Dinner & Lunch

Easy cheesy leeks

Make these luxurious leeks as part of your Christmas spread. Easily prepared in advance, the dish will bring great flavour to your Christmas dinner feast.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 20g butter , plus extra for the tin
  • 6 leeks , washed and finely sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves , bashed and peeled but left whole
  • 10g thyme sprigs
  • 50g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
  • 50g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 20g butter
  • 20g plain flour
  • 300ml whole milk
  • ½ whole nutmeg , grated
  • 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 75g gruyère or vegetarian alternative, grated
  • 150g mild cheddar , grated

Directions:

  • Set a large, deep pan over a medium-low heat and warm the oil and butter. When foaming, add the leeks, garlic and thyme along with a generous pinch of salt.
  • Cook for 25-30 mins with the lid on, stirring frequently, until the leeks are completely softened and beginning to caramelise around the edges. Remove the thyme sprigs and discard.
  • Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat, then stir in the flour. Cook for 1 min. Pour in the milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly, until you have a thick sauce, about 6-8 mins. When it comes to the boil, remove from the heat and stir in the nutmeg, mustard and both cheeses. Season, then stir in the leeks.
  • Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lightly butter an ovenproof dish around 23cm wide. Mix the parmesan and breadcrumbs with a generous pinch of black pepper.
  • Pour the leek mix into the dish. Will keep chilled for up to two days and frozen for up a month. Sprinkle with the parmesan crumbs and bake for 25-30 mins (5 mins longer if chilled, and an extra 10-15 mins from frozen), until golden.

Nutrition per serving:

  • kcal376
  • fat26g
  • saturates15g
  • carbs14g
  • sugars0g
  • fibre5g
  • protein15g
  • salt1.5g