I really do love potatoes - they’re basically their own food group in my house - and this Simple Potato and Gruyere Galette is a truly delectable way to showcase spuds. A crispy crust swaddles tender potatoes and caramelized onions, with gooey Gruyere and the unexpected bright bits of za’atar . . . honestly, I could eat this dish for every meal!
While “galette” may make you think of dessert, you should definitely expand your recipe repertoire to include a savory galette. Need some inspiration? Try this Ham and Cheese Galette (a great way to use leftover ham) or my Simple Artichoke and Spinach Savory Galette. When those beautiful heirloom tomatoes start showing up at your farmer’s market, cue up this delectable Tomato and Goat Cheese Galette!
What Makes This Recipe Work?
If you’re wondering, “What does galette mean?” think of it as a cross between a pie and a pizza. It’s a rustic dish made by using a flat piece of pie dough to layer either savory or sweet ingredients onto. You fold the edges of the crust over the filling a bit so it resembles a pizza, then bake until it’s golden brown. It’s the “rustic” quality I love about the presentation of this recipe, and the flavor. Well, how can you go wrong with cheese and potatoes?
We all know starches of any kind play well with cheese, and I add two types to this potato galette recipe. It’s basically layers of luscious scalloped potatoes with Gruyere wrapped in a buttery blanket of crispy pastry. Such a beautiful texture!
The surprise ingredient in this savory galette is za’atar which is a Middle Eastern blend of herbs that include some old favorites - oregano and thyme - but also sesame seeds and sumac, which adds an almost lemony quality to the dish. The slightly tart, subtly acidic flavor really balances and complements the earthiness of the potatoes and the richness of the cheese.
Ingredients
- Pie dough- If you can find pre-made dough, feel free to use it. However, making your own is simpler than you think, and it freezes well so you can make extra and just thaw as needed. Here’s a great tutorial on making a light and flaky whole wheat crust.
- Onions- I prefer yellow onions since they caramelize nicely. Just be sure they’re thinly sliced and cook them in a skillet over medium heat. “Low and slow” is the key to browning the onions without burning.
- Olive oil- Use a high-quality, extra virgin oil since it’ll be drizzled over the finished galette.
- Garlic- You’ll add this towards the end of the onion caramelization process, so make sure it’s minced finely so it cooks quickly.
- Cream cheese- Softening the cream cheese ahead of time will help it spread easily and avoid ripping the crust.
- Gruyere- Grated Gruyere cheese is the perfect complement to this dish, but you can use plain Swiss cheese if it’s not available.
- Za-atar- Don’t be afraid of this possibly new-to-you spice blend. It’s a wonderful addition to this galette. Za'atar is a great seasoning addition to this recipe.
- Salt- Use fine kosher salt, not coarse.
- Pepper- Freshly ground pepper is best, and I sometimes add a little after the galette is baked so you really get the full flavor.
- Potatoes- I used Yukon gold potatoes since they’re my favorite, but you can use red potatoes or russet potatoes.
- Egg- Since this is just for brushing the crust, you can use whatever size eggs you have on hand.
- Milk- Milk or cream will work, or you can substitute water in a pinch.
How to Make
- Roll out the pie dough into a large circle, about 18-20 inches. Make sure it’s chilled and work quickly so it doesn’t soften too much before baking.
- Fill the middle section of the dough with your filling, making sure to leave at least 1 ½-2 inches around the edges unfilled.
- Fold the edges over, working in 2-4 inch sections. Pleat as you work your way around the circle to keep it from unfolding.
- Egg wash the edges to create the beautiful brown crust we’re looking for here.
- Bake until the potatoes are tender and the edges are golden.
- Cool a bit, then serve. That's it!
Tips for Making This Simple Potato and Gruyere Galette
- Keeping your potato slices nice and thin is important for consistent cooking times. Feel free to use the slicer blade on your food processor or a mandolin to ensure the slices are even. You can use these methods for your onions as well.
- If you’re not a big Gruyere fan like I am, you can always use other grated cheeses in this recipe. Fontina, Dubliner, or a white cheddar are all great choices for a Gruyere substitute.
