Potato Leek Gratin

By Melissa Clark

Updated November 16, 2025

  • Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
5(5,036)
Comments
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Layer thinly sliced potatoes in a gratin dish, and then take your time sautéing the leeks, letting them turn a little golden and crisp around the edges, which brings out their sweetness. Add the leeks to the potatoes, and using the same pan in which you cooked the leeks, scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pan with a mix of cream, garlic, thyme and nutmeg, pouring that over the potatoes and leeks.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for greasing the pan

  • 2 large leeks, trimmed and halved lengthwise

  • 1 ½ pounds peeled Yukon Gold potatoes

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 2 thyme sprigs

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1 fat garlic clove, finely chopped

  • 1 bay leaf

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

  • ¾ cup Gruyère, grated

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

27 grams carbs; 73 milligrams cholesterol; 350 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 24 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 457 milligrams sodium; 9 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 2-quart gratin dish. Wash the leeks to remove any grit and slice thinly crosswise.

  2. Step 2

    Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the potatoes into rounds, ⅛-inch thick. Toss with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Layer the rounds in the gratin dish.

  3. Step 3

    Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, remaining salt and pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring, until leeks are tender and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard thyme and scatter the leeks over the potatoes.

  4. Step 4

    Add cream, garlic and bay leaf to the skillet, scraping up browned bits of leeks from the bottom of the pan. Simmer gently for 5 minutes. Stir in nutmeg.

  5. Step 5

    Pour the cream over the leeks and potatoes and top with the Gruyère. Cover with aluminum foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Let cool slightly before serving.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,036 user ratings
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Comments

JMR

I've found the easiest way to clean leeks is to slice of roots end, split them down the middle, stand in a tall jug, run water over them til jug is full and water looks clear. Allow to stand in the water and any dirt usually sinks to the bottom of the jug.

Tessa

I make this in layers -- half the potatoes, leeks, half the Gruyere, potatoes, pour cream, then the rest of the Gruyere. This is a very good dish!

Bohemian

One clove of garlic? As Lynne Rossetto Kasper would say, "Why bother"? I'd up it to 4-6 cloves. Richard Olney, in recipes such as Gratin Dauphinois, would also use a cut clove of garlic when he started the recipe to rub down the interior of the gratin dish, and then let it dry there as he continued on.

Chechi

So I used light cream and in the end it was very wet. Tasted good but…would heavy cream have made a difference?

WillDaBeast

I've made twice for friends and neighbors, and I generally use a little extra cheese and extra leek. Big winner with the foodies!

Simple and simply great!

Super easy recipe. A great side dish or as a main portion with a salad. You do need a mandolin to slice the potatoes as per recipe otherwise it would be quite a chore.

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