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
Potato leek casserole with ground meat
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.
Jacqui Turner
Wednesday 17th of March 2021
Wow, wow, wow! This is creamy, cheesy, savoury deliciousness. My darling husband made this incredible dish for dinner tonight and I could have had seconds and thirds (but I was on my best behaviour). Ester, you have truly come up with a winner here. Thank you so much for this excellent recipe. Both my husband and I will be following you, and we will most definitely make this one again.
Ester
Tuesday 13th of April 2021
I'm so glad to hear this, Jacqui. Thank you so much for your great review!
Lorraine Osborne
Thursday 4th of February 2021
I no longer use cookery books so whenever I have odd ingredients in the fridge I put them into google and see what pops up. So tonight I searched .....pork mince, leeks, potatoes and, voila, your recipe came up! I made this for my family tonight - it was DELICIOUS! I had some left over mushrooms so added those - replaced the cream for creme fraiche because it was all I had in the fridge, and added a drop of white white. It was really, REALLY, good! I am a good home cook but found the photos at every stage really helpful. THANK YOU!
Chandra
Sunday 1st of May 2022
@Lorraine Osborne, can I ask what creme fraiche is? I see it on Tasty recipes constantly. As far as I know in the US we don't carry it
Ester
Thursday 4th of February 2021
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Lorraine. Thank you so much for your great feedback and for taking time to write it. xxx