Ingredients
Scale
- 4 packed cups spinach (with stems removed and loosely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 shallots (diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Leaves from 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon Badia Complete Seasoning
- 1 cup shredded Provolone cheese
- 4 cups fresh sweet corn removed from the cob (from 3–4 ears)
- 1 cup fresh cornbread crumbs*
- ½ cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
- Additional pinch of Badia Complete Seasoning (and drizzle of olive oil)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat the teaspoon of olive oil in a pan set over medium-high heat. Add the spinach (or greens of your choice) to the pan and quickly toss. Continue tossing for approximately 2-3 minutes, just until all of the spinach has wilted and any water has evaporated. Set aside.
- Heat a separate pan to medium-high. Carefully add the bacon to the pan, and cook turning occasionally, until browned. Remove from the pan, and set on a paper-towel-lined plate to remove any excess grease.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, and add the butter to the pan. Add the shallots and garlic, and stir. Cook the shallots and garlic for a minute or so. Add the flour to the pan, and whisk, cooking for an additional minute, until the flour is a light golden brown.
- Working in ½ cup increments, slowly pour the milk into the pan, while whisking. Repeat until all of the milk has been added. Add the cream, thyme and Badia Complete Seasoning to the milk mixture and whisk again. Simmer until warm and barely bubbling, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in half of the Provolone cheese.
- Once the cheese has melted into the sauce, stir in the reserved spinach and sweet corn. Set aside.
- Place the cornbread crumbs and Panko breadcrumbs on a foil-lined sheet pan. Add a pinch of the Badia Complete Seasoning and a drizzle of olive oil. Place in the warm oven for approximately 2-3 minutes, until lightly toasted. (You can also do this while the milk mixture is simmering, to save time.)
- Crumble the reserved bacon. Top the gratin with the bacon crumbles, the toasted breadcrumbs and the reserved cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Pair with Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc for an exceptional treat!
Notes
* I like the sweetness that cornbread crumbs add to the gratin, but by all means, use fresh white (or even wheat) breadcrumbs if you don’t have any cornbread, or don’t want to go the trouble of making a batch of it just for this.
- Category: Side