• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Sprinkles and Sprouts

Great food with grocery store ingredients

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • By Category
  • Chicken
  • Pasta
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • By Category
    • Chicken
    • Pasta
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
  • ×
    Home > Meal Type > Sides

    Potato and Onion Bake (Boulangère Potatoes)

    Updated: Mar 16th 2021 • Published: Nov 27th 2019 • 24 Comments

    Jump to Recipe SaveSaved! Pin Recipe
    close up on the baked sliced potatoes with text at the top and bottom
    close up on the baked sliced potatoes with text at the bottom
    a spoon in a dish of scalloped potatoes with text at the top
    overhead view of an oval dish of potato bake with text the top and bottom
    close up of a spoon in a potato bake with text at the top
    a baking dish of scalloped potatoes with text at the top
    a spoon in a potato bake with text at the bottom
    layered potatoes with rosemary with text at the bottom
    two pictures of Boulangère potatoes with text in the middle
    close up on the potato bake with text in the top left
    close up on the potato bake with text at the top
    close up on the potato bake with text at the bottom
    two pictures of potato and onion bake with text in the middle
    a French potato bake with text in the top left
    a spoon in a dish of layered potatoes with text at the top
    a spoon in Boulangère potatoes with text at the bottom
    layers of potato and onion with rosemary with text in the top left
    baked French potatoes casserole with text at the top
    baked French sliced potatoes with text at the top
    oval baking dish of scalloped potatoes with text in the top left
    close up of cream free scalloped potatoes with text in top left
    white dish of French potato bake with text at the top
    close up on the French potato bake with text at top and bottom
    close up on the sliced potato bake with text at the bottom
    cooked potato bake with text at the top
    silver spoon in a potato bake with text at top
    sliced potato bake with text at top and bottom
    slices of potato in a baking dish with text at top and bottom

    This Potato and Onion bake is a simple french potato dish (Pommes Boulangère/Boulangère Potatoes) that is big on flavor, easy to make and makes a great alternative to creamy scalloped potatoes.

    Boulangère Potatoes is an amazing potato bake. Thinly sliced potatoes and onions are layered in a baking dish with butter and herbs. Then broth/stock is poured over and the layered potatoes are baked in the oven until the potatoes are soft and tender and the top has a golden crunch to it.

    cooked sliced potatoes in a baking dish garnished with rosemary

    Jump Menu

    • What are Boulangère Potatoes?
    • Origins of Boulangère Potatoes
    • Can you make these ahead of time?
    • Recipe Tips:
    • What to serve with Potato and Onion Bake
    • Potato and Onion Bake Recipe

    What are Boulangère Potatoes?

    Boulangère Potatoes is the french name for oven baked sliced potatoes and onions.

    They make a lighter and healthier alternative to creamy scalloped potatoes or cheesy potatoes au gratin. Scalloped potatoes or Dauphinoise potatoes are rich and creamy and oh so delicious, but sometimes you want something equally delicious but just a little lower in calories (maybe you are making space for an extra serving of dessert?)

    Think of this as a cream free scalloped potatoes or a cheese free au gratin. But being lighter doesn't mean these are any less impressive or any less delicious. 

    In this oven roasted potato and onion dish, thinly sliced potatoes and sweet onions are layered in a casserole or baking dish, with plenty of seasoning and fresh herbs. These are then covered in broth and dotted with butter.

    The potatoes go into a medium oven and are cooked for at least an hour, until the slices of potato are buttery and tender, releasing their starch into the broth which evaporates and thickens to leave you with a delightful potato and onion bake.

    a spoon sitting where layered potatoes have been scooped out of a baking dish

    Origins of Boulangère Potatoes

    I'm sure from high school french that Boulangère means baker? So these are Bakers potatoes?

    YES! A Boulangère is a baker, and I know what you are thinking, "bakers make bread!" But the origins of this dish come from the french bakers.

    Years ago in rural french villages, people did not have their own ovens. So before church on a Sunday, they would take a leg of lamb sat on a bed of sliced potatoes and onions to the bakers to cook. The baker would place these dishes in the bread oven to cook whilst he and the rest of the families headed to church. Then on the way home, everyone would collect their legs of lamb and potatoes ready for Sunday lunch. 

    Slowly the name developed and the potato and onion bake became a stand-alone side dish known as Boulangère Potatoes.

    Can you make these ahead of time?

    Because cut potatoes discolour, this dish is hard to prepare ahead of time and then cook when needed. BUT.....

