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!