Recipe Thursday!(French Leek Pie)

So every blog needs some semblance of order and familiarity. Thus, every Thursday I plan to post a recipe. These recipes will include a menagerie of my old favs, new discoveries, and maybe even some secret family ones, if you're lucky. So to kick it off I will go with a trusty old recipe I have made at least a dozen times. This recipe was first shared with me by my best friend Laurie, who has impeccable taste, and is a wonderful cook herself, so I knew it would be a winner!

FRENCH LEEK PIE

See Recipe Here
Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie crust(I usually get the extra deep pit crust)

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 3 leeks, cleaned and chopped(it is easier to clean them, after chopping!)
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup light cream
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyère cheese(totally worth the splurge)

Prep and Cook Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in leeks; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and cheese, and warm through. Pour mixture into pie shell
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until custard is set and golden on top(I have found it generally takes closer to 40 minutes to cook, but this will of course depend on your oven) (Once the top is beginning to brown it is READY!). Allow to sit 10 minutes before  serving.                                                                                                                                                                                            I should have known that anything that Laurie sent my way would take me back to a dinner in France, as my fluent friend is a lover of all things French. This pie is rich and comforting. Paired with a simple green salad and a great glass of wine, you will be able to close your eyes and see rolling French country side. It is hearty without being heavy. The prep is quick and the result is impressive which makes it a great thing to make for a week-night dinner party. I have also done slight alterations to the recipe. Once I made it for a brunch so I added pancetta, it was delicious, but did add quite a bit of extra salt so be weary of this when seasoning. I also did a variation where I added some cherry tomato and diced oyster mushrooms. This was yummy, the cherry tomato added a sweet element which totally changed the attitude of the pie. I think this is a great go-to recipe. Super yummy, and easy- doesn't get better than that!