We threw away our recipes for potatoes au gratin, galette de pommes de terre, and pommes Anna, when we discovered this dish from Margaret Williamson. It is better than all of those other cheesy potato dishes and it is simply the best potato side dish you’ll ever encounter. Margaret loves to clip recipes from various sources, having owned a catering business, and she is always trying something new. This is one of the few recipes that she actually keeps with her on all of her travels, as it is always a hit with diners from Europe to the US. It is simple to put together if you are quick with the potato peeling and slicing. And then you just have to wait for the bubbling goodness to come out of the oven.
Serves 12
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 c. cream
- 2 c. 2% reduced-fat milk
- 2 c. thinly sliced leeks (about 2 large leeks, just the white part)
- 1 t. salt
- ¼ t. ground black pepper
- 3 lbs. potatoes (Yukon gold or russets), peeled and cut into ¼” slices
- 8 thyme sprigs, left whole and intact
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Cooking spray
- 1 c. shredded Gruyère cheese
DIRECTIONS:
-Preheat oven to 375F.
-Place cream, milk, leek, salt, pepper, potato, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic in Dutch oven and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 min., or until potatoes are tender. Discard thyme and bay leaf.
-Spoon ½ of the potato mixture into a 13×9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with ½ of the cheese. Top with remaining potatoes and remaining cheese. Bake 375F for 1 hour or until golden brown. Stand 10 minutes before serving.