Potato Gratin

Walk down the grocery isle and look at the options for boxed potatoes. Do yourself a favor, bypass these and make your own. The taste is 1000 times better.

1 stick butter, in all

4 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and green parts only

6 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt to taste

1 pound mixed mushrooms, coarsely chopped

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 generous teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

2 cups chicken stock, in all

1 3/4 cups half & half

3 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

Creole seasoning to taste

10 ounces Gruyére cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 400℉.

Melt half the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeksand sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.With the flat of a chef's knife, grind the gralicto a paste with a little salt and stir until the leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft and beginningto brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and return the skillet to the heat. Add mushrooms, cayenne pepper and thyme, sauté until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup chicken stockto skillet to deglaze; return leeks to skillet, combine, and remove from heat.

Butter a large caserole dish. Combine remaining stock and half & Half. Layer one third of potatoes over the bottomof the baking dish and sprinkle with Creole seasoning, then spread half the mushroom mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Top with half of the remaining potatoes, pour half of the stock mixture over potatoes, and sprinkle with Creole seasoning. Spread remaining mushroom mixture over potatoes and sprinkle with a scant half of the remaining cheese. Layer the remaining potatoes in the dish, pour the rest of the stock mixture over, and sprinkle with Creole seasoning and the remaining cheese.

Transfer to oven and bake until potatoes are very tender and sauce is bubbling and thick, about 9 minutes. Allow to rest at least 20 minutes before serving.

Check Out the Top 80 Chef Blogs

Enjoy!!!

Creole & Cajun Comfort Food is now available online.

#youcanttakeneworleansoutofthecook

#creoleandcajuncomfortfood

Good Cooking, Good Eating and Good Living!!!