Pommes Anna with blue cheese

Experience the beautiful intricacy of pommes Anna with blue cheese

Indulge in this cheesy, buttery classic with tender potatoes that are crispy on top. Delicate layers bake into a compact potato cake that feels both elegant and unexpectedly indulgent. Castello® Creamy Blue adds tanginess to the mild potato slices. A simple potato side turns into something bolder, crisp at the edges, tender within and threaded through with blue cheese from top to bottom.

Overlapping potato slices baked tender and golden

The technique behind this blue cheese potato gratin is deceptively simple, though it rewards patience. Potatoes are sliced very thinly and arranged in overlapping layers, each one brushed with butter and seasoned as it goes. Baked low and slow under a lid or aluminium foil, the slices soften and fuse, releasing their starch to bind everything into one dense, sliceable bake. By the time it comes out of the oven, the top has turned a deep amber and the inside has gone completely soft.

Melted butter with intense Castello® Creamy Blue in every layer

Rather than sitting on top as a garnish, the cheese here is worked directly into the butter before it ever touches a potato. As Castello® Creamy Blue melts into the warm butter, it loosens into a rich, pourable mixture with a pronounced tang and a distinct, savoury edge. Brushed between each layer, it seeps into every gap as the potato cake bakes. The blue cheese flavour runs consistently through the whole thing rather than concentrating in one spot, giving real intensity to every bite.

An elegant side for formal dinners and celebrations

Pommes Anna has always leaned toward the formal end of the table, and this blue cheese recipe is no exception. Its neat, golden presentation makes it an easy way to dress up a roast dinner or a special-occasion spread without much extra effort. Slice it into wedges or squares and serve alongside braised short ribs, blue cheese steak or another substantial main, letting the potatoes soak up any resting juices from the meat.

It also suits a wider celebration table. Serve it next to a roasted broccoli salad for a fresher contrast or pair it with smoked salmon bites and stuffed mini peppers. Because it can be baked ahead and reheated, it saves you time so you can focus on more demanding elements of the menu.

Discover the iconic French potato cake

Pommes Anna traces back to Paris in the mid-19th century, credited to chef Adolphe Dugléré during his time at the Café Anglais, one of the most fashionable restaurants of the Second Empire. It is thought to be named after Anna Deslions, a well-known figure in Parisian high society at the time, which places its origins firmly within the era's elite dining culture.

What set it apart then, and still does now, is the technique. There is no long list of ingredients to hide behind, only very thinly sliced potatoes, butter and the patience to stack them properly. Traditionally, it was served as an accompaniment to roast beef and other rich meats at grand meals, a role suited to its crisp, buttery character. Blue cheese is a modern addition to that history, turning a classic French garnish into a bolder, more contemporary side dish.

Try adding different ingredients to find your personal favourite

This pommes Anna recipe is already a new take on a classic, but you can still add other ingredients to make it your own. For example, add chopped chives or thinly sliced spring onions between each layer. You can also add extra cheese types: try shredded Castello® Mature Cheddar and a soft cream cheese to balance out the stronger-flavoured cheeses.

For a more aromatic result, work fresh thyme leaves into the butter and cheese mixture before brushing it between the slices, or add a little crushed garlic for a savoury depth that plays well against the blue cheese. A pinch of paprika stirred into the butter deepens the colour of the finished bake and adds a gentle warmth.