Do you ever pass leeks in the grocery store or at the Farmers Market and think it would be great to cook with them but not know what to do with them? Well, I have solved that problem for you…go and buy some, because they are delicious!
Leeks are like a milder onion, and that flavor combined with the cheesiness of this dish is absolutely fantastic! Leeks really need to be cleaned well, so be sure not to skip that step, or else you’ll have dirt and grit as part of your dish which I’m sure you don’t want!
The bread I used for dipping was just a baguette made into crostinis by brushing with olive oil and garlic…but any bread that is on the crusty side or crackers would pair well.
Update-I made this as a dip in a slow cooker with the same amazing results and put directions in the recipe below!
Ingredients
- 2 Lbs Leeks-cleaned well and chopped about 2-3 leeks
- 1.5 Tbs Butter
- 1 Tbs Olive oil
- 2 Garlic cloves chopped
- 6 Sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 Green onions finely chopped
- 8 oz Cream Cheese reduced fat
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 1 1/4 Cups reduced fat sharp cheddar
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup water
- Salt pepper and 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
For the oven version:
- Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the tops off the leeks and remove any bad looking leaves, then cut the bottoms off, then cut remaining leeks you will use into 4s and then chop up. Put these in a colander and really clean well to get all the dirt and grit out. Some people only use the white bottom part of the leek, but I used that and about 2-3 inches of the greens as well.
- In a large skillet that will be able to hold all of the leeks add the butter and olive oil, let heat up for about 3-5 minutes, then add the garlic (you can test out if it is hot enough by adding one little piece of the garlic, it should sizzle when you drop it in the pan). When you've added the garlic, cook until it just starts to turn brown, then immediately add the leeks and thyme. Cook leeks for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Right before you take it off the heat, add the chopped green onions.
- In a separate bowl add the cream cheese and half and half and combine. Add 1 cup of the cheddar (save 1/4 cup for the topping) add 1/4 cup Parmesan (save the other 1/4 for top). Add about 1 tsp of salt and pepper, and then add the cayenne pepper (this will give it a little heat so you can add more or less as desired-I added probably about 1/4 tsp and it was perfect!) Give everything in the bowl a nice stir.
- Add the leeks to the bowl containing the cream cheese and cheeses and combine. Then put in a baking dish and add the remaining cheeses to the top, and bake for 30 minutes. When done allow to cool for 10 minutes and then enjoy!
For the Slow cooker version:
- Follow all the same steps as above, instead put in a slow cooker and cook for 1 hour at high, or 1.5 hours on low. Mine ended up sticking to the sides a bit forming a nice crunchy brown cheese, so if you don't want that stir a time or two while cooking
- I served mine with thinly sliced bread that I brushed with a mixture of olive oil and a few cloves of crushed garlic and then put on an aluminum foil baking sheet and baked with the leek bake for 10 minutes-also good with crackers
Martine says
Loves this recipe. I added some mushrooms and used gouda , parmesan and cheddar because i didnt have any cream cheese at this point. Adding the cayenne pepper was something i would never have thought of ! Genius! Totally excellent , my husband wants it as one of our favourites . Thankyou so much Martine
Sweetphi says
I’m so happy to hear this, and I love the modifications you made, thank you for leaving the feedback!
Alastair says
We have had this a few times now and delicious but not sure if we have missed something as not sure what 1/4 cup half and half refers to is it the cheese or something we have missed?
Sweetphi says
Hi, so glad you like this recipe. Half and half is a liquid, it’s like heavy cream or milk. You could use either in place of the half and half. Hope that helps answer your question.
NK says
This stuff is really good, and Phi has made a few times since. Do you have the slow cooker variation on the site anywhere? We actually finished the cooking on a 1-1/2 hr. car ride once, with great results. The warm and creamy dip was a big hit at our destination!
Sweetphi says
Thanks for the reminder to post the variation with the slow cooker, I’ll update the recipe asap!