Herbed Leek Gratin

Swap the potatoes for leeks with this holiday side dish recipe.

herbed leek gratin
Photo:

Kelsey Hansen

Prep Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 20 mins
Servings:
6

Potato gratins show up at the holidays fairly often, but a leek gratin? That’s novel. Fresh leeks cook until tender in a thyme and marjoram cream sauce. Soft bread crumbs crisp in butter to make the gratin crust.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds leeks (about 6 leeks, each about 1¼ inches in diameter)

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 2 tablespoons chicken broth

  • 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram (or 1 ½ tsp. dried marjoram, crushed)

  • 1½ cups soft French or Italian bread crumbs

  • 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted

  • Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Trim roots and dark green leaves from leeks, leaving the white and pale green parts. Cut leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse well under cold running water. Remove any thick outer layers. Drain and pat dry. Cut leek halves into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place slices in a 1½-qt. au gratin dish or rectangular baking dish.

  2. In a small bowl combine cream and broth; pour over leeks in dish. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. of the marjoram, the thyme, ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ to ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 20 minutes.

  3. Meanwhile, in another small bowl stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, thyme, and the remaining marjoram. Drizzle with melted butter; toss to coat crumbs. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over leeks. Bake, uncovered, until leeks are tender and crumbs are golden brown, 30 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. If you like, garnish with additional fresh thyme.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

309 Calories
16g Fat
38g Carbs
7g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 308.7
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15.6g 20%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 40.2mg 13%
Sodium 341.4mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 3.7g 13%
Total Sugars 7.1g
Protein 7g
Vitamin D 0.3mcg 2%
Vitamin C 11.8mg 59%
Calcium 161.8mg 12%
Iron 4.1mg 23%
Potassium 284.9mg 6%
Fatty acids, total trans 0.5g
Vitamin D 13.1IU
Alanine 0.3g
Arginine 0.3g
Ash 2.6g
Aspartic acid 0.5g
Caffeine 0mg
Carotene, alpha 0mcg
Choline, total 9.1mg
Copper, Cu 0.2mg
Cystine 0.1g
Energy 1292.4kJ
Fluoride, F 0.8mcg
Folate, total 85.1mcg
Glutamic acid 1.7g
Glycine 0.2g
Histidine 0.1g
Isoleucine 0.3g
Leucine 0.5g
Lysine 0.3g
Methionine 0.1g
Magnesium, Mg 48mg
Manganese, Mn 0.8mg
Niacin 2.3mg
Phosphorus, P 115.6mg
Pantothenic acid 0.4mg
Phenylalanine 0.3g
Phytosterols 2.2mg
Proline 0.6g
Retinol 135.1mcg
Selenium, Se 9.6mcg
Serine 0.4g
Starch 16.1g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 0.3g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1.5mg
Tryptophan 0.1g
Tyrosine 0.2g
Valine 0.3g
Vitamin A, IU 2401.3IU
Vitamin A, RAE 233.6mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.2mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.3mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 60.6mcg
Water 226.9g
Zinc, Zn 0.7mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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