Potato and Spinach Gratin is a decadent layered dish made with potatoes, spinach and cheese. Scalloped potatoes is a simpler version made with potatoes and a cream sauce. But a gratin is made with layers of thinly sliced potatoes, buttery sauce and lots of cheese. The cheesy browned top gives this dish a richer element as compared to scalloped potatoes. A creamier version of the gratin is called ‘dauphinoise’. Dauphinoise uses more cream sauce whereas Gratin dish has a top crusty, cheesy layer.
There are few people who do not love potatoes and cheese! This is one of our favourite sides during Holiday and Thanksgiving meals aside from mashed potatoes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0-tv8NMlkk
Some recipes call for full fat milk or heavy cream to make the sauce. But regular milk works well too because of the addition of cheese. I like adding some garlic and nutmeg along with salt and pepper to the gratin. The starchiness of potatoes combines well with garlic and nutmeg. Spinach, apart from adding a colour packs in more nutrition and flavour to the gratin.
I use regular cheddar cheese for Potato and Spinach Gratin. But you can try using different cheese of your choice, such as mozzarella, Gruyere or Parmesan. You can also make a vegan version of this recipe using dairy-free cheese and coconut milk.
I like to parboil the potatoes for about 10 minutes in order to cut on baking time. If not, then it requires a good 90 minutes to make this dish.
Serve this as a weeknight comfort dish or as a side for Holidays and events. You can even prep this ahead of time in the baking dish and then bake it right before your mealtime.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Keep a large pot of water to boil. Peel potatoes, wash and thinly slice them with a slicer or knife. Parboil the potatoes for about 10 minutes and drain and keep aside.
- In a saucepan, melt butter and add thinly sliced onions and chopped garlic. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns translucent and then add in chopped spinach leaves. Let the spinach wilt about 2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix milk, flour, salt, pepper and ground nutmeg. Whisk until combined.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Now layer the Gratin in a large baking dish or casserole. First add in a little cream mix, then a layer of potatoes, then repeat with another layer. Sprinkle more seasonings between each layer if desired. Top the dish with the remaining one cup of grated cheese.
- Cover the baking dish and set to bake in preheated oven for about 45 to 50 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let stand about 10 minutes before serving.