For a classic steakhouse side that you can easily make at home, try Delmonico potatoes. They're rich, creamy and ideal when served with grilled, smoked or roasted meats.

Delmonico Potatoes

If you love scalloped potatoes or au gratin potatoes, then Delmonico potatoes will be right up your alley. Made with tender, shredded spuds and a luscious cheddar cheese sauce, this comforting potato side dish is baked until golden brown and bubbly. It’s one of the best sides for steak, pork chops, glazed ham, roast chicken and turkey.
While herbed new potatoes are great for springtime and potato salad reigns supreme all summer long, Delmonico potatoes will quickly become your go-to potato recipe to serve during the cool days of autumn and winter when you want rib-sticking comfort food to warm your spirits.
What are Delmonico potatoes?
This cheesy potato casserole became famous after appearing on the menu at Delmonico’s in Manhattan in the 1800s. (A fun fact: Delmonico’s is also the alleged birthplace of eggs Benedict.) Delmonico potatoes can be diced or shredded, and the bechamel cheese sauce is similar to one you’d make for baked mac and cheese, which includes a roux, milk and lots of melty cheese.
While no one is 100 percent certain as to who first created the recipe, it quickly took the United States by storm, and iterations of this dish began popping up from coast to coast. Today, you can still find versions of the recipe in steakhouses and restaurants. For example, Cracker Barrel’s hash brown casserole is strikingly similar to the potatoes Delmonico recipe.
Delmonico Potatoes Ingredients
- Potatoes: Like our favorite mashed, roasted or scalloped potatoes, the best type of potatoes for this recipe are Yukon Golds. These all-purpose spuds have just enough starch and moisture to withstand nearly any cooking technique. Leave the skins on when boiling them; they’re easier to peel once cooked.
- Milk: Milk combines with the starches in the potatoes to create an otherworldly sauce that is thick, smooth and velvety. Use 2% or whole milk for the best creaminess.
- Heavy whipping cream: A splash of cream enriches the sauce with extra fat to make it ultra-creamy, rich and indulgent.
- Cheddar cheese: For potatoes Delmonico, choose a high-quality, aged sharp cheddar. Instead of buying shredded cheese, grate your own cheese for best results.
- Spices: A simple, classic blend of salt, pepper, ground mustard and nutmeg is used to season the potatoes perfectly and to enrich the cheesy sauce.
Directions
Step 1: Boil the potatoes
Place the unpeeled potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the potatoes for 30 to 40 minutes or until they’re tender. Drain, then refrigerate them for several hours or overnight until they’re completely cooled.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t overcook the potatoes; you don’t want them too mushy. Peeling boiled potatoes is much easier than peeling raw ones. A paring knife might be easier to use; the cooked skins easily get caught in potato peelers.
Step 2: Peel and shred
Remove the boiled potatoes from the refrigerator and peel them. Then, coarsely shred the peeled potatoes and set them aside.
Editor’s Tip: Shred the potatoes using a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grater attachment.
Step 3: Make the sauce
In a saucepan, warm the milk, cream, salt, mustard, pepper and nutmeg over medium heat until bubbles form around the side of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and add the cheese, stirring until it’s melted.
Editor’s Tip: For a perfectly smooth cheese sauce, add the cheese gradually, half a cup at a time, until it has melted, then add more cheese. Working slowly will help to maintain the temperature of the sauce and prevent lumps from forming.
Step 4: Bake the potatoes
Transfer the shredded potatoes to a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes, then bake them at 350ºF for 50 to 55 minutes or until they’re thickened, bubbly and heated through.
Delmonico Potatoes Variations
- Use frozen hash browns: To make a speedy version of this potatoes Delmonico recipe, use frozen hash browns instead of boiling and shredding potatoes yourself. Simply thaw one (32-ounce) package of frozen hash browns, then proceed with Step 2.
- Cut your potatoes in a different shape: Shredded potatoes are most common for Delmonico potatoes, but you may also dice them into small cubes or thinly slice them (like you would for scalloped potatoes).
- Add vegetables: For added nutrition, stir cooked veggies into the potato mixture before baking. Try caramelized onions or sauteed bell peppers, mushrooms or spinach.
- Change the cheese: While cheddar is always a crowd-pleaser, you can swap it for other good melting cheeses. Try Gruyere, fontina, smoked Gouda, Parmesan or Asiago.
How to Store Delmonico Potatoes
It’s best to store leftover Delmonico potatoes in an airtight food storage container.
How long do Delmonico potatoes last?
Potatoes Delmonico will stay fresh for three to four days when stored in an airtight food storage container in the fridge.
Can you freeze Delmonico potatoes?
Is it possible to freeze Delmonico potatoes? Yes. Do we recommend freezing them? No. Like dairy-based soups and sides, we don’t recommend freezing Delmonico potatoes because the texture and consistency of the dish will change upon thawing and reheating.
How do you reheat Delmonico potatoes?
Due to the milk and cheese in this Delmonico potatoes recipe, you’ll want to warm leftovers gently to ensure the sauce does not separate or curdle. For best results, warm gently in the microwave at a reduced power setting in one-minute increments, stirring after each until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat Delmonico potatoes in a 350° oven.
Delmonico Potatoes Tips
What are the best potatoes to use for Delmonico potatoes?
Our favorite potatoes to use for Delmonico potatoes are Yukon Golds. They have a wonderfully creamy, buttery texture once cooked and shred like a dream after they’re boiled and cooled. Russet potatoes are another starchy potato that work well in this recipe.
Why are my Delmonico potatoes watery?
Not choosing the right potatoes can lead to watery Delmonico potatoes. Red potatoes, for example, contain less starch, so they will not be able to thicken the cheesy sauce in quite the same way that Yukon Gold or russet potatoes can. Also, don’t skimp on the cream. While it may be tempting to swap some of the cream for milk or half-and-half, this will change the sauce’s consistency and make it more watery.
What can you serve with Delmonico potatoes?
Delmonico potatoes were born in a steakhouse, so pair them with your favorite steakhouse recipes. A medium-rare cast-iron steak with flavored butter and roasted asparagus would be a winning combination, or try lamb chops with a side of creamed spinach and pillowy dinner rolls. This dish would fit in with any holiday spread, too. Serve it as part of your Thanksgiving meal with roast turkey, or on Easter with bourbon-glazed ham. Add a scoop of sweet potato casserole and creamed corn for a variety of flavors and textures.
Delmonico Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 pounds russet potatoes (about 6 medium potatoes), unpeeled
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1-1/2 pounds shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Optional: paprika and chopped chives
Directions
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Drain and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- Peel potatoes and coarsely shred. In a saucepan, heat the milk, cream, salt, mustard, pepper and nutmeg over medium heat until bubbles form around side of pan. Reduce heat; add cheese, stirring until melted.
- Place potatoes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over potatoes. Bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until heated through. If desired, sprinkle with paprika and top with chopped chives.
Nutrition Facts
1/2 cup: 282 calories, 19g fat (14g saturated fat), 72mg cholesterol, 515mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 12g protein.