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- Cooking with kidney beans
- 5 Delicious Ways to Make Mac and Cheese
- Cooking with Pasta
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- Cooking with Beets
- 1 Slow Cooker, 5 Ingredients
- Cooking with Carrots
- Cooking with Parsnips
- Mac and Cheese, Yes Please
- 5 Comforting Soups that will Keep you Warm
- 6 Tips To Outsmart Winter Blues
- Five perfect Outdoor Sport Recipes
- A Simple Vegetarian Breakfast Raclette!
- Dessert Raclette
- Vegan raclette!
TopGourmets like it "au gratin"!
The term au gratin comes from the French, meaning to scrape or grate cheese over a dish and broil it in the oven. Not only does this technique add a rich and creamy complexity to any meal, it’s also a quick and simple way to turn your tried-and-true favourites into a whole new recipe the family will love.
Try your skills with a skillet
Next time you have guests over for brunch, try cooking up an au gratin feast. Fill a cast-iron skillet with onions, peppers, sliced sausages, hash browns, and spices. When the mixture is cooked, make small wells in the hash, crack an egg into each, and bake through. Then top with shredded cheese and pop it all under the broiler. You’ll know it’s ready when the cheese begins to brown and bubble.
Serve the whole skillet at the table and let people dig in, or divide the hash into individual ramekins before placing under the broiler.
Cheese, please!
Gratin goes best with semi-hard and hard cheeses, which can be easily grated and melt evenly to a nice, golden finish. If your family members likes cheese, they’re sure to love these quick lunches with a cheesy twist:
- Swiss cheese has a sweet, nutty taste that pairs well with nuts, fruits, smoked salmon, and sausage. Try it au gratin style over baked squash with walnuts.
- Edam and Gouda are smooth and buttery cheeses that melt up beautifully. Top open-faced ham or pulled pork sandwiches with a handful of cheese and melt under the broiler for a delicious, easy lunch.
- Asiago, Parmesan, and Romano are intense, flavourful cheeses that complement grilled vegetables, cured meats, and spiced nuts. Chop and grill broccoli, turnip, peppers, and tomatoes and toss in the oven topped with a cup of grated Parmesan for a sensational side dish.
- Cheddar has a rich, full flavour that gets sharper with age and pairs wonderfully with nuts, olives, and fruits. For a delicious culinary contrast, melt over tart apples and top with cinnamon and a drizzle of honey for a quick dessert!
Something new for supper
Ask the kids to choose vegetables, grate their favourite cheeses on top, add a few herbs and spices, and voilà! You can even invent a new dessert by melting cheese over your favourite fruit.
Making supper au gratin is a great way to get the whole family to help out in the kitchen. Here are a few tips to help make supper a success:
- Use shallow baking dishes for your au gratin meals. This helps ensure every serving comes with a delicious cheese crust.
- Traditionally, an au gratin meal is served in the dish it was cooked in. Impress the family by bringing the whole dish to the table. You can also use ramekins to make individual au gratin dishes.
- Add a handful of buttered breadcrumbs to your cheese for a crunchy fall twist.
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