This creamy au gratin potatoes recipe with a crunchy potato chip crust was created last Thanksgiving when my brother in law and his partner in Utah challenged me to try making a kicked up version of “funeral potatoes”. I had no idea what funeral potatoes were. Evidently, they’re a creamy potato casserole commonly served at funerals in Utah. Uniquely, traditional funeral potatoes are topped with a corn flake crust.

While these are somewhere between a traditional au gratin potatoes recipe and a funeral potatoes recipe, the result is delicious. This makes a perfect and unique Thanksgiving side dish. I combined some of my favorite cheeses (gruyere and a nice sharp cheddar) and modified the corn flake crust with a colorful mix of salty potato and vegetable chips to give it a nice crunch to contrast with the creamy, cheesy, potatoes.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

• 2 pounds of russet potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced on a mandoline)

• 1 and 1/2 cups sour cream

• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese

• 5 Tablespoons of butter

• 1 pint half and half

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper