Mashed Potato and Leek "souffle"

Dancer^'s Note:

This was so nice, we served it with roasted chicken and a green salad. Points 2.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons nonfat milk

Directions:

1. Combine the potatoes and enough cold water to cover in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.
4. Set aside.
5. Spray a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat.
6. Add the leek, hot water, salt, and pepper.
7. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally and adding more hot water, if necessary, until the leek is tender and the liquid has evaporated.
8. Mash the potatoes with a potato mashed or electric mixer; add the milk and the reserved cooking liquid, one tablespoons at a time, until the potatoes are fluffy.
9. Stir in the cooked leak.
10. Spray a 1 quart soufflé or baking dish with nonstick spray.
11. Transfer the potato mixture to the dish; cover and set aside until ready to bake (up to 2 hours ahead).
12. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
13. Bake, uncovered, until the top is golden, 30 minutes.

Reviews

[ms_bold]

I made some adjustments to this recipe, and produced an excellent result. I mashed my potatoes with a couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter and added some heavy cream instead of the the nonfat milk and reserved potato water. I also sautéed my leeks in a bit of olive oil and added cream to simmer them until tender. The subtle, sweet flavor of the leeks is an excellent complement to the potatoes. Even my non-mashed-potato-eating hubby had 2 servings. I realize that I upped the fat and calories of the dish, but believe that my additions really richened the end result. They completed a menu of crab legs and a spinach salad. We will make them (my way) again.