au gratin

American  

[oh graht-n, oh grat-n, aw graht-n, aw grat-n, oh gra-tan] / oʊ ˈgrɑt n, oʊ ˈgræt n, ɔ ˈgrɑt n, ɔ ˈgræt n, oʊ graˈtɛ̃ /

adjective

Cooking.

1. cooked or baked with a topping of either browned breadcrumbs and butter or grated cheese, or with both: cauliflower au gratin.

   au gratin potatoes;

   cauliflower au gratin.

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au gratin British  

/ o ɡratɛ̃ /

adjective

1. Also: gratinated.  covered and cooked with browned breadcrumbs and sometimes cheese

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Etymology

Origin of au gratin

First recorded in 1800–10; from French: literally, “with the scraping,” (i.e., the burnt part)

Example Sentences

They hosed down food carts, bagged trash and helped prepare the day’s lunch: ham and macaroni au gratin, stir-fried snow peas and citrus gelatin cubes.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 22, 2021

He makes soothing dishes from his midwestern upbringing like beef stew and potatoes au gratin.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2020

This is Southern chef food you can make at home; the macaroni au gratin recipe alone practically justifies the book’s purchase.

From Washington Post • Nov. 28, 2016

We were having dinner that night at the Stehekin Valley Ranch, where they were serving baked chicken, potatoes au gratin and at least five different homemade pies.

From New York Times • Sep. 17, 2014

Plus, there was a choice of buttered carrots, lima beans, french-fried onions, and potatoes au gratin.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple