Zucchini Au Gratin

Zucchini is another one of those vegetables that is abundant during the summer months. You can stew it, fry it, steam it, fill it or make soup out of it. Another yummy option is to make a zucchini gratin. Au Gratin is a fancy word for slicing your vegetable, covering it in a sauce made from flour and milk and then topping it with cheese. YUM! It sounds a lot more complicated than it is and the end result is definitely worth the little extra work involved.

Zucchini Gratin

• 3 tbsp margarine (plus a little extra for the topping)
• 2 onions
• dash of garlic powder
• 4 zucchini
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup of whole milk
• 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Peel the onions and cut them in half. Then thinly slice them. Add the margarine to a pan and saute the onion in it until it is tender and translucent. While the onion is cooking, wash and slice the zucchini. I slice mine about 1/8th of an inch thin.  Sprinkle in the garlic powder, then add the sliced zucchini. Cover the pan and cook everything for about 10 minutes stirring frequently. The zucchini should just start to get tender at this point.

Add your seasonings and move everything around in the pan to get them evenly distributed. Cook your veggies about 5 more minutes uncovered, then sprinkle in the flour. Stir until it is combined in the vegetable mixture. Heat your milk and add it to the pan as well. Cook and stir on low for a few more minutes until a sauce starts to form.

Pour everything into a casserole dish. Combine the cheese and bread crumbs and sprinkle this on top of the casserole. Dot with little pieces of butter or margarine and bake for 20 minutes in your preheated oven.