Cheesy Leeks

Leeks are a fantastic vegetable, but can be a bit stringy, so slow cooking them and pureeing them is a great way to introduce this handy green vegetable to babies.

Makes 4 portions | Prep: 15 minutes | Cooking: 30 minutes | Suitable for freezing | Suitable from 10 months

Ingredients

  • 2 leeks, trimmed, roughly chopped and cleaned
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 15g butter
  • 15g plain flour
  • 100ml milk
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • 50g Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 tbsp dried white breadcrumbs

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 200C Fan/Gas Mark 7. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish, or 4 separate ramekins.
  • In a medium saucepan, add the chopped leaks and potatoes and cover with boiling waterCook for around 8 minutes until the leeks are tender and a knife slips easily into the vegetables. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
  • To make the sauce, return the empty pan to the heat and add the butter and melt gently. Stir in the flour and cook for around 10 seconds, stirring. Gradually add the milk and a ladleful of the cooking liquid. Stirring or whisking between each addition of liquid until all the flour is incorporated and you have a smooth sauce.
  • Add the mustard and half the cheese and continue simmering for another minute or two, stirring constantly.
  • Add the cooked leeks and potatoes to the sauce and blend briefly with a hand blender until you have the consistency you want. Once babies are older you can just add the leek and potato pieces in without blending.
  • Add the vegetable mix to the buttered baking dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden on top. Allow to cool before serving.

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