A Happy Accident - Creamy Leeks with Noodles

I'm in the midst of cooking the remainder of Sunday supper - an easy slow cooker chicken recipe is ready and waiting - and thinking about the last time that I cooked Sunday supper for my mother-in-law and her houseguest, a recent widower.  We had brought over dinner already cooked, and one of the things that I made didn't end up able to be left as leftovers for them to eat, because the houseguest ate four helpings of the noodle dish.  I'm making a similar type of noodles tonight because they go so well with saucy chicken, and that got me thinking about the origin of this "recipe".  I'm putting recipe in quotes because I've made it so often that it has become a tried-and-true technique rather than an exact recipe to be followed.

I just looked up the original recipe that inspired our family favorite, and I was surprised that it was from September 2001.  Here's a link to the original recipe: Cider-Brined Pork Chops with Creamed Leeks and Apples.   I know what you're saying right now - "Oh, what a wonderful sounding dish for fall".  That's what I thought too, and decided to make to make it one weekend.  I don''t remember brining the pork, I do remember now nice the apples were with the pork, and though the pork chops were good, they weren't something that I thought I'd have to make again soon.  But, I had leftovers, which we decided to store separately.  From those leftovers, something wondeful was born. 

Another night soon after, we made some egg noodles, the kind that are kind of wavy and great for chicken soup and other homestyle dishes.  On a whim, we decided to throw in the remainder of the creamed leeks, and voila - Creamy Leeks with Noodles was born.  And, oh, how tasty that was -- to us, far better than the original dish of which it was just a component.

Creamy Leeks with Noodles

Ingredients:

4 tbs. butter
5 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
1 cup whipping cream
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cooked noodles, or other type of pasta - we usually use a package of egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
2. Add the leeks, and cook, stirring often, until leeks are softened but not browned, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the whipping cream and stir, and cook until cream is warmed through.
4. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
5. Combine with hot cooked noodles, and serve at once.

Serves 4-6, depending on appetite