Zucchini Gratin

Hello my friends! Somehow it’s already the last week of April!! And even though lately it’s been seriously chilly around here (and in other parts of the country where I know it actually snowed) I have firmly made the pivot into spring and summer cooking and the home judges couldn’t be happier, especially when there’s this lovely and light Zucchini Gratin for dinner!!

It’s got an irresistible crunchy, cheesy/breadcrumb topping that rests above tender, flavorful zucchini which pretty much = perfection!

And it comes together quickly and easily with pantry and fridge ingredients.

Once you’ve sautéed an onion you add your sliced zucchini,

Eventually mixing in a little flour, some half-and-half and spices and transferring it to a baking dish.

Then, you cover it with a mixture of fresh bread crumbs, grated cheese and a little butter and bake.

What emerges is a golden brown bubbling casserole that you’ll voluntarily risk burning the roof of your mouth for!

I originally made this as a side but after one bite, we all decided that no “main” was needed because this simple vegetarian dish is so satisfying and delicious!

Side or main—however you serve it, it’s guaranteed to disappear. In fact, you might want to make sure you’re quick with your fork, because if it’s anything like our experience, you’re very likely going to find yourself fighting for the last creamy, crispy bite!

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Zucchini Gratin

Makes 5-6 servings

Prep Time: About 30 minutes (but lots of hands free time); Bake Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus a little extra for buttering the dish

• 1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into thin half moons

• 2 ½ pounds zucchini, ends removed, sliced ½-inch thick on the diagonal (don’t cut too thinly or they’ll fall apart)

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1 tablespoon unbleached, all-purpose flour

• 1 cup half-and-half (you could also use whole milk)

• The leaves from a few sprigs of thyme (you can leave this out if you don’t have and it will still be extremely flavorful)

• ¾ fresh breadcrumbs (just whiz some day old, or longer, bread in the food processor—you can really use any kind)

• 1 cup freshly grated cheese (I used Emmental, but this would be great with Gruyére, Swiss, Cheddar, Parmesan etc.)

The Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF and butter an 8x10-inch baking dish. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until it’s tender but not browned. Add in the zucchini and a generous pinch of salt and cover the skillet. Let cook for 15 minutes. Now, uncover the pan and give it all a big stir. Let cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often, until zucchini is tender but not falling apart. Sprinkle with the flour and stir the mixture gently until you can no longer see any traces of it. Raise the heat to medium-high and in small increments, add the half and half, allowing the liquid to come to a boil before you add more. Remove from the heat and add the thyme and another generous pinch of salt and black pepper.

3. While the mixture is cooking, combine the breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl.

4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and lightly flatten it down with the back of a spoon. Top with the breadcrumb/cheese mixture evenly and then dot the top all over with little pieces of the remaining tablespoon of butter.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the bottom looks bubbly. Let sit for a few minutes and serve.

6. You could definitely make this earlier in the day—just bake it for maybe 15-17 minutes so it doesn’t get overcooked, then before serving pop it into a 350ºF oven for about 10 minutes to finish cooking.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garten. I reduced the amount of butter and salt, used less thyme, and swapped in a different bread and cheese. This is a very flexible recipe—feel free to experiment.