Colder weather takes me to meat and potatoes mode - comfort food that's filling and makes me think of growing up in the country. And while my table holds fewer meals that are mostly large chunks of meat plus starchy veggies, there's a place for leaning into a bit of comfort and, for me, that means working taters into my meal plans. This time around, we're making a delightful Potato Leek Bake that's brimming with creamy cheese and the flavors of fall.
If you want to keep this dish vegetarian, opt for vegetable stock. Can you use other cheeses? Yes. Opt for varieties that melt well and will compliment one another. If you are in a pinch, you can use just one kind of cheese, but try to choose something bold, like a smoked sharp cheddar. I've also done well with combining a generous sprinkling of blue cheese and smoked mozzarella before. Be creative!
I love serving this dish with everything from a pork or beef roast to sautéed chicken or stuffed squash. It's always the perfect combination of holiday flair and comfort food classics. Grab your cast iron skillet and let's get started!
Potato Leek Bake
- Cooking oil spray
- 2 large leeks - trimmed, sliced, and washed
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- 1 ½ lbs. potatoes - sliced thinly
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 oz. parmesan cheese - grated
- 1.7 oz mozzarella cheese - grated
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Spray a cast iron skillet with some cooking oil spray. Heat it over a medium high heat; add the leeks and garlic and fry until softened. Season with salt and black pepper; remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add half of the leek mixture back to the cast iron skillet, then add half of the potatoes in a layer. Sprinkle the potatoes with half of the parmesan cheese. Add the other half of the leeks, then a final layer of the potatoes. Pour the chicken or vegetable stock over the top of everything in the skillet. Top with all of the mozzarella cheese and the other half of parmesan cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden and the potatoes are cooked through, approximately 45 minutes. Serve warm.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 1 hour