Potato and Leek Gratin
Potato and Leek Gratin
When Tradition meets Nutrition it’s called “Tratrition”. I made that up, but it describes this classic dish we’ve all come to love and adore. Traditionally a gratin is made with cream and lots of butter and cheese, ingredients we love but are not the healthiest for us. With a little tweaking we can fit in the nutrition while maintaining the flavors and textures we expect.
The potatoes and leeks are cut in even slices, made much easier with a mandoline slicer. Let’s just say, I love my mandoline slicer. I have the Oxo brand, so not necessarily high end, but it’s doing the job every time. Slicing apples for my Superb Apple Pie or zucchini for Zucchini Lasagna is a cinch with a mandoline.
Instead of burying the potatoes and leeks in cream, a drizzle of fat free half and half is added to every layer of the gratin; the potatoes get wonderfully crisp and tender, and the cheeses form a melty, golden crust. This rustic and rich potato side with its contrasting flavors and textures matches well with the Herb Roasted Pork Loin, the Berries and Nuts Spinach Salad and the Avocado Bacon Deviled Eggs if you’re serving an Easter feast.
Enjoy potatoes for their nutritional benefits. They’re super high in fiber, potassium, vitamin C, B6 and iron. Folks often bypass the potato because of its high carbohydrate content, but we need some carbs to sustain energy needs. I’d rather get my carbs from a high nutrient dense source like the potato than from useless white flour carbs found in crackers or chips or doughnuts.
- Potato and Leek Gratin
- 2 1/2 cups fat-free half and half
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 large leek, trimmed, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp sea salt, divided
- 2 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine fat-free half and half, potatoes, and garlic in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup half and half mixture.
- Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or gratin dish over medium heat. Add leek; cook 5 to 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat; place leek mixture in a bowl. Arrange half of potato slices in a single layer in bottom of skillet or a gratin dish; top evenly with half of leek mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup Swiss cheese. Repeat layers with remaining half of potatoes, remaining half of leek mixture, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 cup Swiss cheese. Drizzle with reserved 1/2 cup half and half mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Cover pan and bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove cover from pan. Turn on broiler (do not remove pan from oven). Broil 5 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Remove pan from oven, and sprinkle with pepper; cool. Cut into 8 to 10 wedges.
Notes
Per serving: 116 calories, 3 grams fat, 16 grams carb, 6 grams protein