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Broccoli and Cheddar-Gruyere Gratin

December 3, 2010 By 1 Comment

For Thanksgiving dinner this year, I brought a side dish and dessert to my in-law’s house. For dessert I made a sweet potato pie [which I shall not be blogging about as it cracked in the center, the bastard] and then for the side dish I made this really delicious gratin from Real Simple magazine. Every time I bring something for a holiday dinner, I try to make sure it can simply be reheated in the oven, since stove top space is at a premium, so this was perfect.

Broccoli and Gruyere Gratin, adapted from Real Simple magazine
2 large bunches broccoli, roughly chopped (about 12 cups)
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk [the recipe called for whole milk, but I used skim with no issues]
2 cups grated cheddar-gruyere
kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 shallot, diced

Preheat oven to 375. Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and steaming basket, bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, bring it down to a simmer and add the broccoli to the pan. Cover and steam for about 4 minutes, until the broccoli is vibrant green and tender.

Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until translucent and fragrant. Add in the flour and stir briskly to combine. Once combined, slowly add in the milk, and keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. Once the sauce thickens, add in one cup of the cheese and continue stirring until melted. Once fully incorporated, turn off the heat. Add in the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Put the broccoli in a large bowl and add the cheese mixture. Make sure the broccoli is evenly coated, then pour the mixture into a 7 x 11 baking pan. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and the top is nicely browned.

While this was cooking, it smelled amazing. Gruyere is such a great cheese for baking, it melts so beautifully. I actually used a cheddar-gruyere block of cheese that I got at Trader Joe’s because while I like gruyere, I also like having the sharpness of cheddar in there. This reheated really well the next day and tasted great; everything about this was satisfying, from the creamy cheese sauce to the perfectly cooked broccoli. A great addition to any holiday table!

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Sometimes we cook healthy things.

May 19, 2009 By 2 Comments

I’m a newlywed, and I’m not gonna lie, I know I’m one of the luckier ones.  Why, you ask?  Is it because my husband is so handsome, generous, and loving?  No!  (Well, yes, but this post isn’t about him, it’s about me.)  It’s because I have that thing that all newlywed women want: a mother-in-law that actually likes them, and vice versa.  Not only that, but she thinks I’m a good cook.  In fact, she even tells other people I’m a good cook!  It’s pretty awesome, hearing that from a woman who cooked for a family of four for over twenty years, a feat that makes me shudder to even consider.

At the last two family dinners, I’ve made a variation on this Provencal Vegetable Gratin recipe from the Food Network.  It’s a perfect side dish for just about any meal, as the flavors are bright and fresh and won’t detract from anything else you serve. Also? It looks pretty and like I spent way more time on it than I really did.

My version of the recipe goes something like this:

1 onion, thinly sliced
4 medium to large zucchini, cut into rounds of hopefully the same size
7 to 8 plum tomatoes, ditto on size
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 teaspoons fresh thyme (you can, and I have, substituted dried thyme with equal success)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
extra-virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375, and coat a 7 x 11 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a saute pan, add the garlic, onions, and salt. Let the onions cook for 5 – 6 minutes, until golden. Once the onions are cooked, spread them out in the bottom of your baking dish.

Toss your zucchini and tomatoes slices with some olive oil, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Arrange those in the baking dish in neat rows, on top of the onions, like so:

Toss that into the oven for about 30 minutes. Take it out at that point, and sprinkle the rest of your parmesan cheese on top of it. Bake another 10 – 15 minutes and your finished product will be this:

It really is a delicious and versatile dish. Don’t like thyme? Try basil or rosemary. Want to mix in the onions in with the tomatoes and zucchini? Go ahead! Well, maybe don’t – it won’t look as pretty. But any other changes are probably cool!

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