Spinach and ricotta stuffed shells
Pasta shells filled with spinach and ricotta beneath a tomato sauce.
About 55 min · 540 kcal · 30 g protein per serving
Vegetarian
Gruyère, leek and potato gratin with white beans
Soft leeks and potato baked under Gruyère, with white beans folded through.
By The foodose editorial team. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central. Checked on paper on 21 September 2026; not yet cooked in a test kitchen or photographed, so the times and yield are estimates. How we develop our recipes
What still needs a real kitchen
- Confirm thinly sliced potato is tender in 45 to 55 minutes at 190°C
- Confirm 250 ml of milk is enough liquid for the dish
- Photograph the finished gratin
- Time
- About 1 hr 15 min
- estimated
- Serves
- 2
- see below
- Energy
- 570 kcal
- per serving
- Protein
- 30 g
- per serving
Ingredients for 2 servings
Check off ingredients as you go.
Contains milk, mustard. Check the labels on packaged ingredients:
- Dijon mustard. Many Dijon mustards also declare sulphites; check the label.
- Gruyère. Traditional Gruyère is made with animal rennet, so it is not vegetarian.
Cooking steps
Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (170°C fan).
Slice the leeks into rounds, wash them well, and soften them in a covered pan over low heat for 8 minutes with a splash of water.
Slice the potatoes as thinly as you can, thin enough that a slice bends rather than snaps.
Layer the potato, leeks and drained beans in an ovenproof dish, finishing with a layer of potato.
Whisk the Dijon mustard into the milk, pour it evenly over the dish, and scatter the grated Gruyère on top.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a knife goes through the potato without resistance and the top has browned.
The useful detail
Slice the potato thin enough to bend in your fingers. Any thicker and the centre is still hard when the cheese on top has already gone past brown into bitter.
Make it work for you
One serving is Half the dish. You can switch to a smaller portion in the ingredients above; it is three quarters of this, and it contains correspondingly less energy and protein. It is an option, not a goal.
Cheddar instead of Gruyère
Sharper and oilier when it melts. Traditional Gruyère is made with animal rennet, and so is much cheddar; check the label if that matters.
Per serving: about 5 kcal less, about 2 g less protein, about the same fat.
Butter beans instead of white beans
Larger and creamier, and they break down into the milk.
Per serving: about the same energy, about the same protein, about the same fat.
Soya milk instead of dairy milk
Thinner and it browns less. The cheese still holds it together.
Per serving: about 15 kcal less, about the same protein, about the same fat.
Allergens: Adds soya.
Estimated nutrition
Per standard serving, calculated from the ingredients above. Nutrition changes with substitutions, brands and how much oil stays in the pan.
A gratin built on milk and beans rather than cream, where a small amount of a strong cheese does all the flavouring.
| Energy | 570 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 30 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| of which saturates | 8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 86 g |
| of which sugars | 14 g |
| Fibre | 13 g |
| Sodium | 880 mg |
Show calculation notes
Each ingredient’s weight is multiplied by its USDA FoodData Central values per 100 g. The whole recipe is added up and divided by 2. Raw weights are used for meat, fish and vegetables; beans and lentils are drained weights. All of the oil is counted as eaten. Added salt is not included; sodium from stock, bread, cheese and tinned food is.
| Ingredient | Weight used | Source | Energy | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| leek | 300 g | FDC 169246Leeks, (bulb and lower leaf-portion), raw | 183 kcal | 4.5 g |
| potatoes | 300 g | FDC 170026Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw | 231 kcal | 6.1 g |
| white beans | 300 g | FDC 175204Beans, white, mature seeds, canned | 342 kcal | 21.8 g |
| milk | 260 g | FDC 171267Milk, reduced fat, fluid, 2% milkfat, with added vitamin A and vitamin D | 129 kcal | 8.5 g |
| Dijon mustard | 10 g | FDC 2710085Mustard | 7 kcal | 0.4 g |
| Gruyère | 60 g | FDC 171242Cheese, gruyere | 248 kcal | 17.9 g |
| Whole recipe | Divided by 2 | 1140 kcal | 59.2 g |
Per serving the energy is rounded to the nearest 5 kcal, grams to the nearest whole gram and sodium to the nearest 10 mg. Calculation method 1.0, September 2026. How the calculation works.
Storage and reheating
- In the fridge
- Cool, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat within 3 to 4 days. Better on the second day, and it cuts into clean squares once cold.
- In the freezer
- Freezing keeps food safe indefinitely; the texture is best if it is eaten sooner rather than later.
- Reheating
- Reheat until it reaches 74°C / 165°F, steaming hot throughout.
Checked against US Food and Drug Administration, Refrigerator and Freezer Storage Chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety, FoodSafety.gov, Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures and FoodSafety.gov, Cold Food Storage Chart. UK guidance from the Food Standards Agency is shorter, at two days for most leftovers.
Try another recipe
Mushroom and lentil cottage pie
A savoury mushroom-lentil filling with a soft potato topping.
About 1 hr · 360 kcal · 20 g protein per serving
Vegetarian