Christmas potato and leek bake with spiced sausage, caramelized apple, and cheddar crust

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 190 °C / 375 °F. Lightly grease a roughly 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a little of the butter.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil and half of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove and set aside.

3. 3

   In the same skillet, cook the pork sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, for 8 to 10 minutes until browned and fully cooked.

4. 4

   Add the apples, sage, thyme, black pepper, and nutmeg to the skillet with the sausage. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the Dijon mustard and pour in the apple cider. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the liquid reduces slightly.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot with cold water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 6 minutes to par-cook them. Drain well.

6. 6

   In a bowl, mix the heavy cream with 120 g of the cheddar and the Parmesan. Stir until combined.

7. 7

   Assemble the bake in layers: place one-third of the potatoes in the dish, then half of the leek mixture, then half of the sausage and apple mixture. Repeat with another third of the potatoes, the remaining leeks, and the remaining sausage mixture. Finish with the final layer of potatoes.

8. 8

   Pour the cream and cheese mixture evenly over the bake. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and the breadcrumbs on top. Dot the surface with the remaining butter.

9. 9

   Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes at 190 °C / 375 °F. Then remove the foil and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, until the top is golden and the potatoes are completely tender.

10. 10

    Let rest for 10 minutes before serving so the layers can settle and the portions slice neatly.