- 8
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium-sized yellow onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup unbleached flour
- 3 cups organic whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- pinches of cayenne
- 1 and 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 3 16 oz. bags of organic, chopped spinach - thawed
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 and 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- sea salt, to taste
Preparation
Step 1
Add a Recipe »
Lizthechef has you add 1/4 cup of flour -- just enough to thicken the sauce without making it gluey.
In goes the hot milk, while Merrill whisks away.
Add Photos
Add New Collection
This gratin is almost always on the buffet for Christmas at our house. A nice substitute for potatoes, it goes well with the beef tenderloin I usually serve. Adjust the salt and pepper to your liking, but the nutmeg is the classic spice to add. Made with less cheese than is traditional, and also without cream, this lighter version demands as great tasting frozen spinach as you can find. It took one truckload of the fresh stuff to convince me that frozen, organic spinach is the only way to go here.
Creamed spinach with a crunch, Lizthechef's gratin applies a layer of finesse to an age-old comfort food. A fragrant onion bechamel, made savory with a generous addition of Gruyere, envelops chopped spinach in its lush embrace without overwhelming it. We especially love the layer of buttery-crisp, salty panko crowning the top. Pair with some steak, a baked potato and a nice Cabernet, and you've got one heck of a meal. - A&M
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat milk to simmer in saucepan.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onions and cook until wilted but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the hot milk and whisk the sauce until it thickens. Add the nutmeg and cayenne. Turn off the heat.
Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Taste and correct seasoning. Add the spinach and mix in well.
Pour into a 9X11 glass or ceramic baking dish. Prepare crumb topping.
Melt butter in medium skillet. Add panko, sprinkle with sea salt and stir until lightly toasted. This occurs quite suddenly.
Please enter a valid email address.
Add a Recipe
2" href="#comments" class="btn primary float-right">Add Comment
Hi Liz- I was looking for a side dish to take to a Christmas day gathering. This is just the ticket! I will definitely take your advice re: "365" brand of spinach, and gruyere... As far as I'm concerned, in certain baked dishes (quiches,etc), nothing beats gruyere!
Can one make this recipe ahead of time? If yes, till what point?
Can one make this recipe ahead of time? If yes, till what point?
so delish! this came out perfectly. will absolutely make again and again and again!
so delish! this came out perfectly. will absolutely make again and again and again!
Was looking for a creamed spinach with flair and this was just the ticket. I love the nutmeg + cayenne combo to add depth. Used Swiss since it's impossible to find most cheeses in my area and it tasted delicious. If I can find it, I'll try it next time with gruyere.
I've made this a few times now with swiss chard and I absolutely love it. I slice the white bits finely and the green a bit more coarsely and cook them for a while in the sauce before baking. It has all the same creaminess as spinach but with a lovely slightly minerally edge. I've also found that cheaper cheddar plus some parmesan or pecorino make a good substitute if you don't have gruyere.
Ok i made this but the cheese for this was way to expensive for me to make. I substituted feta cheese it was so yummy. I tasted the feta first to see the salt content and just did not add any salt. my husband doesn't really care for spinach or feta and he really enjoyed this. I also cut this in half for the 2 of us very easily.
This was my first time purchasing frozen spinach. I was thinking frozen spinach? Really? And it was so worth it! Loved this recipe. I may make it again tonight. Yum!
This recipe did not let me down. It was everything I thought it would be. I love, love, love the crunchy topping and then the soft, creamy and delightfully nutty spinach. I did go with more than a pinch of cayenne and it handled the heat perfectly. I want to thank you Liz for making me eat more than I probably should have but one bite led to another and before I knew it I had carved a huge wedge out of the baking dish before I even sat down to eat......:o) Brava!!!
Thanks - nothing makes me happier than to pass along a good recipe!
Just added this to my Thanksgiving menu. Wanted to add another green veg to the menu. I'm sure this one will be popular!
I am so making this right after Thanksgiving (my sis-in-law insists on making these awful breaded asparagus spears and I dare not step on her green veggie contribution). I absolutely love that "Stow Fors" Creamed Spinach Souffle (hanging my head in shame) and this looks like I can finally make my own.....and it's easy. I love the addition of Gruyere cheese instead of the ones made with cream cheese.
It freezes and reheats beautifully, too! I made a big batch of it a while back and froze half. Thawed it, added the crumb topping and baked, and it was perfect, just as good as the first time!
Add Comment
added over 2 years ago
I'd like to make this for our Easter supper, but am concerned about my morning getting too crazy. Is this something I can make on Saturday, put in the fridge and then bake on Sunday just b/f we sit down? Should i not do the panko topping until it is ready to go in the oven? Thanks!!
added about 2 years ago
added almost 2 years ago
added almost 2 years ago
Your Email Address
Please enter a valid email address.