Recipes › Leek › Leek and Cheddar Cornbread Bake
Leek and Cheddar Cornbread Bake
Soft, golden cornbread packed with sweet softened leeks and sharp Cheddar, baked in a single dish until the top is crackled and crisp. This is proper comfort food — hearty enough to serve as a weeknight main with a green salad, or alongside a bowl of soup. The leeks melt into the batter and keep everything moist.
Leek is usually ready October to February. More leek recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 500 g leeks, trimmed, halved lengthways and finely sliced
- 40 g unsalted butter, plus extra for the dish
- 200 g fine cornmeal
- 100 g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 120 g mature Cheddar, coarsely gratedor use Gruyère for a nuttier flavour
- 240 ml whole milk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
Contains: cereals gluten, eggs, milk.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C fan. Butter a 20cm square baking dish or ovenproof skillet generously.About 1 min
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and a good pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes until completely softened and starting to turn golden. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.About 8 min
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, plain flour, baking powder, salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Stir in 90g of the grated Cheddar.About 2 min
- In a jug, whisk together the milk and beaten eggs. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined — a few lumps are fine. Fold in the softened leeks.About 2 min
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread it level. Scatter the remaining 30g of Cheddar evenly over the top.About 1 min
- Bake for 25–28 minutes until golden on top, pulling away from the sides slightly, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the dish for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.About 28 min
Tips
- Make sure the leeks are properly softened before folding them in — raw or underdone leeks will taste sharp and won't integrate into the batter.
- Don't overmix once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. Stir just until no dry streaks remain or you'll end up with a dense, tough crumb.
- This is best eaten warm on the day it's made, but a slice reheated in a 180°C oven for 8 minutes comes back beautifully.
Ring the changes
- Add 80g of diced cooked bacon or chorizo to the batter along with the leeks for a meatier version.
- Swap the Cheddar for a crumbled feta and reduce the salt slightly — the salty, creamy pockets work really well against the sweet leeks.
Keeping it
Cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 day, or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in a 180°C oven for 8–10 minutes. Not suitable for freezing once baked.
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