Building up a kitchen is an investment. Not only is it expensive to buy pots and pans you enjoy cooking with, but grocery bills seem expensive when you drop $80 in one day. I hear this a lot, and see how it could seem more reasonable to just pop a freezer meal into the microwave or cook a box of macaroni and cheese. In college, those were my skills too. Cooking has become much more to me now, because I have invested in the right tools to make it painless and my pantry is well-stocked with spices, dry goods, and exciting extras (like jars of artichoke hearts). When you don’t have to buy every single ingredient to make a recipe, it feels so much easier to cook- perhaps for this recipe below, you just need to pick up a potato, an onion, and some greens.
While I have not snatched many kitchen items from my mother’s kitchen, when I moved to Denver, Noah surprised me with a welcoming gift of this Le Creuset baking pan seen above. I loved the gesture, as we have shared many great meals now over the past year. Perhaps for you, it’s not investing in a fancy pan that helps make cooking easier, but for me- having pretty dishes makes me want to use them!
This gratin is a perfect example of a great use of this pan- I experimented with layered potato, onion, kale, and swiss chard with soy milk, garlic powder, almond meal (or breadcrumbs), and nutritional yeast (that acts like cheese).
- 1 russet potato
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 bunch greens (I used half kale, half chard)
- ½ cup milk of any type
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon almond meal or breadcrumbs, divided
- Optional topping: parmesan or nutritional yeast
- Using a mandolin, slice one russet potato and one small yellow onion very thin.
- In the bottom of a greased 13x7 pan, layer slices of potato and onion together so that they overlap and form a base crust. Sprinkle the base layer with salt, pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ tablespoon of almond meal or breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with parmesan or nutritional yeast if using.
- Wash the greens well and rip into small pieces, removing any tough, fibrous stems.
- In a pan over high heat, sautee kale and swiss chard - or your greens of choice - with ½ cup non-dairy milk until all the greens are wilted, about 5-7 minutes. Season the greens with a pinch of garlic powder and salt.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Add the sautéed greens and any extra liquid in an even layer into the baking dish. Layer on top of the greens with the final potato and onion slices, and top again with ½ tablespoon almond meal, salt, pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and nutritional yeast/parmesan if using.
- Cover the gratin with foil and bake the gratin at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
- Once done, let it sit out for 15-20 minutes before slicing so that the layers don't fall apart.
Marisa
Heather @ Sweet Precision says
This looks like a wonderfully healthy and delicious version of the cheesy potato casserole I had for Easter yesterday! In fact, this is probably what I should have been eating instead 😉 I love Le Creuset cookware. My dad gave me my first pot and it’s one of my favorites!
Marisa says
Yes! I guess I was a day or two late providing a healthy version of cheesy casseroles, but it’s the perfect solution if you’re craving it down the road! The ceramic dishes are wonderful.
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
Yuuuuuum! One dish meals are where it’s at. And now nice of Noah 🙂 I didn’t steal any of my moms cookware but she did buy me some of my own if that counts.
Marisa says
Yes so good! Noah got lots of points for that move haha. Yes, my parents bought me a few kitchen items early on in college that still have a place in my kitchen (and not because I’m cheap, but because they’re great pans!).
Jessi Even says
Making with sweet potatoes!
Marisa says
Yes! You are going to love it!! I think it would also be great with any root veggies. I might try it with beets sometime (but probably would need more moisture)!
Carly @ Snack Therapy says
I’ve never seen anything like this before! Potatoes are basically heaven, and kale/chard have the best texture when cooked… Nothing like soggy spinach!
Marisa says
Potatoes and onions are definitely heaven. I can’t deal with soggy spinach in a situation like this, or in lasagna for that matter. It practically disintegrates 🙁
Holly Larson says
How fun! I’ve never thought about putting greens in a gratin – thanks for sharing 🙂
Marisa says
Thanks Holly! Just trying to bump up the veggies but still enjoy a somewhat classic recipe!
Glenda @ Healthy Stories says
Great idea. I’ve done something similar before with potatoes, onions and chard, but I made heaps of layers and it was a lot of messing around. I like your approach – so much simpler.
Marisa says
Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed a similar version, Glenda! Hope you have fun making the recipe if you get the chance.
Serena says
I have #panenvy for that dish! Beautiful! What’s inside looks amazing too. What a nice surprise to receive! (:
Marisa says
I know, they are such nice baking dishes and I don’t have to think about scratching them when washing them because they’re so heavy duty. Thanks for stopping by, Serena!
Allison @ Clean Wellness says
This looks great! I love the dairy-free cheese idea and the simplicity of this. I think it’s so nice that you can mark and remember a great meal through your dishware! It’s so true. I think special kitchen dishes are so much more than just things to serve food in!
Marisa says
Thanks Allison! I was looking for something simple for dinner that night and this fit the bill. There are memories in everything, cookware included!