Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes and Leeks

Yesterday we had a wonderful Mother's Day lunch at my Mom's house. Early that morning, I hurriedly started preparing for my meal and began peeling potatoes. I was just going to have mashed potatoes when my husband peeped in and said scalloped potatoes would be better. I used to make a backed scalloped potato dish years ago and I liked it because I didn't have to go to all the trouble of stirring up a sauce in which to bake the potatoes. I thought his suggestion was a good one, but the timing wasn't right for going to church and then having a meal ready at 12:30 pm. It took about an hour and a half to bake this potato dish and not the three hours I had until lunchtime.

Then I thought about my trusty old crock pot.

I don't usually cook potatoes in the crock pot because they have a tendency to get mushy but I thought that cooking them on high while in church would be a good idea. So ...

I dug out my old scalloped potato recipe that called for layering the potatoes with onions, salt and pepper, flour, butter and milk.

That was almost as easy to do as the mashed potatoes I was going to make. I sliced 7 potatoes and about half a leek, layered it like my recipe said, poured milk over the top and got ready for church while I cooked my potatoes on high for three hours. Perfect.

It was easy and looked like my usual recipe.

When I returned home I had a perfect low-fat scalloped potato recipe. (I used skim milk.)

It was easy and I really like making scalloped potatoes this way.

Here's how I did it.

Crock pot scalloped potatoes

Butter to grease bottom of crock pot
6 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 7 because two of my potatoes were small.)
1/2 leek, washed and cut into pieces
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (to make this gluten-free use 2 tablespoons corn starch)
1/4 cup butter
2-1/2 cups milk (I used skim milk but it would be creamier if whole milk were used)

Grease bottom of crock pot with soft butter. (I usually soften it in the microwave.)
Make three layers the following order: Potatoes, leeks, salt, pepper, 1/3 of the flour (or cornstarch), 1/3 of the butter. Pour milk over the top and turn crock pot on high for three hours.

My crock pot cooks really hot. It may take longer if your crock pot is slower but using the warm setting to keep it hot is a good idea for a bake and take meal. Serves 6 to 8.