Creamy Leeks
Cream and cheese make any vegetable taste good but they’re especially effective with these mild leeks, cooked until softened and then baked with cream and grated Cheddar cheese. These make a nice comforting side dish and can be made ahead of time and then heated through.
I think this would also be good with some bread crumbs on top. I did actually use heavy cream when I made this most recently but I’ve also made it with half and half, which I always have on hand for my coffee.
Creamy Leeks
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 pound leeks
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- leaves from a few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Trim the ends of the leeks and discard the rough outer leaves. Slice them in half lengthwise then chop them. Put them in a colander and rinse well, then drain.
- Put a large skillet on medium heat and add the butter and oil, then the garlic. Cook just a minute or so, until the garlic just barely starts to color. Add the leeks and thyme leaves and stir well. Cook about 10 minutes, until the leeks are softened. Remove from the heat.
- Season the leeks with salt and pepper, then stir in the cream and half the cheese.
- Put this into a casserole dish that fits the leeks about 1″ deep. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the leeks and then bake about 20 minutes.
Let me know how you like them!
That looks so good! I am hoping a little detox will help me kick this klingon cold I have. Thanks for the inspiration!
Yes, I’ve made it since with the bread crumbs on top. Mmmm!
Looks really delicious, can’t wait to try it and serve to my kids when I go on vacation this December. Thanks for this.
GREAT!! Its seems to be very very easy. Will try it tomorrow. Would you like to say can make variation by adding some items. Thanks for nice sharing.
Wow! It looks so delicious Ellen. I will definitely try this in my home. Can I use some honey with it?
It looks tasty! I would not mind trying it Ellen. I actually want to have some bread crumbs on top 🙂
Hope all is well with you and your loved ones.