Potatoes smothered in cheese never fails as a delicious pairing, and this Peruvian twist on a mouth watering dish is no exception. These potatoes au gratin are drenched in a homemade Huancaína cheese sauce mixed with Peruvian aji amarillo peppers and Spanish onions.
recipe 
yields
Serves 6 to 8
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small Spanish onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2–3 Peruvian aji amarillo peppers, seeded and deveined (or 2-3 tablespoons paste*)
1 cup queso fresco
½ cup evaporated milk, plus more as needed
4 saltine crackers
½ teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon pepper, plus more as needed
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
Butter for greasing
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, sliced into ⅓-inch thick rounds
1 cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated parmesan cheese (for topping)
*Find aji amarillo pepper paste in Latin grocery stores and online.
For the Huancaína cheese sauce:
For the potatoes au gratin:
steps
- Make the Huancaína sauce: In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add aji amarillo (or paste) and cook for 1 minute more.
- Transfer to a blender. Add queso fresco, evaporated milk, crackers, salt, and pepper.
Blend until smooth and creamy, adjusting consistency with more milk if needed. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.
- Make the gratin: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small saucepan, heat cream and milk just until warm. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Layer half of the sliced potatoes in bottom of dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour half of the Huancaína sauce over potatoes, followed by half of the cream mixture and ½ cup mozzarella. Repeat for another layer (potatoes, sauce, cream, cheese) until everything is used up. Finish with parmesan cheese on top.
- Cover dish with foil and bake 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbling. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Date Published: 10.22.25
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Recipe by
From Eileen Andrades, Finka Table & Tap, Miami, Florida -
Contributing City
Miami
