Ready in just under 40 minutes, these Easy Cheesy Baked Leeks are the ultimate cold weather side dish! Leeks are softened in butter before being blanketed in a simple and delicious white sauce, complete with nutmeg and gruyere, before being baked in the oven until the cheese is golden and the leeks are bubbly.
I find these are a level up from cauliflower cheese as the leeks are sweet and buttery, which works so well with cheese. This is a great vegetable side dish for your next Sunday Roast, with Christmas dinner (they also go really well with a Boxing Day ham) or even just on a chilly weeknight.
It takes just minutes to soften the leeks and whip up a simple white sauce leaving the oven to do most of the work while you get on with other things.
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Why you will love this simple cheesy leeks recipe:
- You can make these cheesy leeks ahead so they're great for entertaining.
- It's a simple, classic recipe that will pair with so many dishes, but with the option to add more ingredients to make it the star of the show.
- You can make them vegan by just switching in plant-based substitutes for the dairy products.
Ingredients:
Large leeks
Butter - it does not matter if you want to use salted or unsalted, just keep in mind which you used when adding salt to the rest of the dish!
Plain flour - labelled as all-purpose flour in the US.
Whole milk - this will give you the creamiest finish, but you can substitute semi-skimmed (half fat) milk instead.
Gruyere cheese - this is usually vegetarian, but do check if this matters to you!
Nutmeg - freshly grated nutmeg has the best flavour, but pre-grated nutmeg is much more convenient.
Salt and pepper
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Substitutions and Variations:
Make it vegan - this is a really simple, classic recipe that will still work well with your favourite vegan butter, milk and cheese substitutes.
Change up the cheeses - we've used gruyere here for it's classic flavour and brilliant melting and browning capabilities (it's the ultimate cheese for a gratin!) but any hard cheese that grates or melts well will work in this recipe. For the topping, you could use parmesan or mozzarella too. Parmesan has a stronger flavour but mozzarella is what makes it so gooey and melty.
Add some extra crunch - sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the top of the cheesy leeks in the last 5 minutes of cooking to turn golden and make the topping nice and crunchy. Panko will work just fine or make your own. I just whizz up a few slices of toasted bread in my food processor until they are crumbs.
Fresh herbs - if you have some in the garden, the leaves from a few sprigs of fresh thyme would be delicious here, add them to the leeks once you've removed them from the heat.
Nutmeg - if you don't like nutmeg, use a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
More Variations
Other veg - this would also be great with Brussels sprouts. Slice them thinly with a mandolin (carefully) or with a food processor. Fry them in butter like you would the leeks until soft. Continue the recipe as normal. A mix of both leeks and sprouts would also be good.
Pancetta - I have also made this before with crispy pancetta. Over a medium heat, add diced pancetta and cook gently so the fat renders out and fries the pancetta. Keep stirring it every so often, this should take around 15 minutes. I would then use the same pan to make the white sauce to give the sauce a bacon flavour, it's so good. Just make sure if there are any burnt bits from the pancetta in the pan to discard them so you don't get it in the sauce.
Ham: for any leftover Christmas ham, this makes a great recipe to use it up. I like to chop it up and stir it in with the leeks and the sauce once it's in the baking dish. Then bake as usual. Or you could fry the ham with the leeks in step 1 to crisp them up a little.
Directions:
Here's a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Slice the leeks discarding the dark woody ends. Add to a shallow casserole or large frying pan with half the butter.
TWO: Sauté until soft. This will take around 10-15 minutes. Heat the oven to 220c/200c fan.
THREE: For the white sauce, in a separate pan melt the remaining butter. Once melted, add the flour, stir to create a paste then slowly whisk through the milk to create a smooth, glossy white sauce. Add the nutmeg and ¾ the grated gruyere and stir to incorporate. Season to taste.
FOUR: Add the leeks to a baking dish and top with the cheese sauce, mix together with a fork then sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Bake at 220C for 20 minutes or until the top golden.
