POTATOES AND CARROTS AU GRATIN

POTATOES AND CARROTS AU GRATIN image

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

6 medium baking potatoes (2 lb)
3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 bay leaves
2 leeks, cut into 1/2-inch slices (1 cup)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (3 oz)
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz)
1/4 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

Steps:

Peel potatoes; thinly sliced. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine potatoe, carrots, and bay leaves. Add water to cover. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add leeks. Cook, covered, 3 minutes or till vegetables are just tender. Drain well; dischard bay leaves. (At this point, you can cool vegetables, cover and chill overnight.) For sauce, in same saucepan melt the first 2 tablespoons margarine or butter. Stir in flour, salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Add milk. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup of the Gruyere cheese; stir till smooth. Transfer the warm or chilled vegetables to a lightly greased 2-quart au gratin dish or rectangular baking dish. Carefully spoon the warm cheese sauce over the potato mixture; spread with the back of the spoon to coat all of the vegetables. For crumb topping, in a small mixing bowl stir together grated Parmesan cheese, seasoned fine dry bread crumbs, an remaining 2 tablespoons melted margarine or butter. Sprinkle the topping over the potato mixture. If desired, cover and chill the casserole at this point for up to 2 hours. At serving time, bake the casserole, uncovered, in a 350° oven about 15 minutes (25 minutes if chilled) or till the cheese sauce is bubbly around the edges of the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded Gruyere cheese. Bake about 5 minutes more or till the cheese is melted and the casserole is heated through. Nutrition facts per serving: 280 cal., 12 g total fat (6 g sat fat), 26 mg chol., 286 mg sodium, 33 g carbo., 4 g fiber, 12 g pro. Daily Values: 79% vit A, 17% vit C, 26% calicum.