Artichoke, Leek, Potato and Cheese Casserole
This is an easy and delicious side dish that can be made with simple ingredients
This is an easy and delicious side dish that can be made with simple ingredients
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 each leeks, white and light green parts only sliced into think half moon shapes
- 1 tablespooon celery seed
- 14 oz can artichokes drained and coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 8 oz cream cheese, light room temperature
- 3 large red potatoes sliced very thinly using a mandoline
- shredded cheese as desired for topping i used an italian blen (mozzarella, provolone, romano, asiago and parmesan
- Carbohydrate 35.52995051449 g
- Cholesterol 20.544656632 mg
- Fat 7.15462660453525 g
- Fiber 4.05728100919035 g
- Protein 7.28075514252808 g
- Saturated Fat 3.67648168095078 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serve (239g)
- Sodium 284.279607910311 mg
- Sugar 31.4726695052997 g
- Trans Fat 0.646957634338182 g
- Calories 232 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add oil to a large pan or skillet and bring to medium high.
- Add leeks and celery seeds. Cook until softened and a little browned. Add artichokes, chicken broth and cream cheese. Stir thoroughly until combined. Take skillet off heat and add the lemon juice.
- Grease the inside of a 1 or 1 1/2 quart gratin or baking dish olive oil.
- Place half of the potato slices, allowing a little overlap, arrange in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and add all of the artichoke-leek mixture on top of the potatoes. Arrange the rest of the potato slices on top in the same manner as the bottom layer.
- Season the top potato layer with salt and pepper and brush with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil.
- Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and golden brown. OPTIONAL: If you are adding cheese on top, add the cheese after the top of the casserole has browned, approximately 5 -10 minutes before taking dish out of the oven. Remove the dish once the cheese is bubbly and browned on top.
- Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Can heavy cream replace cream cheese when adjusting dairy ratios in a baked potato gratin? Swapping cream cheese for heavy cream alters the moisture content significantly, requiring an adjustment to the chicken broth to prevent a watery sauce. Cream cheese provides a stable emulsion due to its stabilizers and low moisture content, holding the artichokes and leeks together without breaking down during baking. Heavy cream behaves differently under high heat and may separate if not balanced with enough starch from the potatoes.
Mandoline slicing ensures the red potatoes cook uniformly in the thirty-five to forty minute window at four hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Thickly cut tubers remain hard at the center even when the edges brown. Red potatoes contain less starch than russets, meaning they hold their shape under the creamy leek mixture rather than dissolving into a purée. Slicing them uniformly thin allows the heat to penetrate every layer quickly.
Leeks demand thorough washing between their tightly wrapped layers to eliminate trapped grit. Slicing them into half-moon shapes ensures they distribute evenly through the artichoke mixture rather than clumping together in the baking dish. Celery seeds add an earthy, slightly bitter note that cuts through the richness of the dairy.
Adding cheese during the final ten minutes prevents the dairy solids from burning before the potatoes soften. Brushing the top potato layer with olive oil encourages crisp browning. Allowing the casserole to rest for ten minutes post-bake lets the starches settle so portions hold their shape cleanly on the plate.