- Za’atar is pretty readily available, but if you can’t find it, try other Mediterranean herbs you like: fresh thyme, oregano, a little rosemary, or whatever combination sounds good to you.
- This recipe makes one large galette, but you can always make individual-sized versions as I did in my Rustic Blueberry and Cherry Galettes recipe. I recommend rolling these to no smaller than 8-10 inches so you’ll have room for the potatoes.
- I like to eat this as a light meal with a simple green salad, but you could also serve it as a breakfast galette with over-easy eggs on top, or as a side dish with something like this Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin or a roasted chicken.
Can you refrigerate a galette before baking?
Although this recipe really does come together quickly, you can make it up to two days ahead before baking. This is particularly helpful if you’re making several for a brunch or dinner party. Just keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator so it doesn’t dry out before baking.
This rustic cheese and potato pie is a scrumptious and versatile dish to add to your meal-planning rotation. Once you understand the basic galette-making process, you can experiment with different seasonal vegetables or fruits. First stop, crispy potato galette. Next stop, your own imagination!
Potato and Gruyere Galette
Ingredients
- ½ recipe pie dough, chilled and ready to go I included the recipe I love, but you can also buy one premade! When I say ½ recipe, I am referring to just one layer of pie dough. My recipe makes enough for the top and bottom crust, you will only need one.
- 2 cups onions, thinkly slice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus more more drizzling on the potatoes before and after baking
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1 cup grated gruyere
- 1 teaspoon za'atar seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more for sprinkling on the potatoes before baking
- cracked black pepper
- 3-6 medium-size potatoes I used yellow, as they are my favorite, use whatever potato you prefer.
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Remember to read instructions all the way through before beginning.
- Roll pie dough into an 18-20 inch circle. Don't worry about perfection here, galettes are supposed to be "rustic", meaning they do not need to be perfect.
- Place the pie circle on a parchment-lined baking sheet. It will hang over a touch, but don't worry, it will get folded over the filling. Move this to the fridge to chill while you work on the rest.
- Heat a small pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Then add in your onions and reduce heat to low. Cook the onions for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are caramelized. Add in the garlic at the end of the cooking time and allow them to cook for about 4 minutes with the onions.
- While it is cooking, mix the cream cheese, gruyere, za'atar, and salt in a small bowl. Once it is combined, remove the pie dough from the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees while you finish putting together the galette.
- In a small bowl, mix the egg and milk for the egg wash. Set aside.
- Spread the filling in the middle of the pie dough circle, leaving about 1 ½-2 inches all the way around without filling. Add the caramelized onions and garlic on top.
- Slice your potatoes about ⅛ inch thick and layer them on top of the onions all the way around. Fold up edges on the galette. Working in about 2-4 inch sections, fold each section in, pleating as you go. Gently press to ensure it stays in place.
- Brush the edges with egg wash. Next, brush the potato slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
- Place in the oven and bake until the potatoes are tender and the crust a golden brown.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool slightly, I like to wait about 5-10 minutes before cutting.
Notes
- Keeping your potato slices nice and thin is important for consistent cooking times. Feel free to use the slicer blade on your food processor or a mandolin to ensure the slices are even. You can use these methods for your onions as well.
- If you’re not a big Gruyere fan like I am, you can always use other grated cheeses in this recipe. Fontina, Dubliner, or a white cheddar are all great choices for a Gruyere substitute.
- Za’atar is pretty readily available, but if you can’t find it, try other Mediterranean herbs you like: fresh thyme, oregano, a little rosemary, or whatever combination sounds good to you.
- This recipe makes one large galette, but you can always make individual-sized versions as I did in my Rustic Blueberry and Cherry Galettes recipe. I recommend rolling these to no smaller than 8-10 inches so you’ll have room for the potatoes.
- I like to eat this as a light meal with a simple green salad, but you could also serve it as a breakfast galette with over-easy eggs on top, or as a side dish with something like this Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin or a roasted chicken.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!