Another recipe that's been buried in the queue too long is a fennel, onion, and sweet potato gratin that I made back in October 2007. A gratin is a French dish of shallow vegetables baked in a cheese sauce and broiled until crisp on top.
I wanted to do a variation of the more popular potatoes au gratin by adding in the fennel and sweet potato. The licorice flavor of the fennel is vastly muted once it's baked, but it lends another flavor component to this dish. Making it is simple as it's mostly a matter of slicing all the vegetables and layering them before pouring on the milk and cheese to bake into creamy goodness.
Fennel, Onion, and Sweet Potato Gratin
For an 8-inch-by-8-inch pan, you'll need:
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
1 sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice fennel, sweet potato, potato, and onion. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat an egg. Add 1 cup milk, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
Light spray oil or butter an 8-by-8-inch glass pan. Layer the vegetables on the bottom of the pan and evenly add about 1/4 cup of the sauce on top. Repeat layer of vegetables and sauce, making sure to have enough sauce for the top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, checking to see if the vegetables are soft enough to be pierced with a fork. Then take the foil off and continue baking for another 15 minutes until the top is crispy
Carby, cheesy goodness. Filling as a full meal or a side dish.
Enjoy!
Other similar baked dishes:
Gratin with Purple Cauliflower, Fennel, and Leeks
Quiche with Bacon, Fennel, Leeks, and Onions
*****
1 year ago today, Mandarin Orange Peel Tea.
2 years ago today, Canh Chua Tom (Vietnamese Sour Shrimp Soup).
3 years ago today, Asian pear and prickly pear cactus gelato at Gelateria Naia - Berkeley.
What a fantastic recipe! I like the mix of sweet potatoe and regular potato. I went through a gratin obsession last Thanksgiving. After making it about three times, I got sick of it but I think I can "get back on the wagon" with this recipe!
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ReplyDeleteI think I might have been experimenting with Thanksgiving side dishes when I came up with this one. I like the instant potatoes au gratin just fine too, even though I probably shouldn't admit that. :P