Broccoli and Gruyere Gratin

I made this dish to take to a big Thanksgiving feast this year and people raved about it. It's rich and thick and creamy and hearty and very flavorful.

Though the recipes calls for broccoli, I used broccolini and I think it added something special to the dish.
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Broccoli(ni) and Gruyere Gratin
*courtesy of Real Simple*

Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 large bunches broccoli, roughly chopped (or about 12 cups of broccolini)
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated Gruyere (8 ounces)
kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large saucepan with 1 inch of water and fit with a steamer basket (or fill a large pot with 1/2 inch of water). Bring to a simmer. Place the broccoli in the steamer basket, cover, and steam until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.

2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes (do NOT let it darken). Whisk in the milk and simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss with the broccoli.

3. Transfer the broccoli mixture to a shallow 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheese. Bake until bubbling and golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

TIP for make-ahead: Prepare gratin, but do not bake. Refrigerate in the baking dish for up to 1 day in advance (alternatively, keep the gratin at room temperature for up to 2 hours). To serve, bring to room temperature and bake according to recipe.

Potato Gratin with Artichokes and Smoked Mozzarella

I made this dish at a housewarming party and even the super picky eaters adored it.

The artichokes lend a buttery flavor while the potatoes give it an earthy, heavy feel that make this a comfort dish that's also elegant and perfect for winter.

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Potato Gratin with Artichokes and Smoked Mozzarella

Courtesy of 'Fields of Green' by Annie Somerville

1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced, about 2 cups

Salt and pepper

5 medium sized artichokes, trimmed and sliced, about 5 cups (I used frozen hearts and it was great)

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 Tbl fresh lemon juice

2 Tbls chopped fresh herbs: parsley, marjoram, and thyme

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup milk

1 bay leaf

2 fresh sage leaves

2 fresh thyme sprigs

2 fresh marjoram or oregano sprigs

1/2 tsp peppercorns

1 1/2 lbs large potatoes

1/4 lb smoked mozzarella cheese, grated, about 1 1/2 cups

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper; saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Drain the artichokes and add to the onion along with the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few pinches of pepper. Saute for about 10 minutes, until the artichokes are tender, then add the tablespoon of lemon juice. When the artichokes and onion are cool, coarsely chop them and toss with half the chopped herbs.

While the onion and artichokes are sauteing, pour the cream and milk into a small saucepan; add the bay leaf and sage leave, the herb sprigs, and the peppercorns. Steep over low heat for 20 minutes. Pour through a strainer and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking dish. Slice the potatoes thinly and lay one-third of them in the bottom of the dish, overlapping the slices and rows as you go. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper; spread half the onion-artichoke mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle with one-third of the cheese, make another layer of potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Follow with the remaining onion-artichoke mixture and one-third of the cheese. Top with a final layer of potatoes and pour the hot cream over .

Cover the dish and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and bake, uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender. The gratin should be golden and a little crisp. Sprinkle with remaining chopped herbs just before serving.

Serve with a saute of winter greens.

Root Vegetable Gratin with Gruyere

This recipe came from the Williams-Sonoma catalog, believe it or not. It is the perfect alternative to scalloped potatoes or mashed potatoes. For a lighter dish, try it without the Gruyere and cream, and instead drizzle the vegetables with a nice extra-virgin olive oil and some salt and pepper.

If you don't have a mandolin for easily chopping the veggies, try the grating attachment on your food processor. It will slice the veggies uniformly, ensuring even cooking throughout.
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Root Vegetable Gratin with Gruyere
Serves 12-15.

1 Tbs. unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 lb. parsnips, peeled, sliced 1/8" thick
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/8" thick
1 lb. celery root, peeled, sliced 1/8" thick
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
3 Tbs. minched fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat over to 400 degrees F. Butter 3 quart baking dish.

In large saucepan over medium head, melt butter. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg; heat just until bubbles form around edges of pan, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes.

Arrange a layer of parsnips, slightly overlapping, in prepared dish. Arrange a layer of sweet potatoes on top, then a layer of celery root. Pour half of cream mixture over celery root; sprinkle half of cheese, thyme and parsley on top.

Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Cover dish with foil, place on baking sheet and bake 1 hour. Remove foil; lightly press gratin down with spatula. Continue baking until vegetables are tender and top is golden brown, 15-30 minutes more. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.