First, some housekeeping:

This giveaway has ended

Leeks and potatoes. They are two delicious vegetables that are often found together in soup. But I happened to have both last week and needed to use them because the leek was huge and taking up a lot of space in my fridge.

But I couldn’t make potato leek soup, because I was already making french dip sandwiches. I had a dilemma.

I solved my dilemma by taking the basic idea of potatoes au gratin, adding leeks and garlic, and baking the whole thing in the oven. It turned out tasting a lot like potato leek soup, but could easily be served next to a sandwich.

Potatoes and Leeks Au Gratin

Ingredients:

• 4 medium russet potatoes, sliced very thin
• 1 leek, sliced into thin rings
• salt and pepper  to taste
• 2 C. milk
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 4 Tbsp. flour
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
• 1/4 C. parmesan cheese

Step 1: Slice the potatoes very thin. Slice the leeks into thin rings and  rinse them well in a colander. If you’ve never used leeks before, they are very, very dirty. They get sand and mud in between their layers, and it is difficult to get out. Rinsing them in a colander or sieve helps.

Step 2: layer 1/2 the potatoes into the bottom of a baking dish. sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, then layer 1/2 the leeks on top. Repeat with the other potatoes, a little more salt and pepper, then the rest of the leeks.

Step 3: Heat the butter in a medium saucepan. Once it’s melted, whisk in the flour and add the garlic. Then add the milk slowly, whisking all the time. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, then let it reduce over medium heat. Pour the reduced sauce over the potatoes and leeks.

Step 4: Top with the parmesan cheese. Cover the dish with tinfoil, then bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour and 15 minutes. Then uncover the dish and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the top is browned.

This turned out to be a nice, creamy side with a mild onion flavor from the leeks. It went well with sandwiches, but would be particularly good with chicken or pork chops.

The Wife

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