Cheesy Leek Beans

If you love macaroni and cheese, then you’re going to love this cheesy leek and bean dish! It’s made like a classic mac and cheese recipe, i.e. with a roux and cheese sauce, but we’ve swapped pasta for beans. The leeks give a really nice addition to the dish, but can be left out (or substituted with something else) if you wish - suggestions for substitutions are below!

Why you’ll love this dish

• Comforting - now Autumn has officially started, I’m definitely looking for comforting and warming dishes, and this recipe ticks those boxes! Since we’ve got beans in there too, we have all the nutritional benefits from them (e.g. fibre)! 
• Versatile - this dish is really versatile in the sense you can add whatever vegetables you want (or protein too!). It would be very delicious with some mushrooms and pancetta. And broccoli would be great too! 

What ingredients do you need for this dish (includes possible substitutions)? 

Leek: as mentioned above, if you don’t want to add leek then other vegetables would be great too! Mushrooms or broccoli would both be delicious options.

Garlic: can be left out if you want to! 

Plain flour: this is essential to thicken the sauce, so don’t skip or swap this! 

Garlic and onion powder: adds a bit of extra flavour to the sauce, but can be left out if you wish! 

Milk: I use whole milk but semi-skimmed would be fine too. 

Cannellini beans: can be substituted with butter beans. 

Lemon: adds a bit of freshness and acidity to the dish, but can be left out if you want! 

Cheddar: I like to use a mature cheddar, but use whatever your favourite is! 

Panko breadcrumbs: panko is my favourite type of breadcrumb but you can use any dried breadcrumb variety.

What to serve this with? 

This is great served on toast with a vinegary side salad. 

Instructions 

Cook the leeks 

Preheat your grill to medium-high. In a large frying pan over a medium heat, melt the butter. Add the leek and a good pinch of salt. Cook until softened and sweet, about 8 minutes.

Add the garlic

Add the garlic and cooked until golden. Stir often. 

Add the flour 

Add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder and the lemon zest. Cook, whisking regularly, for 2 minutes.

Add the milk 

Gradually add the milk, stirring the milk well into the roux as it is added. As more of the milk is added, the sauce will start to loosen and thin. Once a third to half of the milk has been added and incorporated, add the remaining milk in generous additions. To thicken the sauce, bring it to a simmer and whisk regularly for about 2 minutes, or until it’s thickened to a thick cream like consistency. 

Prepare the cheese 

Cut 100g of the cheese into 1 inch cubes (this will be for the sauce). Grate 50g of the cheese (this will be for the topping). Add the cubed 100g of the cheese into the sauce and stir to melt.

Add the lemon and beans 

Squeeze in about 1/4 of the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Add more salt or lemon juice if needed. Stir in the beans then top with the grated 50g of cheese and panko breadcrumbs. Place under the grill and cook until golden. Depending on your oven this may only take a few minutes, so keep an eye on it! 

FAQ 

What’s the best way to store this dish? 

Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Then reheat either in the microwave, in the oven, or on the hob. 

Can this be frozen?

Yes! Just place in an airtight container then defrost in the fridge overnight, or in the microwave. 

If you’re looking for another bean dish, be sure to try out these recipes:

• Smoky Butternut Squash Beans
• Curry Leaf Chickpea Dal
• Pesto Beans