Baked Potatoes Leeks And Fontina Food

CREAMY POTATO LEEK GRATIN WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
• Arrange half of sliced fennel in a even layer in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon fennel fronds, half of the parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange half of sliced potatoes overlapping slightly on top of the fennel and herbs. Top potatoes with half of leek mixture. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread half of gruyere and grated parmesan cheese over.
• Repeat layering with remaining fennel, herbs, potatoes, leek mixture, and cheeses. Sprinkle assembled gratin with salt and pepper.
• Bring whole milk and heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour mixture over gratin.
• Bake uncovered until vegetables are very tender, liquid is almost absorbed and top is deep golden brown, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Let gratin rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra fennel fronds and parsley. Enjoy!

BAKED FONTINA

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler and position the oven rack 5 inches from the heat.
• Distribute the cubes of Fontina evenly in a 12-inch cast-iron pan. Drizzle on the olive oil. Combine the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and sprinkle it over the cheese and olive oil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and place the pan under the broiler for 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and starts to brown.
• Serve the baked Fontina family-style-right out of the oven in the cast-iron pan with crusty chunks of bread for everyone to dip.

LEEK AND POTATO CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an oval baking dish. Drain the leeks and rinse.
• In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and thyme, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the leeks are softened and golden, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Peel and slice the potatoes into very thin rounds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer half of the potatoes in the buttered dish, then layer half of the cooked leeks over the potatoes. Repeat the layers.
• Return the skillet to medium heat and add the cream cheese, cream, chicken stock and garlic. Stir together, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle with the paprika and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and simmer for about 5 minutes so the cheese melts. Pour the cream mixture over the leeks and potatoes and top with the grated cheese.
• Cover with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

LEEK AND POTATO SOUFFLé WITH HAM AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In well-salted water, boil the potatoes until tender, then drain, put in a large mixing bowl and mash with the half-and-half. Cool slightly.
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened but still bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Add thyme and garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the cooked leeks to the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add the cayenne, nutmeg, ham and Fontina or Gruyère. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning. (It should be fairly well seasoned, as the egg, when added, will dilute the flavor.) Beat in the 3 egg yolks.
• Butter a 2-quart baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with half the grated Parmesan.
• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir 1/3 of the beaten whites into the potato mixture to lighten and thin it slightly. Quickly fold in the remaining whites, then scrape the soufflé batter into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining Parmesan.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, until nicely browned. Check the center for doneness with a paring knife or skewer. May rest 10 minutes before serving.

LEEK AND CHEESE SCALLOPED POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F; grease well a 2-1/2 quart casserole or baking dish (I use cooking spray).
• Set aside 1/2 cup of the fontina and 1/2 tablespoon each of the parsley and chives.
• In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add leeks, salt and pepper. Saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
• Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
• Whisk in half-and-half and bring to a boil. Cook for a minute or two until mixture thickens. Remove form heat and stir in the remaining parsley, chives, and cheese until the cheese is melted.
• Add potatoes to the sauce and stir until well coated. Transfer to casserole dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is browned and melted and potatoes test for doneness, about 10 minutes. If the potatoes are not tender enough but the cheese is melted, cover with foil again and bake until potatoes are done.
• Sprinkle with reserved parsley and chives.

FONTINA POTATOES AU GRATIN

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. , In a greased 3-cup baking dish, layer half of the potatoes, fontina cheese, white sauce and chives. Top with remaining potatoes, fontina, sauce and chives. , Cover and bake at 400° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

ROASTED POTATO LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.
• In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.
• When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan and crispy shallots, if using.
• Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are a rich golden brown. The temperature should stay below 260 degrees F. Stir the shallots occasionally to make sure they brown evenly. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well, and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days.

TWICE-BAKED POTATOES WITH LEEKS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce potatoes with fork; bake until tender, about 1 hour.
• Chop 2 leeks. Cut remaining leeks into thin strips about 2" long. In nonstick skillet, melt 1 T. butter over medium heat. Add chopped leeks; cook, stirirng, 5 minutes.
• Horizontally cut top 1/3 from each potato. Scoop potato from skins, leaving 1/4"-thick shells. Heat milk and remaining butter until hot; add to potatoes with cheese, salt and pepper. Mash; stir in cooked leeks. Pipe or spoon mixture into potato shells. On baking sheet, bake until golden, 20-25 minutes.
• In nonstick skillet, heat 1/4" oil over medium heat. Add sliced leeks; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Top potatoes with leeks and, if desired, sour cream.