Zucchini Squash Gratin Recipe
Zucchini Gratin Casserole Side Dish
Got a lot of zucchini? This is an awesome side dish recipe to use up a few yellow squash and zucchini from the garden.
This zucchini gratin has a great texture and flavor. It is a like a healthy comfort food and would be a nice side dish all year round, but definitely when summer squash is in season.
First, you want to cook down a bunch of sliced onion. Use about 1 pound of onion, which is usually about 1 1/2 medium yellow onions. Peel off the outer layer, cut each in half, then slice them up.
If you find yourself slicing zucchini and squash a lot, then you really should get yourself a mandoline slicer. The slices are all about the same thickness and you can get it done fast! It only takes a minute or two to slice up all 4 of the squash for this recipe! Very handy, especially for a recipe like this one.
You will need to use a large skillet or saute pan, 12-inches or larger, for all of the onion, zucchini, and yellow squash in there. If you have one with a lid, even better because you will need to cover the pan for part of the cooking time.
Just dump the tender zucchini, onion, and sauce into a smallish baking dish and top with the grated cheese and bread crumbs. I usually use freshly grated Parmesan with the Italian bread crumbs. So good!
To make this TERRAfit-friendly, use whole grain flour and whole grain bread crumbs.
This recipe is from Our Best Bites and Ina Garten.
A good mandoline can quickly, uniformly, and safely slice and julienne vegetables and fruits. It can also shred cabbage and neatly dice potatoes, tomatoes, and onions.
I just got a Swissmar Borner mandoline for myself because it has a ton of great ratings. I used it for this recipe and so far, so good! I also ordered some cut resistant gloves.
Zucchini Squash Gratin Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound yellow onions cut in 1/2 and sliced
- 2 pounds zucchini and/or yellow squash sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 4)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt use 1/2 teaspoon if using table salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons Italian style bread crumbs
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan or Gruyere
- olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C
- Melt the butter in a large saute pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned.
- As the onions are cooking, stir them occasionally and work on prepping the other ingredients.
- Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 8-10 minutes, or until tender.
- Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and garlic and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, stirring often.
- Whisk flour into the milk and add to pan, turning up heat slightly just until milk heats and starts bubbling.
- Then cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it thickens and makes a sauce.
- Pour the zucchini mixture, and all the sauce into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish (or something close to that).
- Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture.
- Drizzle a little olive oil over the top (place your finger over the opening of the bottle to make it easier to just drizzle a little) and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned. Cool for a few minutes before serving.