Simple Recipes for Every Day
Potato Leek Au Gratin
- Serves: 8
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, plus more for greasing
- 3 pounds leeks, cut into ¼-thick slices
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces grated gruyère cheese
- 2 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ¾-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives, plus more for serving
Method
Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or a large cast iron skillet with butter.
Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the leeks and stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the milk, cream, blue cheese, garlic, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes more. Be careful not to boil. Remove from the heat, and let the mixture cool slightly in the skillet.
In a large bowl, combine the gruyere and parmesan cheese.
To the prepared baking dish, add 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 the baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and discard foil. Return to the oven uncovered and bake until the potatoes are fork-tender and the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes more. Let cool for 15 minutes.
To serve, sprinkle with chives.