Creamed Spinach Gratin

Did you know that with some recipes, such as this one for Creamed Spinach Gratin, you are actually better off using frozen spinach over fresh? You actually get more bang for the buck with frozen. You can squeeze a lot of spinach in a 10-ounce box, resulting in more spinach and less volume. It would take over 6 cups of fresh spinach leaves to equal what you get in just one frozen box. And, one cup of frozen spinach has more than 4 times the amount of nutrients in a cup of fresh. Although not always the case with fresh versus frozen vegetables, in the case of spinach, frozen wins. 

Creamed spinach is a steakhouse favorite side dish. This variation kicks it up a notch by adding a trio of cheeses and a crunchy panko topping. The cream sauce is infused with shallots, garlic and nutmeg. Then you toss in the spinach and a blend of freshly grated Parmesan, Romano and Fontina cheeses. Transfer the creamed spinach to a loaf pan, top with even more cheese, and, last but not least, panko crumbs. Rich, flavorful, mouthwateringly elegant in presentation and can be on the table in only 20 minutes. Worried about leftovers? Spoon some creamed spinach gratin in puff pastry, pop it in the oven, and you have a completely new and tasty side dish to serve up the next night.

Missing from pic: butter

Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly grease a glass or ceramic loaf pan (or spray with non-stick cooking spray).

Dice shallot. Mince garlic. Grate or shred cheeses.

Place thawed spinach in clean dish towel (or layers of paper towels) and squeeze out as much of the water as you can. Set aside. 

In resealable plastic bag, combine the three cheeses. Shake to mix. Set aside for later.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted and the oil is hot, add the shallot and garlic. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not caramelize. If they start to brown, reduce the heat. 

Add the heavy cream and nutmeg to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes to reduce the cream. (The original recipe called for 5 to 6 minutes, but when I did that the cream reduced to nothing.) 

Add the spinach and half of the cheese mixture. Stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. 

If necessary, add more cream. (I must have done a great job of squeezing all the water out of the spinach, because I needed to almost double the amount of cream called for in the original recipe. My best advice is to add cream until you get the creamy texture you desire.)

Pour the creamed spinach into the prepared loaf pan. 

Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture over the top of the spinach. Evenly sprinkle the panko crumbs over the cheese. 

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the panko is golden brown. 
At this point, I sprinkled another handful of fontina cheese over the top then placed the loaf pan under the broiler for a minute or so to lightly brown. (This step is optional.)

Serve hot!

 
CREAMED SPINACH GRATIN
Source: Adapted from What We’re Eating
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground or grated
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano
• 2/3 cup Fontina, shredded, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1/2 cup panko crumbs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°. Lightly grease a glass or ceramic loaf pan (or spray with non-stick cooking
    spray).
2. Place thawed spinach in clean dish towel (or layers of paper towels) and squeeze out as much of the
    water as you can. Set aside.
3. In resealable plastic bag, combine the three cheeses. Shake to mix. Set aside for later.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted and
    the oil is hot, add the shallot and garlic. Saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Do not caramelize. If they start to
    brown, reduce the heat.
5. Add the heavy cream and nutmeg to the pan. Reduce heat to low. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes to
    reduce the cream.
6. Add the spinach and half of the cheese mixture. Stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and fresh
    cracked black pepper. If necessary, add more cream.
7. Pour the creamed spinach into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese mixture over the
    top of the spinach. Evenly sprinkle the panko crumbs over the cheese.
8. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the panko is golden brown.
9. If desired, sprinkle a little more fontina cheese over the top then place the loaf pan under the
    broiler for a minute or so, to lightly brown. Serve hot.