This super easy cheesy baked leeks with ham recipe are perfect for a midweek meal.
Serve with nice crusty bread, it couldn't be any easier, or you could serve as a side dish.
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Cheesy Leeks
Not the best photo because the nights get dark really early now and I didn't really have any intention of posting this.
Anyway, my iPhone did a half-decent job considering it really was dark and we only had the kitchen light on!
I came across this recipe over at the Delicious website, but when I read the recipe I decided there was no way the leeks would actually cook in the time given - sorry Delicious magazine.😐Why? Because of the size, they said to cut them and that they didn't cook them before putting them into the oven and topping them with the cheese sauce.
Their recipe says 'Cut the leeks into 8cm lengths, then wrap each in a piece of ham'. Then they say, pour over the cheese sauce and into the oven for 30 minutes.....
Now, I could be wrong, but I honestly think the leeks wouldn't be cooked properly and just be hard and horrid.
So, I did my own thing and cooked the leeks beforehand so they were lovely and soft and tasty.
I also swapped the wholegrain mustard for Dijon mustard - but that was just my preference. I can't follow any recipe without doing my own thing!
How to Clean Leeks
Leeks have almost always got some sandy soil in between the layers at the end. So, I use a sharp knife, slice them lengthways then they are easy to clean.
Submerge the sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water. Give them a gentle stir to remove any soil or grit between the layers and pat dry with kitchen paper.
But if you need your leeks just sliced into rings for a stew or casserole, thinly slice and discard both the root and top ends to the point where the gritty bit is no more - remove the outer layer and discard.
Ingredients in this recipe
- Unsalted butter
- Leeks
- Ham
- Plain flour
- Dry white wine
- Milk
- Dijon (or wholegrain mustard)
- Thyme leaves
- Extra matured Cheddar
- Brie
Other Leek Recipes
Baked Leeks
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!
Cheesy Baked Leeks with Ham
Ingredients
- 15g unsalted butter plus a drizzle of olive oil for frying
- 3 leeks (around 500g)
- 180g packet of sliced, cooked ham
- 30g unsalted butter
- 30g (3 tbsp) plain flour
- 150ml dry white wine
- 250ml milk
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 80g grated extra matured cheddar cheese
- 100g brie - leave the skin on and slice
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Trim the leeks and cut in half lengthways - this enables you to easily wash the grit from the end. Pat dry with kitchen paper towel.
- Now slice the leeks into 3 cm slices.
- Heat up a large frying pan and add in the butter and oil.
- Add the leeks and cook gently over a low heat whilst stirring for about 10 minutes or so. It's worth taking a bit of time with this so that the leeks develop in flavour. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Once the leeks have softened nicely tip them into a 1.5-litre ovenproof dish and tuck the ham in between the leeks.
- Now melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the wine and milk and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for about 5 minutes whilst stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Now stir in the Dijon mustard, thyme leaves and cheddar until melted, then pour over the leeks.
- Top with the brie, then bake for 30 minutes until bubbling.
- Serve with crusty bread.
There is no instructions on how or where the ham is used.
ReplyDeleteHi Bill - I am so sorry!
DeleteThank you for pointing that out, I have now updated the recipe card.