Creamy Cheesy Leeks

overhead view of baking tin with blue rim full of crispy baked leeks with sauce.

4.67 from 3 votes

Creamy and cheesy leeks with Cheddar and a golden, crispy breadcrumb crust. Serve this bubbling bake as a side dish for your Sunday roast or as a delicious vegetarian main dish.

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Course: Side Dish, Vegetarian

Cuisine: British

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Adina

Equipment

Baking dish about 10x6 inches/ 26x15 cm

Ingredients

1.8-2 lbs leeks 850 g/ 28-31 oz, Notes 1,2
2 tablespoons butter 30 g/ 1 oz
3 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour 30 g/ 1 oz
1 ½ cups full-fat milk 350 ml/ 12 fl.oz
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ cups Cheddar grated, 100 g/ 3.5 oz, Note 3
6 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

Leeks:

Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C.
Top and tail the leeks. Clean them thoroughly, and check for hidden dirt between the layers. Cut into 1 inch/ 2 ½ cm slices.
Cook: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and the leeks. Bring the water to a boil again and then cook the leeks for 7-8 minutes or until tender; they should be tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander.

Cheese sauce:

Roux: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir the flour into the pan and cook for about 1 minute until lightly golden.
Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy and coats the back of a spoon, about 2-3 minutes.
Combine: Add the mustard, nutmeg, and ¾ of the grated cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted; add the drained leeks and stir to combine. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper (Note 2).
Assemble: Pour the cheesy leeks into a greased baking dish. Mix the panko breadcrumbs with the dried thyme and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the mixture over the vegetables in cheese sauce.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and nicely golden. Rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Notes

Leeks can differ in size very much, that’s why I prefer to weigh them. I weighed the vegetables after trimming them.
Replace about ⅓ of the leeks with frozen peas. No need to defrost them before adding them to the leek and cheese mixture.
Sub Cheddar with other strong-flavored, good-melting cheese like Gouda, Swiss, Gruyere, and Comte. Don’t use pre-grated cheese; the additives it contains will prevent it from melting nicely.

Nutrition