Name: Leek, Parsley, and Cheddar Mash
Yield: 6 (side)
Ingredients: 600 g (1.3 lb ) Maris Piper potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks; 4 teaspoons olive oil; 1 large leek , trimmed, halved and sliced; 1½ cups (125 g/4.4 oz ) grated Cheddar cheese; ¼ cup (20 g/0.71 oz) parsley leaves, chopped; ¼ stick (30 g/1.1 oz) butter , diced; 3–4 tablespoons milk (optional)

Why it works: Leek and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 759 recipes. Both carry trans-2-hexenal, which smells green, leafy. The science ↓

Leek, Parsley, and Cheddar Mash

6 (side)

Time15–20 minutes

Ingredients

600 g (1.3 lb ) Maris Piper potatoes , peeled and cut into chunks
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 large leek , trimmed, halved and sliced
1½ cups (125 g/4.4 oz ) grated Cheddar cheese
¼ cup (20 g/0.71 oz) parsley leaves, chopped
¼ stick (30 g/1.1 oz) butter , diced
3–4 tablespoons milk (optional)

Directions

Cook the potatoes and leeks

Boil the potatoes in a medium pot filled with water for 15–20 minutes until tender.
Meanwhile, heat 3 teaspoons oil in a lidded frying pan over low‑medium heat.
In the frying pan, cook the leeks for 10 minutes, covering with the lid, until softened.
Drain the potatoes and leave for 5 minutes to steam‑dry.

Mash and serve

Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and mash them with leeks, cheese, butter and most of the parsley.
Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the butter and cheese to melt. Stir briefly to combine.
For a creamier mash, stir in the milk.
Serve with the remaining parsley.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

689Calories

21 gProtein

43 gFat

60 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Cheddar Cheese	1 oz (28g)	113
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Leek + parsleytop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together759 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,855 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Potato + leektop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together30 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Olive + parsleytop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together9,649 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Potato + olivetop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,458 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Potatoes: Starchy base that mashes into a soft, fluffy texture.
Cheddar cheese: Melts into the mash, adding richness and savoury flavour.
Butter: Adds fat and richness, giving the mash a smooth, silky mouthfeel.
Leeks: Softened in oil, they add mild sweetness and savoury depth.
Milk: Loosens the mash and makes it creamier when added.

The step that matters

Steam-drying the potatoes. Letting drained potatoes sit briefly lets surface moisture evaporate, so the mash stays fluffy rather than watery and loose.

Swap the leek

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, olive, cheddar cheese, parsley, butter, milk):

Chivefits better
Tomatofits better
Capsicumfits better
Leekthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against potato, olive, cheddar cheese, parsley, butter, milk. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Potato Croquettes255 recipes

Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes

Potato Rolls78 recipes

Potato Chips53 recipes

Like knowing why a recipe works?

The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.

Leek, Parsley, and Cheddar Mash