Spinach Au Gratin or A Nice Alternative.

     Welcome and thank you for checking out my blog, today's dinner is
Spinach Au Gratin.

     Last month I started a new series I am calling the salad and sides series, spinach au gratin could be thought of as a salad but I consider it a side dish. At my house I do the vast majority of the cooking. Most of the time I make a main course dish with a simple salad and maybe some type of bread or I will throw vegetables in the microwave. A few times a month and when we have guests for dinner I like to make a more complete dinner with a couple of side dishes. My goal with this series is to give you some alternatives to salad-in-a-bag and mashed potatoes.
     Spinach Au Gratin is a variation of a French dish called Swiss Chard Au Gratin, the difference is that we are substituting spinach for the swiss chard. This is basically spinach that is wilted and then tossed with a melted cheese mixture; that right there puts it well into my simple and delicious category.
     Now that we know where we are going, let's take a look at today's recipe.

                                        Spinach Au Gratin

Prep time   10 Min.     Cook time   20 Min.     Serves   8

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 cup low-fat milk, at room temperature

1/2 small onion, minced

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, parmigiano-reggianno recommended

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Steam, parboil or microwave spinach until wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes; drain and place in a serving dish.

Place a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat; add oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add flour, whisking constantly for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan.

Add onion and nutmeg; simmering gently and stirring often until mixture starts to thicken.

Remove pan from heat; stir in cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper; stir until well-combined. Pour sauce over spinach; toss and serve.

This recipe yields 8 servings at about 1/2 cup per serving.

*Note- Skim milk is not recommended for this recipe.


     This is a great side dish that should appeal to adults and children. If you want to forgo the spinach and try it with Swiss Chard just change out the two ingredients but make sure you remove the tough center rib and boil the leaves until they are wilted.
     As always, if you try this side dish, check back here and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out.


     Next week - Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken Curry or One More Way to Make Indian Food.