We are living in such a different world right now! Many of you are turning to your kitchens and cooking and baking much more than usual. It seems that cooking is calming and helps to pass the time when we are spending so much of it indoors. It makes us happy and we need this for sure. Plus the bonus is that we get to eat some very tasty meals. I made this delicious dish back in February when our world was ordinary for all of us here. Being part Irish I love anything with potatoes so I doubled Stephen’s recipe to have extras as leftovers. It freezes just fine for future meals. Try this dish, you will be glad you did. Thanks as always Stephen for caring and sharing!

STEPHEN'S POTATO AND LEEK GRATIN

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Ingredients

2 tbsp. butter
1 very large leek thinly sliced, using only the white and pale green parts.
2 cloves of fresh garlic minced fine
1/2 cup of heavy cream (this is 35% cream) Note that if you don't have any cream you could get away with canned evaporated milk from your pantry if necessary. Same goes for the homogenized milk.)
3/4 cup of homogenized milk (If you don't have homogenized milk, just do as I do and use skim milk and just add a tbsp. of heavy cream to make it similar to homogenized)
1- 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. Hungarian paprika
3 large Russet potatoes peeled and sliced thinly
1 -1/2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped finely
1/2 cup extra old cheddar cheese grated 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, curls or grated

Instructions

-Preheat your oven to 375 degrees regular bake. Oven rack second from the bottom.

-Lightly butter a 9″pie dish or 9″x9″square baking dish or a medium sized au gratin dish. Set aside.

-In a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter and add the sliced leeks.

-Saute this until tender, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant for a minute or so. Do not let the garlic brown.

-Add the cream, milk, Kosher salt and pepper and Hungarian paprika. Bring this mixture to a simmer and then add the sliced potatoes. Cook this for 5minutes, then stir in the fresh chopped thyme leaves.

-Combine the both cheeses in a small bowl.

-Transfer 1/3 of the potato and leek mixture to the prepared buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the combined grated cheeses. Repeat this layering, pouring some of the cream mixture between each layer over the grated cheese.

-Place in your pre-heated oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes of until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown.

-Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

You can garnish with a pinch or two or paprika and chopped chives. ENJOY!! Remember that this can be easily doubled and freeze extras. Enjoy!