Dauphinoise potatoes are sliced potatoes covered in a creamy cheese sauce that is baked in the oven low and slow. It oozes elegance and is a great addition to a dinner party. However, can you make it in advance and freeze it so that you can concentrate on other components of the dinner party on the day.
The answer is yes but you are best freezing it without the cheese sauce as it can split and become grainy when put in the freezer. However, if you have leftovers and want to freeze them, you can but you do have to remember that if you freeze them with the cheese sauce, the texture will change.
It will possibly split and become grainy. In this article, we will tell you how to freeze dauphinoise potatoes and how to defrost them.
How To Freeze Dauphinoise Potatoes Without The Cheese Sauce
1. Cook the potatoes.
Slice the potatoes and simmer them in cream for three minutes, Put the sliced potatoes in a dish and add garlic, salt, and pepper.
2. Cool down the potatoes.
Make sure that you don’t keep the potatoes at room temperature for longer than two hours as after this time bacteria can start to form. If needs be, put the dish of potatoes in a bowl of cold water.
3. Wrap the dish in several layers of cling film.
Make sure that the dish is tightly wrapped in the cling film so that freezer burn doesn’t occur. The potatoes will still be safe to eat but they will lose taste and texture. Put a label on the dish with the date you put it in the freezer and the contents.
4. Freeze.
How To Freeze Dauphinoise Potatoes With a Cheese Sauce
It is best to use this method only if you have leftovers and don’t want to eat it in the few days it will last in the fridge.
1. Cool down the Dauphinoise Potatoes
2. Portion and put into containers.
If you have a lot of dauphinoise potatoes left, it is a good idea to separate them into meal-size portions so that you only defrost as much as you need for a meal and don’t waste any. Put the portions in airtight containers. Put a label on the containers with the date you put them in the freezer and the contents. If the dauphinoise potatoes are in containers, you may not be able to tell what is in them.
3. Freeze.
Tips For Freezing Dauphinoise Potatoes
- If you are freezing in a dish, wrap in cling film to stop freezer burn from occurring.
- Make the sauce fresh. If possible, don’t freeze the dauphinoise potatoes with the cheese sauce as it can split and become grainy.
For How Long Can You Freeze Dauphinoise Potatoes?
You can really only freeze dauphinoise potatoes for up to a month as it deteriorates quickly. If you are freezing it with the cheese sauce, use it within a couple of weeks.
How Do You Defrost Dauphinoise Potatoes?
The best way of defrosting dauphinoise potatoes is by putting them in the fridge and leaving them to defrost slowly overnight. By doing this, you will avoid bacteria from forming. Don’t defrost the dish on your countertop as defrosting it quickly can encourage bacteria and, as a result, you could get food poisoning.
All you have to do now is pop the dish in the oven or transfer it from the container into a dish and put this in the oven. If you haven’t frozen it with a cheese sauce, add it before you put it in the oven.
Can You Refreeze Dauphinoise Potatoes?
No, we don’t recommend that you refreeze dauphinoise potatoes. Potatoes don’t freeze that well and can only be frozen if they are blanched or cooked. If you defrost the dish and refreeze it, moisture will be lost, and the potatoes will become dry. Refreezing the cheese sauce is also not a good idea as it will split even more, and the texture will be lost. It is not possible to get the texture back. Because of this, it is best to freeze the dauphinoise potatoes in meal-size portions. Then there will be no need to refreeze the dish.
Is It a Good Idea To Freeze Dauphinoise Potatoes?
No, not really. Potatoes don’t freeze that well and neither does cheese sauce. However, if you follow our instructions, you should get a reasonable dauphinoise potato dish. Just don’t expect it to be the same as if you cook it fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hopefully, you now know all there is to know about freezing dauphinoise potatoes but if you are still curious about freezing them and other potato dishes, we have answered a few questions here.
How long can you keep defrosted dauphinoise potatoes in the fridge?
They are best cooked as soon as possible but you can put them in the fridge for between three and five days. However, the cheese sauce may go lumpy.
What can I serve with dauphinoise potatoes?
Chicken is a good choice. Try garlic-butter chicken with asparagus, peas, and broad beans, roast chicken with seasonal vegetables, or braised chicken thighs, Roast beef, steak, or beef short ribs are also good matches (see also Freezing Beef Brisket). If you like fish, serve it with salmon. If you are vegetarian, pair it with grilled and seasoned cauliflower, beetroot patties, or bean burgers. You can even turn dauphinoise potatoes vegan by using vegan cheese and plant-based milk.
Can you freeze potato gratin?
Yes, you can freeze potato gratin. Potato gratin is very similar to dauphinoise potatoes but it also has layers of sliced tomatoes. If you are making a potato gratin to serve after freezing, just cook the sliced potatoes for about three minutes, and then layer them with sliced tomatoes. Leave the cheese sauce out and add it when the gratin has defrosted. However, if you have made it for your dinner and have leftovers, freeze it with the sauce. The texture will change but it still won’t be too bad. Just follow our instructions for freezing dauphinoise potatoes.
Can you freeze Lyonnaise potatoes?
Lyonnaise potatoes is a dish with potatoes and onions that is baked in the oven. There isn’t a cheese sauce so once you’ve cooled the potatoes and onions, you can put them in meal-size freezer bags and put them in the freezer. Remember to squeeze the air out of the bag to avoid freezer burn.
