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Cheesy Leeks dished into bowls from a pan

Cheesy Leeks


  • Author: caroline
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

A beautiful addition to a roast dinner & a fabulous alternative to cauliflower cheese, these cheesy leeks combine sweet sauteed leeks in a cheese sauce.

The default recipe serves 2 as a side.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 500g cleaned and trimmed leeks, cut into 23cm long pieces
  • 20g unsalted butter
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 20g plain flour
  • 375ml / 1.5 cup cold milk (see note 1)
  • 80g cheddar cheese (see note 2)
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems (see note 3)
  • 20g panko breadcrumbs (see note 4)
  • 1 tbsp flaked almonds

Equipment


Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan/skillet over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and saute until starting to turn golden. Remove the leeks and transfer them to a baking dish.
  3. Next, make a roux in the same pan. Add the butter to the pan and, when melted, add the garlic and cook for a minute. Don’t allow the butter to brown and reduce the heat if needed.
  4. Add the flour to the pan and whisk until you have a paste. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. 
  5. Add the milk to the pan a little at a time, whisking each addition until fully incorporated. 
  6. Add two-thirds of the cheese and thyme to the sauce. Cook for a further couple of minutes stirring constantly until the cheese is fully melted into the sauce and it has thickened. Season to taste.
  7. Pour the sauce over the leeks and then top with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs. Crumble the flaked almonds over the top.
  8. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden on top.

Notes

  1. Whole milk will give the creamiest texture, but you can use semi-skimmed if preferred. Nutrition information is calculated using whole. 
  2. You can substitute the cheddar cheese or use a mix with other hard cheeses. Great options are red Leicestershire, parmesan or gruyere.
  3. You can use dried thyme instead of fresh, however, use half the amount as it is more pungent.
  4. Regular dried breadcrumbs can be used instead, however, panko will give a crispier texture.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Side
  • Method: Hob / Oven
  • Cuisine: British

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 585
  • Fat: 38g
  • Carbohydrates: 43g
  • Protein: 21g

Keywords: side dish, vegetables, leeks, cheese, easy, roast dinner, vegetarian