This leek and creamed spinach casserole is just the thing to make when you are tired of the same old and want something delicious and just a bit different.
It’s a vegetable casserole that combines wonderful creamed spinach with new flavors like Dijon mustard and Parmesan cheese. It is all baked in a casserole with, of all things, leeks.
In my humble opinion we don’t see enough leek recipes.
Leeks are a lesser used vegetable that is really terrific. They have a lovely light oniony taste that I really love.
Try some leek soup one day and see what I mean.
Spinach and leeks work wonderfully together. Both of taste wonderful in a creamy sauce, so this recipe seems destined to bring these two vegetables together.
And it does come together nicely.
First of all, let’s talk about cleaning leeks.
Prepping the Vegetables for Spinach Casserole
The first thing you have to do to prep for this recipe is to clean your vegetables.
The spinach is easy. Just rinse it.
The leeks are a bit fussier. They are a vegetable that you have to be just a bit more careful about cleaning well.
Leeks are grown a bit deeper in the soil. That is why part of the leek is light, almost white, and part is darker green.
The darker green has been in the sun.
The area where the lighter green meets the darker green is where the top of the leeks are coming out of the ground. That area can collect dirt from the ground it is grown in.
Cleaning Leeks
When you clean the leeks, you need to be a bit more careful around that park of the stalk. Just make sure there aren’t bits of grit between the layers.
I usually slice the leek length-wise and rinse it under cold water. While I am cleaning them, I make sure that there is no dirt between the layers.
It is easy to see if the leeks are sliced length-wise, but leaving them whole is fine too.
Another thing with leeks is that you don’t use the whole stalk.
The top part of the stalk, the very dark green, is tough. I usually cut the leeks just to the point where it starts to get tough. Discard that part or save it for soup stock.
This is what the leeks look like when they are cleaned and sliced.
How to Make Your Leek and Creamed Spinach Casserole
This lovely vegetable casserole isn’t too fussy to put together.
You start out by blanching the spinach in boiling water for just a few seconds to cook it. Then pat it dry and chop it up.
The leeks are sautéed with a little bit of butter. They are seasoned with salt and pepper and a touch of nutmeg.
Nutmeg is a warming spice that is a wonderful touch with the leeks. They pair together really well.
Then you add milk to the leek mixture, cook it and thicken it to make a creamy sauce.
Add the spinach, Parmesan cheese and some Dijon mustard. You can see how the flavor profile is really coming together with these ingredients.
Creamed spinach with leeks, Parmesan cheese and Dijon mustard. You just know this vegetarian casserole is going to be tasty.
All you have to do now is put it all in a baking dish, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and more cheese and pop it into the oven.
I can almost smell the wonderful aroma of all of this cooking as I write this. It’s a wonderful spinach casserole recipe.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful vegetable side dish recipe. I really love it.
It’s a great recipe to serve with plainer meats like beef or chicken because it is nice and saucy. It also works well as part of a vegetarian meal.
Any way you serve it, I think you will like this great vegetable recipe. It’s just a bit different, in a really good way.
Spinach and leeks together in a flavorful creamy sauce? Yes!
Enjoy.
Leek and Creamed Spinach Casserole Recipe
Equipment
- 1 baking dish 8"x8"
Ingredients
- 4 bags spinach, fresh, large bags, trimmed
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 leeks, (white and light green parts only), chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, coarse fresh
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the spinach in batches, until it is wilted, about 20 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a bowl of ice water. Drain and press out the water. Chop the spinach and set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the leeks, salt, pepper and nutmeg, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the leek mixture with flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring often until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes.
- Add the spinach, 3/4 cup of cheese and the mustard. Cook, stirring until hot.
- Scrape the mixture into an 8 inch square glass baking dish or gratin dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and the remaining cheese. Bake in a 375°F oven until the top is crisp and golden, about 25 minutes.
- Makes 8 servings.
Notes
Nutrition
If you love spinach, browse all of our spinach recipes here.
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