Au Gratin Potato Casserole
One of my favorite dishes when I worked in a local steak restaurant was the au gratin potatoes. I remember watching the chef thinly slice the potatoes, then layer them with caramelized onions and believe it or not, slices of pears. The pears gave the dish a wonderful sweet balance. Since I love Hanna sweet potatoes, I omitted the pear, but you could easily use russets or Yukon golds and add some thin slices of pear back into the recipe if you like. I prefer leeks in this recipe since they are mild and full of nutrients, but feel free to use caramelized onions. However you decide to modify, it’s the perfect creamy side dish to accompany a rich grilled steak. Just like I remember from that steak house.
Au Gratin Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 large Hanna sweet potato
- 1 large leek, sliced in half, cleaned and patted dry
- 2 Tablespoons ghee, divided
- 1 13 ounce can coconut milk
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Peel and slice potatoes thinly on a mandolin. (If you dont have a mandolin, do your best slicing thinly with a knife. They will need slightly longer bake time.) Set aside.
- Slice white and green parts of leeks into 1/2 inch thin slices. Preheat a sauté pan and add 1 Tablespoon of the ghee. Sauté the leeks until softened and lightly golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same sauté pan, add the remaining ghee. Add the coconut milk and heat until just before boiling. Combine the cold water and tapioca flour in a separate bowl and mix to thoroughly combine. Be sure that none of the tapioca settles.
- Add tapioca mixture to the coconut milk, mixing constantly with a whisk. It will thicken right away. Reduce heat to a simmer and whisk in nutritional yeast until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
- Spray or brush with ghee a 9" X 11" baking casserole dish. Alternate layers of potatoes and leeks, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go, until casserole is about 3/4 full, allowing space to top with the cream sauce.
- Slowly pour the cream sauce over and compress into the layers with the back of a spatula, making sure the top is is submerged.
- Bake for 30-45 minutes, until a knife can be inserted into the center without resistance.
- Let cool slightly before cutting. Can be made ahead and reheated.
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutrition is intended for informational purposes only. Any nutritional information on livingdelishandnutrish.com should only be used as a general guideline and is provided as a courtesy, there is no guarantee that it is completely accurate.
