One-Pot Cheesy Leeks + Greens
This has to be the yummiest thing I have made all year! And I’m not being hyperbolic. It goes something like this… gorgeous leeks and leafy collards get covered in a gloriously cheesy sauce made with sharp Cheddar and French Gruyere. That gets topped with crispy croutons and grated parmesan before being tossed in the oven to bubble and bake. But want to know the best thing about this recipe? Everything comes together in one pot! No dishes, yay!
A spoon holds a scoop of cheesy leeks, collards and croutons above a large pot of the same ingredients.
Watch me make it here on Instagram!
Active Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
3 tbs butter
¼ cup flour
1 ½ cup whole milk (cold)
¾ cup heavy cream (cold)
1 ½ tsp salt, divided (1 + 1/2)
5 cracks of black pepper
⅛ tsp nutmeg
2 cups Gruyère
1 cup sharp Cheddar
4 cups collard greens, roughly chopped
2 leeks, light green parts, sliced
Olive oil for drizzling
4 slices, thick-cut sourdough or rustic loaf, cubed
½ cup grated parmesan
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F
Melt butter in a deep cast iron or oven-safe dutch oven.
Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking until thick (kind of like a paste) and golden. About 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in milk and cream until nice and smooth. Make sure the liquids are cold. To do this, I like to measure it out and keep it in the fridge until just before I use it.
Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface. Continue mixing for 2 more minutes or until thickened.
Add 1tsp salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
Add half the cheese and whisk until smooth. Add remaining cheese and continue whisking until smooth once again.
When the sauce is done, turn off the heat. Add collards and mix to coat in sauce. Spread the mixture out so it forms an even layer in the pan. Press leeks into the collard mixture. Sprinkle with ½ tsp salt and drizzle with oil.
Top with bread cubes and cover with grated parmesan.
Place in the oven and let cook for 35-40 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling and the bread golden grown. If your bread isn’t golden after 40 minutes, turn to broil and cook for 2 more minutes or until perfectly crisp and browned.
Why this recipe works…
CHEESE! You’ll see Gruyère used a lot in baking and while it has a great flavour profile (nutty, earthy, rich), that alone is not the reason. Gruyère is used a lot in baking because it melts beautifully — think fondue — and that bodes well for a dish like this. Pair it with sharp cheddar, and well, you’re on a melty trip to flavour town.
GREENS THAT COOK QUICKLY! Other variations of this dish (otherwise known as gratin) use root vegetables, which take longer in the oven and require a foil cover for most of the cooking time. My version uses leeks and collards because they cook quickly, even without a cover.
CROUTONS! Before developing this recipe, I tried a few others I found online. They were all delicious but I felt they were missing something. I just wanted crispy bread to eat with every bite. That’s when I got the idea to add a top layer of croutons. And boy, was it the right move! Each crouton is crispy and brown on the top but soft and soaked in cheese sauce on the bottom. It’s a perfect balance and so yummy.
Playing Around
If you can’t find Gruyère, or it’s out of your budget, these are some nice alternatives:
Fontina
Swiss
Comté
Gouda
Similarly, if you want to try different greens, any of these would work:
Peas
Broccoli or Broccolini
Kale
Brussel Sprouts
Buuut the best place to get creative, IMO, is in the spice/herb department. I’ve kept it pretty simple here using salt, pepper and nutmeg. However, the opportunities are endless! Rosemary, thyme, mustard and lemon would all be welcome additions — or substitutions!