    You can prepare and cook this ahead of time and then reheat when you want to serve. (This also works with leftovers)

    To reheat place the cooked Boulangère Potatoes in the oven (355ºF/200ºC) for 30 minutes. I start with the dish covered with foil and remove it for the last 10 minutes so the top gets nice and crunchy again.

    the raw potato bake before it goes in the oven

    Recipe Tips:

    • You want a good allrounder potato for this dish. Too waxy and the potato bake will slip and slide apart when you serve. Too floury and the potatoes will disintegrate whilst cooked. 
    • I like to choose, Desirée, Nadine or a Yukon gold.
    • You can decide whether you want to peel the potatoes. If you aren't peeling them just ensure they are well washed before you peel them.
    • You want to cut the potatoes to around ⅛" thickness (3-4mm). This will ensure the potatoes cook in the hour. If your potatoes are thicker than this, then you will find the bake may need an extra 15 minutes in the oven. 
    • You can use a mandolin or the slicer attachment on your food processor to cut the potatoes. Or use a sharp knife (and a lot of patience) to cut them by hand.
    • Don't soak or wash the potatoes. This washes away the starch, and we need the starch to thicken the liquid in the finished dish.
    • Once you have sliced your potatoes, get the dish preparations finished and into the oven. Peeled potatoes will discolor easily.
    • If you want a perfectly pretty top then lay the last layer of potatoes in concentric circles around your dish - more effort but it does look pretty! I don't bother with this though! 😉
    • You can use any onions for this recipe. I like to use the large sweet onions if I can find them. But regular brown or white onions are still great. You can use red onions but they don't melt into the bake as easily.
    • Whilst rosemary is the traditional herb to use, thyme, sage or oregano are also wonderful additions.
    • You want to use an 8 cup (2 litre) baking dish for this recipe.
    • Placing your baking dish on a baking tray or sheet pan can make it easier to transfer the full dish to the oven.
    • Remember to season every layer well. That is what makes the difference to the flavor.
    • If you want to make this dairy-free, then oil the bottom of the dish with olive oil and mix 1 tablespoon of oil into the broth/stock.
    a spoon scooping up Boulangère potatoes from an oval dish

    What to serve with Potato and Onion Bake

    I love these with pretty much anything! But try serving your potato onion casserole with:

    • Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Grape
    • Slow Roast Turkey (For Thanksgiving or Christmas)
    • Creamy Champagne Chicken
    • Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Schnitzel
    • Balsamic Butter Steak
    • Slow Roasted Lamb with Anchovy and Rosemary

    For more potato side dishes why not try:

    • Prepare Ahead Roast Potatoes
    • Slow Roasted Greek Lemon Potatoes
    • Brabant Potatoes (Crispy Garlic Butter Potatoes)
    • Hedgehog Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
    • Cheesy Layered Potatoes
    • See ALL Potato Recipes

    Enjoy x



    Pin this recipe for Potato and Onion Bake - Boulangère Potatoes. Pin it here.

    overhead shot of an oval dish of scalloped potatoes garnish with rosemary
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.18 from 45 votes

    Potato and Onion Bake Recipe

    This French Layered Potato and Onion bake is a simple potato dish called Pommes Boulangère or Boulangere Potatoes. It is so easy to make and makes a great alternative to creamy scalloped potatoes or cheesy potatoes au gratin. The thin slices of potatoes and onions are cooked in broth with rosemary until they are soft and tender with a golden crust. A great side dish.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 15 mins
    Total Time1 hr 25 mins
    Course: Side
    Cuisine: French
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 235kcal
    Author: Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts
    For more great recipes follow me on PinterestFollow @sprinklessprout
    Need Metric Measurements?Use the options below to toggle between cups and grams (if relevant)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Grams
    • 3 tablespoon butter - see note 1
    • 3 onions - see note 2
    • 2.6 lb washed potatoes (about 6 potatoes) - see note 3
    • 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped - see note 4
    • 2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 cups vegetable broth/stock

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F /180°C. (see note 5)
    • Use some of the butter (about 1 tbsp) to grease the bottom and sides of a 8 cup/2litre baking dish. Place this on a baking tray for easy.
    • Peel and finely slice the onions.
    • Use a mandolin, food processor or sharp knife to cut the potatoes into ⅛ inch (3-4mm) thick disks.
    • Arrange a layer of potatoes in your prepared baking dish, then top with onions, some of the chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. Repeat the layers finishing with a top layer of potatoes and rosemary.
    • Add any remaining herbs and seasonings to your broth and then pour it carefully over the potatoes, ensuring that it just covers the top layer.
    • Dot the remaining 2 tablespoon of butter over the top of the dish, cover the dish with foil and then transfer the baking dish and tray to the oven.
    • Cook for 60 minutes then remove the foil and cook for a further 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden and crisp. (see note 5&6)

