Once in a while I actually come up with a vegetable dish that Mr. C. goes crazy over. This dish is one of a very few where I can truthfully report that my dear husband actually asked for seconds. And then, voluntarily finished the leftovers at lunch over the next couple of days. In fact, the night I served this, I was full before I had finished my gratin. So not only did he serve himself seconds, he finished what was on my plate! Now this is practically unprecedented. Not that he eats his veggies. Because he does. But love them and ask for more? Not so much. So when I tell you this dish is a winner and that even the vegetable challenged members of your family might like this dish, I know of what I speak!

But truly, what’s not to like? The sauce is so creamy and flavorful you almost forget there’s a green vegetable at the very heart of the dish. But don’t get me wrong. This is not a low calorie wonder. There are plenty of carbs in this dish to keep any and all at your table happy. But what a small amount of Gruyère cheese does for the overall flavor is almost magical. Just don’t skimp when it comes time to lay your money down for this amazing cheese. Buy only imported Gruyère cheese or however much you saved buying domestic might as well be thrown down your kitchen sink drain. To my thinking, there simply is no domestic substitute for the real thing. So if the Gruyère you find is not made in Switzerland, leave it lay. There is good news however. There are 2 cheeses that can be used if you absolutely can’t find imported Gruyère cheese.   

Emmental cheese is very mild and utilizes the same kind of bacteria that make Gruyère cheese melt the way it does. Emmental can be used in the same kind of recipes as Gruyère for this reason. Although Emmental cheese is a substitute for Gruyère cheese, it is more of a supplement than anything else. It does have the same kind of qualities, but the flavor is not as pronounced.

Jarlsberg cheese is also a very suitable substitute for Gruyère. It contains the same rich and nutty flavor as Gruyère, but in fact it is much easier to find and costs a lot less money.

But here again, imported Jarlsberg (Norway) and Emmantal (Switzerland) are the way to go. Fortunately for this recipe you don’t need a lot of cheese. But it must be good imported cheese.

OK, enough about cheese. Just try this dish next time you need an elegant and easy vegetable side dish. And the best part. It can be made ahead. Just prepare as directed, cover, and place in your fridge. Then take it out about an hour before you plan to throw it in your oven. Easy peasy!    

And always remember the immortal words of Popeye the Sailor Man – “I am what I am, and that’s all that I am. I’m strong to the finish ’cause I eats me spinach.” Words we can all live by in these trying times. Love and happy eats to all.

• 2 T. unsalted butter
• ½ med. onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 2 T. flour
• pinch grated nutmeg
• tiny pinch cayenne
• ¼ c. heavy cream
• 4 oz. (½ lg. package) cream cheese, cut into small squares, room temperature
• ½ c. whole milk
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• pinch white pepper
• ¼ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ c. grated Gruyère cheese, divided  
• 10 oz. container fresh baby spinach   

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté until lightly caramelized, about 30 minutes. (The onion should be a pale golden color and very soft.) Add the flour, nutmeg, and cayenne; cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add the heavy cream, cream cheese, whole milk, salt, and white pepper. Cook until thickened.   

Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and half of the Gruyère. Adjust seasoning. Stir in the fresh spinach. (The mixture will be very thick and the sauce will barely cover the spinach leaves.)

Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased small baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 25-35 minutes or until the gratin is hot and bubbly and the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Can be made ahead the baked just before serving. Allow the gratin to come to room temperature before placing in pre-heated oven.