Baked Spinach Gratin
Baked Spinach
A lighter spinach gratin baked with a small amount of butter, stock, cheese, and crisp breadcrumbs.
This baked spinach gratin keeps the comfort of a bubbling, browned vegetable dish without burying the greens under cream. The spinach is cooked down, squeezed dry, then simmered briefly with butter, flour, and stock so the filling turns silky rather than watery.
A modest amount of nutty cheese gives the dish depth, while the breadcrumb topping adds the browned edge that makes a gratin feel finished. Because the sauce is light, the spinach still tastes fresh and mineral instead of disappearing into dairy.
Fresh spinach gives the brightest flavor, but frozen spinach works well when it is fully thawed and squeezed with real pressure. The important cue is moisture: cook the chopped spinach until it begins to catch on the bottom of the pot before adding the flour.
Serve the gratin as a side for a holiday meal, a vegetable-focused dinner, or a simple lunch. It can also become a light supper with a poached or fried egg and a piece of crusty bread.
Nutrition (per serving)
Directions
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1
Heat the oven to 375°F. Rub a shallow 1-quart baking dish with the cut sides of the garlic, then butter the dish lightly.
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2
Place the damp spinach in a large pot over high heat. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the leaves collapse, about 4 minutes for mature spinach or 2 minutes for baby spinach.
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3
Transfer the spinach to a colander and rinse with cold water. Squeeze it in small handfuls until very dry, then chop it coarsely.
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4
Wipe out the pot and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until excess moisture has boiled off and the spinach starts to stick.
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5
Lower the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle the flour over the spinach and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes so the flour loses its raw taste.
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6
Pour in the stock while scraping the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring often, until the spinach is lightly bound.
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7
Season with the salt and several grinds of black pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese, then spread the spinach evenly in the prepared baking dish.
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8
Mix the remaining 1/4 cup cheese with the breadcrumbs and scatter the mixture over the spinach.
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9
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle it over the topping. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the gratin is hot throughout and lightly browned on top.
Ingredients
- Garlic Clove, halved:1
- Unsalted Butter, divided:4 tbsp
- Fresh Spinach, stemmed and washed:3 lb
- Kosher Salt:1 tsp
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper:to taste
- All-Purpose Flour:1 1/2 tbsp
- Vegetable Stock:1 cup
- Gruyere, Swiss, Or Comte Cheese, grated:3/4 cup
- Fine Dry Breadcrumbs Or Panko:2 tbsp
Tips & Notes
- To use frozen spinach, thaw three 10-ounce packages, squeeze them very dry, and chop only if the spinach is not already chopped.
- For a richer version, replace part or all of the stock with whole milk or cream.
- The spinach can be blanched, squeezed, and chopped up to a day ahead; keep it covered in the refrigerator.
- The assembled gratin can wait in the refrigerator, then go into a preheated oven about 30 minutes before serving.
