Cheesy Leek Dip with Crostini

Prep time: 15 mins  
Cooking time: 8 mins for Crostini + 20 mins for dip
Serves: 

Ingredients

  • 1 Baguette, thinly sliced
  • Roughly a ¼ cup of olive oil
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1 leek, sliced in half lengthways and diced
  • 2 tablespoons of paprika
  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 200gm of cheddar, grated
  • 250gm of cream cheese, allow to come to room temperature
  • 60gm of Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • 1 spring onion, finely diced
  • 1 rasher of bacon, finely diced

Method 

  1. To make the crostini, preheat the oven to 180C fan grill and very thinly slice the
    baguette. Lay slices on a sheet pan with baking paper and cover both sides in
    a drizzle of olive oil and salt. Toast in the oven for roughly 4 minutes each side
    or until browned and crispy. Leave the oven on the same setting for the
    cheese mixture.

  2. Slice the leek in half lengthways and thinly dice. Place the leek into a bowl and
    cover with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper.

  3. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat and fry leeks for roughly 10 minutes
    until nicely caramelised.

  4. Combine leeks, cream cheese, cheddar (reserving around a ¼ for topping
    later) and Parmigiano Reggiano and mix. If the cheese isn’t mixing well, put it
    in the microwave for 30 seconds or so to further soften the cheese.

  5. Place the cheese and leek mixture in a baking dish and top with the
    remaining cheddar. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the top layer of
    cheddar is nicely crisped.

  6. Meanwhile, very thinly dice the bacon and cook in the same pan used for the
    leeks until nice and crispy.

  7. Remove the cheesy leek mixture from the oven and let it rest for a few
    minutes before topping with crispy bacon and spring onion

  8. Serve with the crostini on the side and enjoy!

Ingredients for Cheesy Leek Dip with Crostini