 201kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 8gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 368mgPotassium: 498mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 324IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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