Herbed Leek + Potato Au Gratin

I really love potatoes in any shape or form.  They are such a great accompanyment to so many dishes.  And who can complain about the versatility of the potato too?  They can be mashed, hashed, roasted, sliced or diced, just to name a few.  This recipe calls for thinly sliced potatoes to be simmered with milk, leeks and herbs then to be baked in the oven with cheese to finish it off.  This is also a great way to have potatoes for the holidays.  Whether its next to turkey for Thanksgiving or a Christmas or Easter ham, it's really delicious.

The Ingredients:

3 Cups Leeks, thinly sliced
4 Tablespoons Butter
12 oz Shredded Swiss & Gruyere mix (I bought a pkg from Trader Joe's)
8 Cups Red Potatoes (about 12 small-to-medium potatoes), thinly sliced about 1/4 inch (I left the skin on but you can peel them if you prefer).
1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
2 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
1 Tablespoon Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Garlic, minced (1-2 cloves)
1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Fresh Rosemary, chopped
1 Tablespoon Tarragon, chopped
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper

The Steps:
Pre-heat to 375 degrees

1) Slice the leeks and the potatoes.

2) In a large stock pot, saute the leeks and butter over medium heat until the leeks have softened, aout 3-4 minutes.  Add in the garlic, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, salt and pepper and saute another 1-2 minutes.

3) Add in the chicken stock.  Then in a separate bowl, mix the 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 cup of milk and whisk until incorporated.  Add the mixture to the chicken stock.  Then add another 1 1/2 cups of milk to the stock pot. Add in the potatoes and simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are beginning to get tender when pierced.

4) Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish.  I recommend using a slotted spoon to scoop out the potatoes first and evenly distribute them into the baking dish.  Then sprinkle about 4 oz of cheese over the potatoes.  Then slowly pour in the liquid over the potatoes.  Add remaining cheese on top, then bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes.  You want the cheese to be lightly browned, it should be bubbling around the edges and the potatoes should be completely soft when pierced with a fork or knife.

Bad quality phone picture - sorry!