Cheesy Zucchini Gratin
Rated 3 stars by 9 users
Category
Side Dishes
Servings
8
Calories
250
One of my favorite dishes, before I adopted a ketogenic lifestyle, was potato gratin. Of course, eating this way, I can't eat potatoes anymore. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy gratin!
Zucchini is one of those vegetables that is very versatile. It holds up to hearty side dishes like this so well! And the best part? You won't even miss the potatoes. I promise.
One of the keys to this dish is to make sure you cook the zucchini briefly before mixing it with the cheese sauce. I chose Spring Clean for this dish because the bright flavors of lemon and garlic play so well with zucchini and cheese, and really brings out a lovely flavor in each.
Reducing the broth, as you'll see in this recipe, is very important. This creates the base of the cheese sauce and intensifies the flavor!
I know you'll love this zucchini gratin as much as my family and I do!
Ingredients
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2 Medium Zucchini
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2 Medium Summer Squash
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1 Shallot
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2 TBS Butter
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1 Cup Spring Clean
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1 Cup Heavy Cream
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3/4 cup Cheddar Cheese
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4.5 oz Parmesan Cheese
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2 sprigs fresh Tarragon
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2 TBS fresh Chives
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1 tsp. Garlic Powder
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Salt & Pepper to taste
-
.5 oz Parmesan Cheese
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1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese
Topping:
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Slice your shallot very thin. Slice the zucchini and squash into thin circle slices. In a large sauce pan on medium high heat, begin melting the butter, and add in the sliced shallots. Let this cook for about 5 minutes, until the shallot is lightly browned. Next add in the zucchini and squash, and cook until they are just soft and the water is beginning to be released. This should take no longer than 5 minutes. Place the zucchini and shallot mixture into a colander in the sink to let the rest of the water drain out.
In a medium size sauce pan on high heat, add in the Spring Clean. Allow this to reduce down to a quarter cup. An easy way of doing this is to keep a quarter cup measurer on hand, and as the liquid reduces, pour it into the measuring cup. Once it fills a quarter cup measure exactly, it’s ready!
To the reduced Spring Clean, add in one cup of heavy cream. Allow this to come up to a boil for one minute. Then remove from heat. Add in salt and pepper to taste, and the garlic powder. Add in the fresh herbs. Then, slowly mix in the parmesan and cheddar cheeses. The sauce should be thick and cheesy!
Mix the drained zucchini mixture and cheese sauce together in the pot. Put the mixture into an 11x7 baking dish, and top with the last of the parmesan & cheddar cheeses. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Calories 250, Carbs 5.5 grams, Fat 19 grams, Protein 14 grams