Leek, Carrot & Potato bake

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter, divided

3 medium leeks - I used 2 onions too as I ran short of leeks

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp all purpose flour

11/2 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp dry mustard powder (I used home made mustard)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3 large potatoes

2 large carrots

11/2 cups shredded melting cheese (cheddar, gruyere, Swiss, Fontina, mozzarella)

1 Tbsp fresh chopped chives or parsley to garnish

Method

Preheat oven to 190°C and grease a baking dish.

In medium pan, sauté leeks and onion, thinly sliced in 1 Tbsp butter until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add, minced garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes.

Remove leeks/onion from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, melt remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Mix in flour until all of the butter is absorbed.

Gradually whisk in milk to make a smooth sauce.

Add salt, pepper, mustard powder and thyme. Stir and heat until sauce is thick and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Remove from heat.

Arranging in dish and baking

Layer the gratin in prepared dish. Start with 1/2 the potatoes thinly sliced, sautéed leeks/Onion, carrots, thinly sliced top with 1/2 cheese, top with 1/2 sauce. Repeat finishing with sauce.

Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 25 to 30 minutes until vegetables are tender. To test if cooked, insert a fork through layers.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes to set. Garnish with fresh parsley.

NB: you could use ready made Gratin sauce if you do not want to make the white sauce.