WOW Spinach Gratin



Did you ever try a new recipe, and after you take the first bite, you say "WOW!"?

Well, on this occasion I did such a thing. This definitely has the WOW factor.

This recipe is definitely worthy of Christmas dinner, along side a turkey, a whole filet of beef or stuffed pork loin, and my favorite way to enjoy it was with a fried egg on top, for breakfast.



The recipe says to most definitely use frozen spinach instead of fresh. Whole Foods sells a nice quality organic frozen spinach in 16oz. bags.



I cut the recipe in half, since it was only the 2 of us, but next time, I will make the whole portion.

WOW Spinach Gratin (adapted from Food52)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium-sized yellow onions, chopped
1/4 cup unbleached flour
3 cups organic whole milk (I heated it in the microwave for 45 seconds)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
a few pinches of cayenne
1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
3 16oz. bags of organic, chopped spinach - thawed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Panko breadcrumb topping:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
sea salt, to taste

Squeeze the liquid from the thawed spinach, handful by handful (I hate this task). Set aside.

Heat milk to simmer in saucepan (I used the microwave).

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onions and cook until wilted but not browned, about 7 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 greased 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 happens quickly, so make sure you don't burn the crumbs.

Gently smooth the toasted panko on top of the gratin.



Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375F until bubbling.

Enjoy!





Comments

Love your spinach gratin with the gruyere and the panko topping Stacey. We like to make spinach gratins for a crowd. They're always a winner.

Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season.
Sam
Marina said…
I love your blog! You post such great recipes :)
angicoock said…
Love your spinach
you have a wonderful holiday
Ciao Chow Linda said…
I'm all for wow, and this recipe has it written all over it.
Ciao Chow Linda said…
I'm all for wow, and this recipe definitely has the wow factor.
Wow is right, this looks fantastic!
Maria said…
I think I will make this tonight. YUM!
Wow is right! and I love how you topped with an egg and had it for breakfast, my kinda girl!
Hey it's someones Birthday tomarrow isn't it?
The JR said…
Oh that does sound WOW.
Anonymous said…
Ever tried Laurie Colwin's 'CREAMED SPINACH WITH JALAPENO PEPPERS'? From her wonderful book 'Home Cooking'. A kicked up version of your gratin, and a staple on my holiday table.
Karen said…
Love it. I have some frozen spinach from our garden still. this sounds like a good dish to use it up!
Melbourne Girl said…
YEP, that sounds like my kind of breakfast! Love it abnd will definitely try it on Sunday after the Christmas madness has settled down a little.
Cheers...and have a great Chrissy
Lesley
x
Patsyk said…
Yum... that's what I thought as soon as I started reading the recipe! I know my oldest will love this one!
Bren said…
the crunch in this works sooo well. nice! Happy Holidays!
Jen_from_NJ said…
I love the breakfast idea - perfect eggs Florentine!
Shelby said…
This looks so delicious - I am most definitely going to have to make this!
Lori Lynn said…
Good to know that Whole Foods has a good frozen spinach, some brands have way too many stems.
This does look WOW!
LL
Dana said…
I totally bookmarked that recipe and am so glad it is as awesome as it sounds. I think I would make it for dinner planning on the fried egg topping! Hope you had a happy merry!
Michele said…
Oh man! Wish I saw this recipe last week! LOOKS GREAT!
gbillson said…
Made this dish for my family for brunch-
we had it with eggs & hot links-
everyone loved it. D'lish