Potato and Leek Gratin ala ~DKBB~

Potato and Leek Gratin ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from Nov. 2016 Cooking Light)

2½ cups milk (whole milk preferred)

3 to 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 Tbsp. butter

1 large leek, trimmed , halved lengthwise, and sliced (about 2 cups)

1 tsp. kosher salt, divided

2 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)

1 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about ¼ cup)

½ to 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• Preheat oven to 375° F.
• Combine milk, potatoes, and garlic in large saucepan; bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender; drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving ½ cup of milk mixture.
• Melt butter in large cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add leek, cooking 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally; remove pan from heat; place leeks in separate bowl.
• Arrange half the potato slices in the bottom of the cast-iron skillet; cover evenly with half the leeks; sprinkle with ½ tsp. kosher salt and half of the Gruyere cheese; repeat layers.
• Drizzle all with reserved milk mixture; sprinkle Parmesan cheese over all.
• Cover skillet with foil and bake for 25 minutes to until cheese is melted.
• Remove foil and either leave in oven or place under broiler for 5+ minutes, until top is bubbly and golden brown.
• Sprinkle all with cracked pepper; cool; cut into wedges and serve.

Cheeseburger Salad ala ~DKBB~

Cheeseburger Salad ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe adapted from The Pampered Chef by The Pioneer Woman)

Photo from The Pioneer Woman

Serves 2-4 (amounts in parentheses serves 6-8)

1 (2) lb. ground beef

2½ Tbsp. (⅓ cup) ketchup

½ (1) tsp. yellow mustard

½ (1) Tbsp. spicy mustard

1 (2) Tbsp. barbeque sauce

2 (4) whole hamburger buns

½ (1) stick butter

1 (2) head(s) romaine or other green-leaf lettuce, torn

½ (1) cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 (4) Roma tomatoes, diced

4 (8) whole dill pickle spears, cubed/diced

½ (1) whole onion, thinly sliced or diced

Salt and cracked pepper

• Brown hamburger over medium heat, then remove from heat and drain off the fat; add ketchup, mustards, and barbeque sauce to the meat; stir to combine; taste and add more ow whatever you think it needs; keep warm.
• Cut hamburger buns into 1-inch cubes; melt half the butter in a separate skillet over low heat; add bread cubes and toss to coat; toast croutons in the skillet over low heat 10-12 minutes, adding a bit of the butter every couple of minutes until you’ve used it all (this ensures all the croutons soak up the butter and toast nicely).
• To assemble each salad, pile lettuce on a plate, pile on a good quantity of the meat mixture, top with plenty of grated cheese. Then add diced tomato, chunks of pickles, and slices of onion over the top; sprinkle with warm croutons all around the plate. Top all with salt and pepper as desired.