
Do you like potatoes? I do like them, but I was never a fan of au gratin-style potatoes. It just wasn’t my thing. I’m also picky about how I like my potatoes cooked. I’m not a fan of baked or mashed. I like the unhealthy versions of cooking potatoes – fried, as in French Fries! Okay, so I am putting it out there, when it comes to potatoes, I only like them fried or roasted. That was until now and I made this recipe that the Disney Park blogs shared back in September. I can now add ‘au gratin potatoes,’ to my list of LIKES now.
I want to share a little background information about this recipe. The recipe is named after the riverboat, Empress Lilly, named in honor of Walt Disney’s wife, Lillian. Empress Lilly opened its location in 1977. This recipe originally appeared on its menu, which at that time was considered an elegant dining experience at Walt Disney World. How cool is that? Let’s get to the recipe!

Empress Lilly Au Gratin Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1 tbsp finely grated onion, optional
- 3 tbsps shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake potatoes 50 to 60 minutes, or until soft enough to pierce with a fork. Refrigerate to cool, then peel and coarsely grate.
- Bring half and half almost to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, celery salt, and onion. Mix in grated potatoes.
- Reduce oven heat to 350°F. Spoon potatoes into buttered 1-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.
Video
Notes
It looks like I found a new way of making potatoes! Although, it may not be the healthiest version with all the cheese and Half & Half, it’s still a winner. I served this the evening I made the YouTube video. My husband and Michael really enjoyed it! Alex – not so much, but he’s another story. This is so easy to make! In under 30 minutes, you have an excellent side dish.
I hope you enjoy this week’s recipe and video! If you would like to try this recipe, you can print it out above. Let me know if you try it! I would love to hear how it goes and if your family enjoyed it. Please check out my YouTube video as well. Be sure to comment, subscribe and give it a thumbs up!
Did you miss my last Disney Recipe? You can read it here.
Thank you for stopping by! I would love to talk more! Please come hang out with me on Instagram at @Lovealwaysjoann. You can also find me on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. If you want to be alerted when I publish a new post, you can follow me on Bloglovin’, or subscribe via email.

Looks delicious! I’ll confess that I love potatoes pretty much any way they are cooked…One of my favorite foods for sure! I’ll have to try these scalloped potatoes, I especially like the sound of the onion added in.
It was delicious! Please let me know if you make it. Thank you for stopping by.