Can I use this cheesy baked leeks recipe to cook vegetables other than leeks?

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 use a stronger cheese like cheddar.

Will this recipe work with frozen leeks?

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 .

Easy Cheesy Baked Leeks

Name: Easy Cheesy Baked Leeks
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2-3 large leeks (approx. 750g); 100g butter; 50g plain flour; 600ml whole milk; 175 gruyere; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; salt and pepper, to taste

Easy Cheesy Baked Leeks

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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!

Author: Margie
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: British
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale

2-3 large leeks (approx. 750g)
100g butter
50g plain flour
600ml whole milk
175 gruyere
1/4 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Slice the leeks discarding the dark woody ends. Add to a shallow casserole or large frying pan with half the butter. Sauté until soft.
For the white sauce, in a separate pan melt the remaining butter then 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 3/4 the grated gruyere and stir to incorporate. Season to taste.
Add the leeks to a baking dish and top with the cheese sauce, mingle the leeks and sauce together with a fork then sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
Bake at 220C for 20 minutes or until the top golden.

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.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/easy-cheesy-baked-leeks/