Cheddar and Leek Potato Bake

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Potatoes and cheddar cheese partner with sauteed leeks for a rich and satisfying side dish or meatless entree.

We are big potato fans around here. French fries, potato salad, mashed potatoes. A certain 7-year old hasn’t quite made up his mind about potatoes, but the rest of us love them. I’m happy to eat potatoes and salad for a meal any day of the week.

Typically potatoes go on sale right about this time each year. In the last year, I’ve seen prices as low as $0.99/10 pound bag for conventional potatoes and $2.50/5 pound bag on organics. If I see those prices, likely I will stock up. Potatoes are freezer friendly in some instances; mashed and twice baked potatoes freeze and reheat beautifully — and save you a lot of time on serving night.

This potato dish was a very pleasant treat this week. I had some leftover mashed potatoes from dinner that I mixed with cheddar cheese, sauteed leeks, salt and pepper and a little milk. I stashed it in the fridge until about 30 minutes before baking, though, I’m pretty confident this would freeze well also.

The resulting potato bake was rich and flavorful, thanks to the leeks and cheddar cheese. And the cheddar crust on top made for a nice contrast with the creamy potato interior. It made a great side dish for my meat lovers and a tasty main dish for moi.

Recipe: Cheddar and Leek Potato Bake

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, chopped, white parts only
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups mashed potatoes
2 cups shredded cheese
milk to thin, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 °. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the leeks and saute over low heat until the leeks are tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, leeks, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Add enough milk to create a thick puree.
Spoon this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Top the potato mixture with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese. (Can be covered and refrigerated at this point, if making ahead.)
Bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are hot and the cheddar top has melted and started to turn golden brown. (If cooking a dish that has been refrigerated, you may need to increase the time 10 to 15 minutes.)
Serve hot.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

About Jessica Fisher

I believe great meals don't have to be complicated or expensive. There's a better way, and it won't take all afternoon.

Comments

mjskit says
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Your potato bake looks awesome! I love the combination of leek and potatoes! Thanks for hosting another swap!
Jackie Brown says
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I just got 20 pounds for $6, using coupons. Yay, we love potatoes in a variety of ways. I posted mine. Thanks.
Laura@ Stealthy Mom says
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Thank you so much for hosting this link-up! The potato theme is such great timing for us… We live in rural Iowa, and our local grocery store does not sell much organic food. They did agree to order some potatoes for me, though, if I would buy the whole case. Today’s truck will have 50 pounds of potatoes on it just for us…
I shared Easy Potato Soup, which is how we make a ‘tater soup in an hour without cans, stock, or roux. Some readers may enjoy our Veggie Poutine, our take on the traditional French Canadian dish with fries, cheese and gravy.
Bibi @ Frugal Wannabe Cooks says
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Your Cheddar & Leek Potato Bake looks so delicious….perfect comfort meal. Thank you for hosting….I love making dishes with potatoes and I love all this inspiration.
BJ says
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Growing up, I was taught the you should never freeze potatoes. Though I’ve asked many people since then, why, I’ve never been satisfied with an answer. I’m glad to see that you mentioned freezing mashed potatoes, as I would love to have shepherd’s pies made and ready to throw from freezer to oven. I’ve always avoided it, though, because of being told never to freeze potatoes. Do you also freeze soups or stews with potatoes in it?
- Jessica Fisher says
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  Personally, I only use red potatoes in soups that I’m going to freeze. I don’t like the texture of russets in soup that has thawed.
Tara says
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This looks and sounds delicious! I love potato soup, but I don’t think you can go wrong with potatoes, leeks, and cheddar cheese. Thanks for sharing it!
Kristin says
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Maybe I missed it, but did you post URS topics for March?
- Jessica Fisher says
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  They are here: http://lifeasmom.com/features/ultimate-recipe-swap
  - Kristin says
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    Thank you! I looked and looked and couldn’t seem to find it.

Cheddar and Leek Potato Bake