This oven baked 4-ingredient apple and potato casserole is pure cozy Sunday supper food, the kind of dish that quietly steals the show right in the middle of the table. My aunt started making it when I was a kid, usually when she had a bag of potatoes, a couple of apples, and not much else before payday. The potatoes bake up tender with browned, crispy edges, and the apples turn soft and caramelized, all held together with a simple creamy base. It’s budget-friendly, comforting, and one of those casseroles that somehow disappears faster than anything else on the table.
Serve this apple and potato casserole hot from the oven with roasted chicken, pork chops, or a simple skillet sausage for a complete Sunday-style supper. A crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette helps balance the richness, and steamed green beans or buttered peas make an easy veggie side. If you’re serving brunch, pair it with scrambled eggs or an egg bake and some toast. Leftovers reheat well and go nicely next to a slice of ham or even on their own with a little extra salt and pepper.
Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Apple and Potato CasseroleServings: 6
Ingredients
2 lb russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large firm apples (such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), cored and thinly sliced
2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish so the potatoes and apples don’t stick.
Peel the potatoes and slice them into thin rounds, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Core the apples and slice them thinly as well, leaving the peel on if you like a little more texture.
In a large bowl, toss the sliced potatoes and apples with the kosher salt, using your hands to gently separate any pieces that want to stick together so the salt is evenly distributed.
Layer about half of the potato and apple slices in the prepared baking dish, spreading them out in an even layer so there aren’t big gaps. It’s fine if the apples and potatoes overlap and mingle together.
Pour half of the heavy cream or half-and-half evenly over this first layer, letting it sink down between the slices.
Add the remaining potatoes and apples on top in another even layer, again letting them overlap naturally. Pour the remaining cream evenly over the top, making sure most of the slices are moistened. Gently press down with your hands or the back of a spoon so everything settles into the cream.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes, until the potatoes are starting to turn tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
Remove the foil and continue baking, uncovered, for another 25–35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned, the cream is bubbling, and the apples look soft and caramelized around the edges. The potatoes should be fully tender when pierced.
Let the casserole rest for 10–15 minutes before serving. This helps the creamy juices thicken slightly so you get neat scoops with tender potatoes, soft caramelized apples, and nicely browned edges.
Variations & Tips
If your family likes things a bit sweeter, you can sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar or drizzle a tablespoon of maple syrup over the top before baking, without changing the core 4-ingredient idea. For extra savoriness, use a mix of salted and unsalted potatoes (such as Yukon Gold and russet) and bump the salt up slightly to taste. If you’re cooking for picky eaters who aren’t sure about apples in a savory dish, start with a milder apple like Gala and slice it very thin so it simply melts into the potatoes. You can also cut the apples into small matchsticks and tuck them between potato layers so they’re less noticeable. For a richer casserole, use all heavy cream; for something lighter, use half-and-half and reduce the amount slightly if you prefer a drier bake. This recipe also scales well: use a smaller baking dish and halve everything for a cozy weeknight side, or double it in two dishes for a big family gathering. Leftovers can be reheated covered in the oven or in the microwave with a splash of cream to bring back the silky texture.
