LEEK AND HAM GRATIN WITH CRISPY CHEESE AND POTATOES
This tasty family supper is made with an easy low-fat white sauce. It’s a great way of using up leftover cooked ham and cheese.
Serves 4 – 0.5 BITE PER SERVING 300g potatoes, peeled and cut
into 5mm thick slices spray olive oil 4 large leeks, washed, trimmed
and cut into quarters 2 garlic cloves, crushed 3 level tbsp cornflour 200ml skimmed milk 250ml hot chicken stock 60g grated reduced fat
Cheddar cheese a handful of parsley, chopped 300g lean ham, all fat
removed, shredded or cubed salt and freshly ground black
pepper green salad, to serve
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
2. Add the potatoes to a pan of salted boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
3. Lightly spray a frying pan with oil and cook the leeks and garlic, turning them occasionally, over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until golden.
4. Make the white sauce: blend the cornflour with a little of the milk.
Heat the remaining milk in a pan and bring to the boil. Stir into the cornflour mixture and then return to the pan. Whisk in 200ml hot chicken stock and cook over a low heat for a few minutes, stirring until smooth. Season and stir in the parsley and half of the Cheddar.
5. Put the leeks and ham in a large shallow ovenproof dish and pour the sauce over the top. Cover with overlapping potato slices. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar. Drizzle the remaining chicken stock over the top.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the topping is crispy and golden brown and the sauce is bubbling up. Serve with a green salad.
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 45-55 minutes