If you haven’t already jumped to the recipe after reading that title, let me tell you some more about my easy courgette gratin with creamy bechamel and melted cheese. This really is a decadent, creamy dish, but at the same time, we’re packing it full of courgettes to ease our conscience. Served as a standalone dish with a crisp salad for lunch, or as a satisfying side dish to accompany your barbecued meat. This will become a family favourite.
Courgette Gratin – baked summertime comfort food
Courgette gratin is one of those dishes that feels effortlessly comforting yet still light enough for summertime. Grated courgettes and diced shallots form the base. Fold this into a silky béchamel enriched with egg for that perfect, custardy texture. On top, thin slices of courgette and a generous layer of melted cheese create a golden, bubbling crust. It’s impossible to resist – and you will be fighting over the crunchy edges!
It’s simple, homely, and a brilliant way to use up a glut of courgettes, turning them into a creamy, savoury bake that works just as well alongside grilled meats as it does as a standalone vegetarian dish. Minimal fuss, maximum flavour – exactly the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot on your summer meal plan.
Other courgette recipes
See the list below for other courgette recipes on the site:
- Simple baked risotto with courgette and tomato
- Courgette, pesto and walnut lasagne
- Courgette Parmigiana
- Mediterranean courgette and feta pie
Growing courgettes
Courgettes are remarkably easy to grow in the UK and are perfect for beginner gardeners. They thrive in the British climate when planted after the last frost (typically late May or early June) and can produce abundant harvests from just two plants throughout the summer months. This makes them one of the most easiest and rewarding vegetables to plant at home.
Courgettes like a rich, well composted soil, and above all else constant watering – especially in hot weather – as plants can produce 1-2 courgettes per day which requires a lot of water. Ensure you regularly harvest the courgettes to encourage further production.
Don’t worry if you only have green courgettes, the flavour won’t really change. It just makes the dish look more appetising. But so does the melted cheese!
Easy Courgette Gratin with Creamy Béchamel and Melted Cheese
Ingredients
- 50 g butter plus extra for greasing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 700 g courgettes a variety is good, grated
- 40 g plain flour gluten-free if needed
- 350 ml milk
- Good grating of nutmeg
- 2 eggs beaten
- 200 g hard cheese Comte, Tomme, Gruyere work well – grated
- 1 green courgette thinly sliced
- 1 yellow courgette thinly sliced
- Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C
- Grease a gratin dish with butter, roughly 24cm in diameter, or you can use a casserole dish that you can cook on the hob, put in the oven, and serve the dish in.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan/casserole, add the shallots and garlic, and cook gently, making sure they don’t take on any colour. This should take around 5 minutes.
- Add the grated courgette and cook until there is no remaining liquid in the pan. You need to cook out the water to ensure the dish isn’t too watery. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a separate pan, stir in the flour to make a roux, and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add in the milk, stirring to avoid any lumps. Season the sauce well with salt and pepper, along with a good grating of nutmeg, then allow to simmer very gently for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. If you do end up with some lumps, don't panic, just take a whisk and beat it firmly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add in the grated courgette mixture, 2 beaten eggs, and half of the grated cheese. Give this a good mix and then pour it into the gratin/casserole dish.
- Arrange the sliced courgettes on top. If you are lucky enough to have different colours, then alternating them makes the dish very attractive. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Serve with a crisp green salad for lunch or alongside your barbecued meat for dinner.
Notes
- If you don’t have any yellow courgettes, don’t worry. The flavour isn’t any different, it’s just to make the dish more attractive.