White Beans, Spinach, and Potato Gratin with Herbed Garlic Butter
Submitted by Michelle Maggs
Recipe of Lisa Yockelson as printed in The Chicago Tribune. This dish always reminds me of our family’s brief 3 years in the Chicago area when we were able to spend time with my cousin Margaret Mary Brennan Bryski and her family. I remember making this as a side dish to take to a dinner at their house. It was a big hit and we realized it was a great way to get kids to eat spinach. Although I have used this as a side dish, it is a great vegetarian main dish as well. Nice winter meal!
Ingredients
4 tbsp. of unsalted butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or mashed
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp. of paprika
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/2 lb. of fresh spinach leaves, trimmed of stems and washed well
1 onion, sliced
4 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups of canned white beans, drained and rinsed
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup of shredded gruyere cheese
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Blend together the butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, oregano, paprika, and salt in a small bowl
Smear a little of the garlic butter on the bottom of a 14 inch ovenproof baking dish and set aside
Steam the spinach leaves until just wilted, remove, and press between two plates to extract the moisture
Chop leaves coarsely and set aside
In a small skillet, cook the onion in half of the remaining garlic butter for 4 minutes over moderately low heat and set aside
Layer 1/3 of the sliced potatoes in the baking dish, spoon on half of the white beans, dot with half of the spinach and half of the sautéd onions
Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and 1/4 cup of cheese
Pour on half of the chicken broth
Layer on another third of the sliced potatoes, the remaining beans, and the balance of the spinach and onion mixture
Dot the top with dabs of the remaining garlic butter and sprinkle with ground pepper
Layer on the rest of the sliced potatoes, pour over the remaining broth and sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
Bake the casserole for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden
Serve piping hot