Baked cheese with watercress pesto

Main course
Baked cheese with watercress pesto

This comforting watercress cheese bake is a springtime favourite. Oozing with cheese and packed with flavour, this recipe makes the most of seasonal spring greens, with leeks, broccoli, and spring onions, finished with a punchy watercress pesto. Perfect for dipping crusty bread and a great way to use up leftover veg from the fridge.

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Ingredients

1 tbsp Vegetable oil
140 g Diced pancetta
1 tbsp Butter
1 Vegetable stock cube (crumbled)
4 Leeks trimmed to around 6 inches, cut in half & washed
12 Spring onions trimmed to around 6 inches & washed
200 g Tenderstem broccoli

For the cheesy sauce

50 g Butter
50 g Plain flour
Arla Cravendale Semi Skimmed Milk 2L 500 ml Arla Cravendale Semi Skimmed Milk 2L
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
100 g Grated cheddar cheese
100 g Grated gruyère cheese

For the watercress pesto

100 g Watercress
2 Garlic cloves minced
75 g Grated Parmesan cheese
150 ml Olive oil
Juice & zest of 1 Lemon
50 g Toasted pine nuts

To serve

Crusty bread for dunking

Instructions

Step 1

  • Pre-heat oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Heat your oil in a large, non-stick pan over a medium-high heat, add your pancetta and fry for 10 mins moving about until starting to become crispy. Remove your pancetta from the pan, place on kitchen roll to soak up excess fat and leave to one side.

Step 2

  • In the pan used to cook your pancetta, add your butter, crumbled stock, 100ml water and your leeks. Season with salt and pepper and fry for 5 mins, ensuring to turn until softened and fragrent. Remove from the heat and pop to one side.

Step 3

  • Onto your sauce! Add your butter and flour to a large, non-stick pan over a medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon to create a thick paste. Gradually add your Cravendale bit by bit, using a whisk to stir as you go and keep smooth.

Step 4

  • Once all of your milk has been added, simmer until thickened before adding a pinch of salt and pepper, dijon mustard and most of your cheeses (set aside a handful of cheese to sprinkle on top). Stir until combined and remove from the heat.

Step 5

  • Add a thin layer of your cheese sauce to an oven dish. Lay 4 leek halves across the centre cut side up and dot about half of your spring onions and tenderstem to fill the gaps before sprinking with half of your pancetta. Add half of your remaining sauce, followed by your remaining leeks, spring onions, tenderstem and half of your remaining pancetta. Pour over the rest of your sauce and finish with your leftover cheese, pancetta and a crack of black pepper.

Step 6

  • Pop in the oven for 25-30 mins until bubbling and golden. Meanwhile, onto your pesto. Simply whizz together all ingredients in a food processor with a large pinch of pepper and pop to one side.

Step 7

  • Remove your cheese bake from the oven, drizzle all over with watercress pesto and get dunking your crusty bread!

Baked Cheese With Watercress Pesto FAQs

What does watercress go with?

Watercress goes well with a wide variety of foods, adding a peppery kick to sauces, salads, and garnishes. It can be blended into soups or served as a side with meat or fish. You can also swap it for basil to make a fresh, flavourful pesto.

What is the difference between watercress and fool's watercress?

Watercress and fool’s watercress both like to grow in streams and ditches. Although they have a similar appearance, watercress is part of the cabbage family, whereas fool’s watercress is part of the carrot family. Watercress has a peppery scent and flavour, while fool’s watercress has a milder, celery-like taste.

How do you get the bitterness out of watercress?

Younger watercress tends to be less bitter, but you can reduce the bitterness by adding acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar. Washing it in cold water before use can also help, and cooking the leaves will naturally reduce their bitterness.

What does watercress taste like?

Watercress has a peppery and bitter taste when it’s eaten raw, similar to mustard or wasabi. Cooking watercress mellows the taste to something more nutty and slightly sweet, perfect for adding to sauces and soups.

Nutritional values

Nutritional value, per

2295 Kcal

Fibre - 13.1 gram fibers
Protein 16.5 93.2 gram
Fat 78.5 203.7 gram
Carbohydrates 5 28.3 gram

Recommended information

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A springtime staple

This delicious watercress cheese bake is the perfect springtime side dish, combining the fresh flavours of leeks, spring onions and watercress with tasty cheese and pancetta. You could serve it as a starter on its own with plenty of crusty bread, or pair it with baked fish, roasted meat, or even as a fancy addition to your next barbecue.

Watercress pesto

Watercress pesto is a vibrant spring twist on the classic. In this recipe, it adds a fresh, peppery note that lifts the rich, cheesy bake. You can also use it to dress salads, spread over grilled meat or fish, or mix into pasta for a lighter alternative to basil pesto.

Wonderful watercress

Watercress has been enjoyed for centuries, used by the Romans to treat mental ailments and by Hippocrates in his ancient Greek hospital. In Victorian London, bunches of watercress were sold as a snack at Covent Garden. During the world wars, it became a staple in homegrown sandwiches. Today, its punchy flavour is making a comeback in fresh, modern recipes.

https://www.arlafoods.co.uk/recipes/baked-cheese-with-watercress-pesto/