If you are looking for a new way to serve carrots, why not try Carrots au Gratin? This creamy and delicious casserole is easy to put together, especially if you buy pre-sliced carrots, and is even hearty enough to serve as a light meal rather than a side dish. If you want to add more flavors, try some nutmeg, ginger, tarragon, or any other favorite seasoning for carrots. This dish is so similar to macaroni and cheese it could just become your new comfort food!
Carrots au Gratin
4 1/2 C. sliced carrots
3 T. butter
2/3 C. panko bread crumbs
1/2 C. diced onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
3 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 1/2 C. milk
2/3 C. shredded cheese (I use a packaged shredded cheddar-mozzarella blend)
Lightly greased a 9x13-inch baking dish. Put the carrots in a steamer basket over one inch of boiling water. Cover and steam for 10 minutes until soft but not mushy. Melt one T. of the butter and combine with the panko. Melt the remaining 2 T. butter in a Dutch oven (or other large pot) over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring to prevent browning. Gradually add the milk, 1/2 C. at a time, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Cook until thickened. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the carrots. Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and top evenly with the panko. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until the topping is lightly browned. Serves 8.
Note: The original recipe calls for 2/3 C. crushed buttery crackers (such as Ritz) but I prefer the panko.
*I used one bag (1 lb.) Publix Dip Chip Carrots slices.
So sorry to hear about your beloved Dalmatian. I just had to tell you about my dear pet, Jeepers (my husband found him abandoned on an isolated logging road and had to carry him home wrapped in his jacket since the Jeep did not have a top) - anyway, after some time having treated him with topical flee preventative medicine, he started to have seizures. The Vet (two in fact) insisted that it had nothing to do with seizures. To make a long story short - I stopped the medicine and the seizures went away. (Lots of baths and daily combing replaced it but our Jeepers was fine.) Just wanted you to know. And I tried the carrots au gratin - fabulous and fattening - I used more cheese.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat and Katie! I've heard that some types of flea preventives can cause seizures, so I try to minimize their use on our dogs. Glad to hear that Jeepers recovered -- some dogs, especially smaller ones, don't always survive (I met a woman at the emergency vet's clinic years ago who lost her little dog to a relatively new-at-the-time flea treatment). Gia's seizures have resolved to occasional palsy episodes now, about twice a week, and I'm hoping as time passes even these will stop (nerve cells take a long time to heal, and I think she has some nerve damage). We pretty much stopped all medications and supplements when her seizures started, and the neurologist recommended that we no longer vaccinate her (except for rabies, because it's the law) because vaccines can also cause seizures in some dogs.
DeleteI used more cheese in the recipe also! I wasn't paying attention and measured out 1 cup instead of the 2/3 cup listed. As far as I am concerned you can never have too much cheese!