Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
This simple and crowd pleaser potato leek casserole with ground pork is flavorful. Made with potatoes, leek, ground meat, heavy cream, onion, garlic and grated cheese in 1 h 30 min.
I’m a huge fan of leek. If it was up to me, I will make leek featured dishes as often as possible. Besides potatoes, leek and ground meat are such a great combination.
This potato leek casserole with ground pork is easy and delicious. However it requires some effort, but it’s all worth it.
You can make it ahead and just warm it in the oven before serving. I’ve made my baked potato leek casserole with raw potatoes. But feel free to boil the potatoes for few minutes (while making the sauce) to reduce the baking time.
I’ve used ground pork to make this dish, but you can also use ground beef or a mixture of pork and beef.
Ground pork and potato casserole with leek
Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 30 min
Bake Time: 60 min @ 180 °C (356 °F)
Ingredients for potato leek gratin with ground meat
- 1,2 kg (2 2/3 lbs) potatoes
- 400 g (14 oz) minced meat
- about 400 g (14 oz) leek
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 200 g (7 oz/ about ¾ cup) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 tablespoon ground paprika
- salt, pepper and ground nutmeg to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 150 g (1/3 lbs) grated cheese
You’ll also need
- aluminum foil
- casserole dish
- large pan or pot
- cutting board
- knife
- vegetable peeler
How to make Potato leek casserole with ground pork
Begin by peeling potatoes. Then soak them in water and set aside.
Peel and mince garlic and onion.
Cut off leek roots and about 1 cm (1/2 inches) from the green tops. Then cut the leek in the middle, such that in the end you have a part with dark green leaves and white to light green leek part, as show on the photo below.
Remove the outer layer of white to light green leek part and slice thinly into rings. Rinse the leek greens very well under running water, leaf by leaf and chop finely.
Heat olive oil in a large pan or pot over medium heat and fry onions and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add minced meat and cook until nicely brown.
Add leek, mix well and let cook for 3 minutes.
Stir in heavy cream, water and paprika powder.
Bring to a boil and season with salt, pepper and ground nutmeg.
Remove from heat.
Drain the potatoes and cut them into thin slices.
Layer potato leek casserole
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356 °F), with both top and bottom heat.
Start with the sauce and end with the pork – leek sauce. Spread a thin layer of meat-leek sauce in a casserole dish. Arrange potato slices on top and season lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Spread the sauce
followed by potatoes and then the sauce again until the sauce and all the potato slices have been used up.
- Always season the potato layers with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cheese is nicely golden brown.
Enjoy!
More leek featured recipes:
- Creamy leek soup with ground pork
- Oven baked ground pork with creamy leek mushroom sauce
- Pork tenderloin in creamy mushroom sauce
- German roasted duck with gravy
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes
Potato leek casserole with ground meat
This simple, crowd pleaser and forgiving potato leek casserole with ground pork is flavorful. Made with potatoes, leek, ground meat, heavy cream, onion, garlic and grated cheese in 1 h 30 min.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Bake Time @ 180 °C (356 °F)1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: European, German
Keyword: casserole, Comfort food, crowd pleaser, dinner party, gluten free, how to, potato leek gratin, potluck
Servings: 8 Servings
Author: Ester | esterkocht.com
Equipment
Sauté pan or large pot
Cutting board
Knife
Aluminium foil
Wooden spoon
Casserole dish (23 x 35 cm (9 x 1 3 inch))
vegetable peeler
Ingredients
- 1,2 kg (2 2/3 lbs) potatoes
- 400 g (14 oz) ground pork
- 400 g (14 oz) leek 1 large leek or 3 small leeks
- 1 medium onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 tablespoon ground paprika
- 200 g (7 oz/ about ¾ cup) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 150 g (1/3 lbs) grated cheese
- salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
Instructions
Begin by peeling potatoes, soak them in water and set aside. Peel and mince garlic and onion. Then clean and slice leek. Heat olive oil in a large pan or pot over medium heat and fry onions and garlic for about 3 minutes. Add minced meat and cook until nicely brown. Add leek, mix well and let cook for 3 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, water and paprika powder. Bring to a boil, season with salt, pepper and ground nutmeg and remove from heat.
Drain the potatoes and cut them into thin slices.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356 °F), with both top and bottom heat.
Start with the sauce and end with the meat - leek sauce. Spread a thin layer of meat-leek sauce in a casserole dish. Arrange potato slices on top and season lightly with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Spread the sauce, followed by potatoes and then the sauce again until the sauce and all the potato slices have been used up. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cheese is nicely golden brown.
Notes
- You can substitute ground pork with ground beef, a mixture of pork and beef or ground lamb.
- Always season potato layers with salt, pepper and nutmeg, before adding the meat-leek sauce layer.
- I've used grated emmental cheese, but you can use any grated cheese of your choice.
- Feel free to boil the potatoes for few minutes (while making the sauce) to reduce the baking time.
Did you make this ground pork and potato casserole with leek? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a comment and add rating to it.