Cooking Tips:
Get ahead - you can cook the leeks in advance, and assemble the gratin ready to bake later if you're serving this to guests. Leftovers warm up well but the leeks will loose some of their texture so these portions are best for just you and your family!
Rest the leeks for 5 minutes before serving - not only will this make sure the leeks are not too hot to eat when they hit your plate, it will help the flavours meld a little and make sure the leeks don't just slip off your spoon as you try to dish up nice big portions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Substitute in just tender cauliflower, and you'll make a killer cauliflower cheese recipe instead, though as cauliflower has a milder flavour than leeks, I'd add some Parmsan and cheddar too. This would also be great with Brussels sprouts. Slice them thinly with a mandolin (carefully) or with a food processor. Fry them in butter like you would the leeks until soft. Continue the recipe as normal. A mix of both leeks and sprouts would also be good.
Yes, but I'd allocate a lot more time for softening the leeks in half the butter as you want all the water to evaporate from the pan before you combine them with the white sauce. Picard on Ocado do really good frozen leeks.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you're looking for more cold weather comfort food, you can't go wrong with our Easy Baked Chorizo Mac and Cheese, our Harissa Roasted Carrot Soup, or even our Chicken Parmesan Pasta with Garlic Butter. Or, if simple side dishes are what you're after, our recipe for Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta is a real classic, or why not go for something a bit more modern with our Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes come with a creamy chive and sour cream dip and crispy prosciutto! If you need a veggie centrepiece to go alongside, try my Nut Roast Wellington.
Made this recipe and loved it?
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PrintEasy Cheesy Baked Leeks
This simple, classic recipe for Baked Cheesy Leeks is the ultimate cold weather side dish pairing buttery leeks with a creamy sauce and plenty of cheese!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 800g leeks (around 6 leeks usually)
- 100g butter
- 50g plain flour
- 600ml whole milk
- 175g gruyere
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Slice the leeks into rounds, discarding the dark woody ends. Add to a shallow casserole or large frying pan with half the butter over medium-high heat. Sauté until soft, around 10-15 minutes. This shouldn't be total mush but cooked.
- Heat the oven to 220c/200c fan. For the white sauce, in a separate pan melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour, stir to create a paste. Cook out this paste for a few minutes, stirring it as you go, then slowly add the milk, adding a little at a time and whisking between each addition, to create a smooth, glossy white sauce. Add the nutmeg (or dijon) and ¾ the grated gruyere and stir to incorporate. Season to taste.
- Add the leeks to a baking dish and top with the cheese sauce, then stir it all together. Here is where you could add in pancetta or ham if using. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.
Notes
Get ahead - you can cook the leeks in advance, and assemble the gratin ready to bake later if you're serving this to guests. Leftovers warm up well but the leeks will loose some of their texture so these portions are best for just you and your family!
Rest the leeks for 5 minutes before serving - not only will this make sure the leeks are not too hot to eat when they hit your plate, it will help the flavours meld a little and make sure the leeks don't just slip off your spoon as you try to dish up nice big portions.
Nutmeg - if you don't like nutmeg, use a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
Cheese - I love gruyere as it melts well and also has good flavour so I would keep that in the white sauce but for the topping, you could use mozzarella for melty, gooey cheese or parmesan for a saltier, more savoury flavour.
Other veg - this would also be great with Brussels sprouts. Slice them thinly with a mandolin (carefully) or with a food processor. Fry them in butter like you would the leeks until soft. Continue the recipe as normal. A mix of both leeks and sprouts would also be good.
Pancetta - I have also made this before with crispy pancetta. Over a medium heat, add diced pancetta and cook gently so the fat renders out and fries the pancetta. Keep stirring it every so often, this should take around 15 minutes. I would then use the same pan to make the white sauce to give the sauce a bacon flavour, it's so good. Just make sure if there are any burnt bits from the pancetta in the pan to discard them so you don't get it in the sauce.
Ham: for any leftover Christmas ham, this makes a great recipe to use it up. I like to chop it up and stir it in with the leeks and the sauce once it's in the baking dish. Then bake as usual. Or you could fry the ham with the leeks in step 1 to crisp them up a little.
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