    Notes

    1. If you want to make this dairy-free, then oil the bottom of the dish with olive oil and mix 1 tablespoon of oil into the broth/stock.
    2. You can use any onions for this recipe. I like to use the large sweet onions if I can find them. But regular brown or white onions are still great. You can use red onions but they don't melt into the bake as easily.
    3. You want a good allrounder potato for this dish. Too waxy and the potato bake will slip and slide apart when you serve. Too floury and the potatoes will disintegrate whilst cooked. I like to choose, Desirée, Nadine or a Yukon gold.
    4. Whilst rosemary is the traditional herb to use, thyme, sage or oregano are also wonderful additions
    5. The potatoes can be cooked at a lower temperature for longer if that fits with your roast. 
    6. Depending on the thickness of your potatoes and the depth of your baking dish, the bake may take longer to cook. If you keep them at ⅛"(3mm) then they should be tender within 75 minutes of cooking.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 616mg | Potassium: 1226mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 9mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @sprinklesandsprouts or tag #sprinklesandsprouts

    More Sides

    • close up of roasted vegetables in a blue cast iron pan
      Easy French Ratatouille
    • Overhead close up of the grains of basmati rice
      Indian Basmati Rice
    • close up of a spoonful of chopped carrots and corn
      Buttered Carrots and Corn
    • close up on the grains of rice in a bowl of fried rice
      Cantonese Fried Rice

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Matt says

      August 07, 2022 at 1:12 am

      1 star
      What a waste of time and effort 2 hours in and potatoes are still hard
      Just ordered an Indian so not all bad

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        January 31, 2023 at 3:27 pm

        Hi Matt,
        I think maybe your oven temperature was wrong, because at 350°F/180°C for 2 hours there is no way that sliced potatoes would be hard.
        But Indian is never a bad idea either so 🤷🏻‍♀️
        Cx

        Reply
    2. Bev says

      January 11, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last night 10 / 01 / 2021 it turned out great and tasted lovely I used a oval dish and 3 lares of potatoes sliced thinly with the onions added salt , pepper and the rosemary between each lares used a chicken stock cube and poured it in so it was just touching the top lare. The only thing added was some low fat shredded cheese on the top and boom it was really good I cooked in the oven gas mark 6 for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Me and my son loved it the potatoes were done to perfection and the was just enough moisture in the dish so no soggy potatoes. We normally have potatoe dishes made with cream or full fat cheese but me and my son are doing healthy eating and this dish tasted so good it’s now our go to potato dish. Thank you for sharing your recipe with us. Bev

      Reply
    3. Elaine says

      December 31, 2021 at 10:08 pm

      My family still want creamy scalloped potatoes so I made a sauce with a roux, then add broth and cook till slightly thickened, remove from heat and let cool slightly then I add about 1/2 cup whipping cream. Then I pour the sauce over each layer, cover and bake as usual. I have then created a much lower calorie dish than traditional bake.

      Reply
      • Halyna T says

        January 03, 2023 at 9:03 am

        Sounds like a great compromise. Do you still do 2 cups broth? How much flour? Thanks.

        Reply
    4. Kerry says

      October 17, 2021 at 5:48 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious, thanks for posting this.
      I'm vegetarian and it's great to have a dairy free alternative to creamy potato bakes.
      Love it!

      Reply
    5. Pat says

      September 07, 2021 at 8:08 am

      4 stars
      My original comment disappeared. I had the same issues with there being too much liquid that did not absorb. I think my problem was the potatoes I used (Kennebec). They are all-purpose, but I don’t think they were starchy enough, plus they were harvested two days ago. My simple fix was to use a turkey baster to remove the excess liquid, and I also turned up the heat to 400 for the last 15 minutes. The potatoes were delicious, and the whole family enjoyed them! Yum!

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        May 23, 2022 at 12:54 pm

        I think the type of potato could be an issue, also depending on the size of the dish the squid absorbs and evaporates at different rates. Glad you found a fix for it 🙂
        Cx

        Reply
    6. Mother Love says

      August 28, 2021 at 9:07 pm

      I am confused! Your recipe says to cover with foil while baking, and then you tell the reviewers that THIS is the reason it was swimming in liquid! I want to make it now….should I cover it with foil, or not?

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        September 02, 2021 at 6:11 pm

        Hi there,

        You cover the dish with foil for the first section of cooking and then remove the foil to make sure the liquid evaporates and the top browns.
        I hope that helps.
        Cx

        Reply
        • Pat says

          September 07, 2021 at 5:58 am

          The same thing is happening to me. I ended up increasing the heat and taking out a lot of the liquid to see if that would help. Perhaps the starchy potatoes are not starchy enough, or too freshly harvested? They smell delicious though. Hopefully they will take just as good. 🙂

          Reply
    7. Moozie says

      October 04, 2020 at 12:24 pm

      4 stars
      Awesome recipe,
      Thanks for sharing. ☺☺☺
      I made it with long life chicken stock, and added lots of garlic.
      Perfect for a non dairy dish.
      ☺☺☺☺

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        October 14, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed the recipe!
        Cx

        Reply
    8. Teresa says

      May 20, 2020 at 10:41 am

      2 stars
      Adding another idea of why mine went wrong like yours. After I sliced the potatoes I rinced them twice to remove starch. Was that a mistake?

