If you’ve only ever experienced leeks as a backup player — in stocks, say, or in potato-leek soup — the sweet, mildly oniony flavor of this dish will come as a pleasant surprise. This is Fine Cooking’s recipe, slightly tweaked for convenience; the editors suggest using it as an alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving side dish of creamed onions.

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch (or larger) baking dish with the tablespoon of butter.
2. Wash the leeks thoroughly to remove any sand or grit from between the layers. Julienne the leeks into slices about 1 inch wide. Arrange the leeks in a single layer in the buttered dish.
3. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the leeks, then scatter the chopped thyme, if using.
4. Put the smashed garlic cloves and cream into a small saucepan. Heat the cream, stirring occasionally, until just simmering, then remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Pour the cream-garlic mixture evenly over the leeks.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the thickness of the leeks, until the leeks are soft and the cream has mostly reduced. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the leeks, if using, and serve warm.