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–+ servings
A slim casserole dish full of courgette grain, topped with circles of sliced courgette and browned, melted cheese that has gone crunchy at the edges.
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Easy Courgette Gratin with Creamy Béchamel and Melted Cheese

Served as a standalone dish with a crisp salad, or as a satisfying side dish to accompany your barbecued meat, your family will love this creamy dish.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Cheese, Courgette, Gratin
Servings: 6
Calories: 361kcal

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
US Customary - Metric

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 328mg | Potassium: 785mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1273IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 360mg | Iron: 1mg