Many years ago I was putting dinner on the table and my eldest son asked me what we were having. I told him that we were going to have Ranch Chicken and Au Gratin Potatoes. He thought about it for a minute and then said he would eat the chicken but didn’t want any of the all rotten potatoes. I can’t think of Au Gratin any other way since.

This recipe uses spinach and not potatoes. I would have to say it was pretty good. I am a bigger fan of raw spinach versus cooked, but that having been said, it was pretty good.

I cut the recipe in half and it easily served four as a side (with some left over).

Carmelizing the onions.

Mixing up the sauce.

Heating it up.

Adding the spinach.

Topping it with cheese.

Looks gorgeous!

A great hot side.

Spinach Gratin

Prep Time: 0 hours 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 hours 40 minutes | Makes: 8 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups milk
• 3 pounds frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (5 (10-ounce) packages)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour and nutmeg and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the cream and milk and cook until thickened. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach and add the spinach to the sauce. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.Transfer the spinach to a baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and the Gruyere on top. Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

Source: http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/recipe/20881

March is National Celery Month

In honor of today’s food holiday, please revisit the following recipes that use or feature this ingredient:

Bacon Beef Butternut Squash, Beef-Barley Soup, Boilermaker Tailgate Chili, Buffalo Chicken Flat Bread, Buffalo Chicken Ravioli, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Buffalo Chicken Salad Wrap, Cajun Pork Roast, Chicken and Rice Bake, Chicken Honey Nut Stir Fry, Chicken in a Pot, Chicken Tetrazzini, Gazpacho, Grandma O’s Potato Salad, Guinness Beef Stew, Guinness Pot Pie, Lentil Bolognese, Makeover Hot Chicken Salad Recipe, Mushroom Pie, Osso Bucco, Red Beans and Rice, Red Wine Gravy, Shrimp Etouffee, Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings, Sweet Macaroni Salad, Texas Straw Hat, Thanksgiving Stuffing, Turkey Noodle Soup, Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup, Vietnamese Spring Rolls