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Leeks in a cheese sauce.
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5 from 7 votes

Simple Cheesy Leeks Recipe

A simple cheesy leeks recipe. Tender leeks are smothered in a smooth cheddar cheese sauce, topped with breadcrumbs, and baked in the oven until crispy and golden!
Course Side Dish
Cuisine British
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 325kcal
Author Beth Sachs

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Equipment

Ingredients

Metric - US Customary
  • 4 Leeks thin leeks are best
  • 30 g Butter
  • 30 g Plain Flour
  • 350 ml Milk
  • 100 g Extra Mature Cheddar grated
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg grated
  • 2 tablespoon Breadcrumbs
  • 25 g Parmesan grated
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °fan/ Gas 6).
  • Prepare your leeks by discarding the thick outer leaves, and removing any dirt by rinsing them under cold running water. Top and tail the leeks to remove the root and also the dark green top half. All you want left are the white and pale green parts of the leek. Chop the leeks into 5 cm chunks.
    4 Leeks
  • Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the leeks to the water, return to the boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  •  Make the cheese sauce (using the roux method). Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour, then whisk in the milk gradually. Keep whisking until the sauce starts to thicken and it coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the grated cheese, nutmeg, and dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
    30 g Butter, 30 g Plain Flour, 350 ml Milk, 100 g Extra Mature Cheddar, 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard, ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg
  • Assemble the leeks in a baking dish. Spoon a small amount of the cheese sauce in the bottom of the baking dish (2 tablespoons should be enough), lay the leeks into the dish, then pour over the rest of the cheese sauce. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and salt & pepper, and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbling.
    2 tablespoon Breadcrumbs, 25 g Parmesan, Salt and Pepper

Notes

Top Tips:
  • Spoon a little cheese sauce into the base of your baking dish to prevent the leeks from sticking to the bottom of the dish.
  • If you prefer, you can pre-cook your leeks by frying them instead of boiling. Fry them in a tablespoon of butter until they are just starting to caramelise.
  • Use extra-mature cheddar for the cheese sauce. It complements the sweet leeks nicely!
 
Variations:
  • Fry three chopped rashers of streaky bacon and stir through the cheese sauce for cheesy leeks with bacon!
  • Make cheesy leeks and broccoli by adding half a head of broccoli florets (boil them with the leeks) and doubling the amount of cheese sauce.
  • Make creamy cheesy leeks by replacing half the milk in the cheese sauce for double (heavy) cream.
  • Use different cheeses! Stilton or gruyere would both work well instead of cheddar.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of thyme leaves to the cheese sauce at the same time as the grated cheese.
 
Storage:
This is a great recipe for making ahead and storing in the fridge until you are ready to bake! You can make the leeks in cheese sauce up to 3 days ahead of time! The dish can also be frozen (baked or unbaked) for up to 3 months.
 
Nutrition:
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
 

Nutritional Information (Approximate)

Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 362mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1930IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 426mg | Iron: 3mg
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