Leek Mac and Cheese

A Seasonal Supper for December that is a real Kitchen Sinker, i.e. a leftovers dream

Hello, hello and welcome to my December Seasonal Supper which is seasonal in terms of produce, but also in terms of being a low effort-high reward meal that will use up leftovers, particularly cheese, cheese biscuits and crisps.

BEFORE WE CRACK ON - per my normal schedule, my last post for 2025 would be out next Monday 23rd. However my feeling is that no one will be wanting to look at their emails then, so I will be sending it this Friday instead. So look out for MORE PLEASE - WALKING DINNER where I give you three excellent buffet-friendly recipes that are more substantial than finger food but still elegant, easy and delicious.

I think the cheese is the part of the Christmas food canon that I look forward to the most to be honest. It’s as luxurious to me as an expensive wine, and I really savour the moments I get with the cheese board. For those wondering, typically I am a soft, often washed-rind, stinky-funky cheese gal - your Epoisses, Rollrights, Langres, with a bit of Mont D’or and Carboncino for good measure. Anyway, I am not using these in the recipe today, but had I had them in my fridge I definitely would have.

Essentially the recipe below is a blueprint for leftover cheeses, and leftover veg and crunchy bits too. Leeks are in fact in season right now and I am, and have always been, obsessed with them. The sweetest allium with hints of fennel and tarragon, it’s one of my all time favourite vegetables. Leeks and cheese go together like a wink and a smile, and a leek mac and cheese is something I have been making since my early 20s. The leeks act more as a soft, fudgy perfume rather than body in this recipe - they almost melt into the sauce. If you fancied, you could swap or amplify them with cooked onions that sat underneath a roasting bird, or even some cooked sprouts.

A crunchy topping is never a bad thing and in this recipe we are using a mix of breadcrumbs, crisps and cheesy crackers. It makes a supercharged crispy lid and, again, uses up any odds and ends of crisps and crackers you may have lying around.

So let’s get into it, with all the potential swaps I can think of to make this as useful as possible for you!

LEEK MAC AND CHEESE