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        May 29, 2020 at 6:06 pm

        Hi Teresa, rinsing the potatoes will have reduced the starch which does help to thicken the liquid, but 3 cups poured off seems like an awful lot!
        Sorry the recipe didn't work for you.
        I am going to try this it again in all my different sized dishes (as I used the same dish each time for recipe testing) and see if I can get a better idea of what ratio to use if the dish is bigger or small than suggested.
        Cx

        Reply
    9. Marimer Rivera Maysonet says

      April 22, 2020 at 7:14 pm

      5 stars
      I make today this dish for my family it was delicious very light no greasy perfect with steak.

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        April 27, 2020 at 1:55 pm

        Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed the boulangere potatoes!
        I totally agree they are a great light potato side!
        Cx

        Reply
    10. MaryEllen says

      March 21, 2020 at 8:19 am

      4 stars
      This turned out really good. I cannot have dairy or gluten do potato options are limited. This was delicious. I had a mixture of red and yellow potatoes. I did put the oven on 400 and it still took an hour.

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        March 23, 2020 at 5:36 am

        Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it and that it was easy to switch out the butter and make it work with your diet. So many potato bakes are dairy based aren't they?
        It does take a while to cook, I think it is just the dense layers of potato. I have tried hotter ovens and like you it still takes a good hour to cook.
        Thank you for coming back to comment
        Cx

        Reply
    11. Theresa says

      March 02, 2020 at 8:50 am

      1 star
      We followed the recipe to the T and barely covered the top layer of potatoes. When the cook time was done, we were left with potatoes swimming in liquid. Not something we would ever make again.

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        March 02, 2020 at 11:11 am

        Oh I am really sorry to hear this Theresa. The liquid should almost all evaporate, and what is left should thicken due to the potato starch.
        My first thoughts on why this might not have happened: Perhaps your dish was too small and deep, meaning the liquid had a smaller surface to evaporate from or did you cover the dish (maybe with foil for the whole cooking time)? This would have stopped the liquid evaporating.
        Again sorry you didn't enjoy the dish.
        Cx

        Reply
        • Teresa says

          May 20, 2020 at 10:31 am

          2 stars
          I had the same problem. I used a good sized baking dish. If you modify this recipe to say how many layers of potatoes you recommend, since the liquid to cover the potatoes required a lot of liquid, and was too much . I did 5 or 6 layers. After an hour I ladled out 3 cups of liquid (yikes). I used 6 large potatoes. Should gave used a bigger pan but 9 x 12 seemed perfect.

          Reply
    12. Fiona says

      January 16, 2020 at 1:06 am

      Can this be made ahead of time

      Reply
      • Claire McEwen says

        January 17, 2020 at 6:19 am

        Hi Fiona,

        You can make this ahead of time and then reheat it in the oven (also great for leftovers)
        I usually reheat for around 30 minutes at 355ºF/200ºC. I will start with the dish covered in foil and then remove it for the last 5-10 minutes to get the top crispy again.

        If you want to prepare it but not cook it, then you can pour over the stock and let it sit until you are ready to cook. This works if you want to prep it say an hour ahead. But any more than that and the potatoes can start to discolour.

        Hope that helps 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    a lady stood in a white kitchen chopping a tomato

    I'm Claire and I love food!
    I dream about food and I am happiest when I am in the kitchen cooking. Whether that is dinner for my family, snacks for drinks with my girlfriends or testing new recipes for my site, the kitchen is my happy place. Sprinkles and Sprouts is where I share it all and I am so happy you are here.

    Read More →

    As featured in

    Popular

    • close up on a ladle of gravy pouring into a white gravy boat
    • square picture of a cast iron skillet of pasta
    • close up on the coriander and charred top of a sweet naan bread
    • Garlic bacon spaghetti in a large shallow grey bowl
    • Close up on roasted lemon potatoes in a white bowl

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Sprinkles
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    All content, recipes and photographs are copyrighted to Claire McEwen and are the property of Sprinkles and Sprouts.
    THEY MAY NOT BE REPUBLISHED IN PART OR WHOLE WITHOUT PERMISSION AND PROPER CREDIT.
    Contact me to see republishing and syndication rights.

    Copyright © 2020 Sprinkles and Sprouts

    Copyright © 2023 · Cravings Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

    36658 shares