Potatoes, every way we love em:
A Leek Potato Recipe To Fall For
Potatoes, leeks sauteed in butter, three kinds of cheese. Whole milk and heavy cream. It’s a fool-proof recipe for happy faces at the dinner table. Julia Child said “if you’re afraid of butter, use cream” and this over-the-top take on potatoes au gratin with Gruyére wholeheartedly embraces that spirit. We’ve got other great potato dishes lined up for you in our Potatoes au Gratin, Scalloped potatoes, and more in our Thanksgiving Roundup.
What Makes Potatoes “Au Gratin”?
Essentially, an “au gratin”—classically made with potatoes—is a dish that is covered with a layer of crusty, bubbly cheese. It’s a glamorous potato leek casserole brimming with butter and cream, these festively decadent leek-studded potatoes au gratin with plenty of Gruyére and blue cheese are your new favorite side. Potato and leek dauphinoise—while similarly a baked, creamy dish of sliced potatoes and leeks with a bubbling, browned crust—is differentiated from a potato gratin by the fact that potato dauphinoise is always made without cheese. Serve them with Kale Salad, Roast Turkey, Brussels Sprouts Gratin, Grated Beet Salad, Broccolini au Gratin, and Sweet Potato Casserole at your feast!
Ingredients For This Potato And Leek Recipe
Heavy cream, whole milk, and salted butter
3 pounds leeks and 2 pounds russet potatoes
Cheese: Crumbled blue cheese, grated parmesan cheese, grated gruyere cheese
Garlic cloves, stone ground mustard, grated nutmeg, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
How Do You Make Leek And Potato Gratin?
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Grease your pan. A 9x13-inch baking dish or a large cast iron skillet with butter will work.
Cook the leeks in butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the milk, cream, blue cheese, garlic, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and cook until slightly thickened.
Combine the gruyere and parmesan cheese in a big bowl.
Layer your ingredients in your baking dish, starting with ⅓ of the potatoes, then pour ⅓ of the leek mixture over top. Evenly sprinkle with ⅓ of the cheese mixture and 1 tablespoon of the chives. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and bake until the potatoes are fork-tender and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes more.
Sprinkle with chives and serve.
How to Store Leftovers + Tips
Make ahead! This leek and potato gratin is the ideal make-ahead dish, and we know those words are music to your ears. You can easily assemble this recipe 48 hours ahead of time.
Wash your leeks after you prep them. Leeks can trap a little grit in between their fine layers, so give them a good rinse under running water after you’ve chopped them to be sure they’re totally clean.
On Gruyére: A Swiss cheese can only be labeled “Gruyére” if it is made in that region of Switzerland. Because it is aged for at least a year and then imported, it can be a bit more expensive than other Swiss cheese you might find. We think its distinctive rich, nutty flavor is worth the splurge, but you can substitute a less expensive Swiss cheese and your guests will be none the wiser.
Selecting a blue cheese. Most any blue will work for this, but be aware that some are much more pungent than others. We like a relatively mild, crumbly blue for this dish—particularly if you’re feeding a crowd that may include some picky eaters.
Resist the urge to swap out lower fat milk or cream. It’s a creamy, bubbly, buttery baking dish full of potatoes au gratin with Gruyére! It’s soul food, not health food. And that’s OK! Swapping out a lower fat dairy for the heavy cream and whole milk will result in a watery gratin, which is just no fun. Reserve this recipe for when you’re ready to live it up.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Super Satisfying Side Dishes From The Modern Proper
We Love Potatoes (And More!) At The Modern Proper
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