Gratin For Everyone

I love a gratin! Ill gratin any vegatable, anytime! I mean lets face it how can you go wrong with cream, cheese, garlic?  Here are a few that I love!

(Kids: You might be able to get a few more veggies over  this way! My kids love them!)

Spinach Gratin

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Melt the 1/2 butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the other 1/2 butter, flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Gratin of Fennel, Potatoes and Leeks (Scalloped Potatoes)

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
Splash of Vermouth or dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 leeks, white parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced (you can substitute a sliced onion for this if push come to shove)
2 large fennel bulbs, quartered, cored and thinly sliced (optional)
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped herbs (Italian parsley, parsley and thyme)
6-8 ounces gruyere cheese, grated (about 1½-2 cups)
1½ pounds red potatoes or yukon golds, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Prep: Slice Potatoes thinly, approximately 1/8 inch, setting in a bowl of cold water for a minimum half hour, rinse and dry on towel. Grate Gruyere, and slice leeks and fennel.

To slice leeks: cut a long slice all the way down the center lenghtwise until you have two halves.  Leeks are cut in sandy soil for drainage wash under cold water and slice up to 1/8 thick slices all the way down the stalk until about 1 inch above the stem. 

To slice fennel: Cut leafy greens off of bulb, slice bulb across into 1/8 thcik slices.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute leeks and fennel until tender. Around 5 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 375˚F and lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Layer one third of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the potatoes lightly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, followed by half the leek and fennel mixture, and one-third of the cheese. Make another layer of potatoes, followed by salt, pepper, the remaining leek and fennel mixture, and another one-third of the cheese. Top with the final layer of potatoes and pour the steeped hot cream over. Cover the dish and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender and the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining chopped fresh herbs just prior to serving.

Optional Additions: Ham,  Bacon, Goat Cheese, Greek Yogurt, Cheddar... Be creative! Almost anything goes!