This creamy side dish combines two of my favorite veggies- zucchini and onions- in a cheesy gratin. It’s another Ina Garten recipe, so of course it’s splendid! She tends to douse food in butter, so I chose to lighten it up a bit by using less. It wasn’t missed. This casserole contains A LOT of onions- so if you find soft sweet onions repulsive than maybe it isn’t for you. But I love them! Dustin is somewhere in the middle and he managed just fine. I was amazed that just a few basic ingredients produced such outstanding flavor. Maybe it’s the nutmeg, or perhaps the Gruyere?!

Be sure not to overcook the zucchini in the skillet. If you let it get too soft before the dish goes into the oven then you might end up with zucchini mush. So barely tenderize them before baking. Since the dish is already cooked, it only needs a few minutes in the oven to become brown and bubbly. It serves better after settling for a few minutes on the counter.

I served it alongside a balsamic roasted turkey tenderloin. The meat was incredibly moist and yes, tender! I just wish more of the balsamic flavor had come through in the marinade. I’ll be perfecting that recipe in the future and then sharing it with you.

Sweet Onion and Zucchini Gratin

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter + 1 Tbsp. for topping
1 lb. ( 2 large) yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 lbs. zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tsp. kosher salt (to taste)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup hot milk (warm in the microwave or on the stove top)
3/4 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (I used dried but fresh would have been much better)
3/4 cup Gruyere, grated

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, reducing the heat as necessary, until soft and sweet (about 20 minutes). Add zucchini and cook for several minutes until they begin to soften (and no longer or the zucchini will turn to mush in the oven). Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Stir in the flour. Pour in the hot milk and cook for a few minutes until it forms a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8×10 baking dish (I managed to fit mine into an 8×8 dish).

3. In a small bowl, toss the breadcrumbs and cheese together. Sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with the remaining Tbsp. of butter cut into small bits.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and browned on top. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

(Adapted from Food Network)