Carrots au gratin gets Thanksgiving upgrade with soft cheese
Katee McLean is all about pushing boundaries, but she gets a bit cheesy when asked to share a Thanksgiving side dish.
Whenever her family plans the menu, “everything is up for discussion,” she says. But for the last few years her family has been bucking tradition with a recipe for carrots au gratin.
“It’s just perfect. It feels like a hug from inside,” says McLean, the chef/owner of Krokstrom Klubb & Market, a new restaurant on Broadway in midtown that features Nordic fare, including Swedish charcuterie and cheese boards with staunch flights of aquavit.
McLean’s family roots are Swedish, so what started out as a vegetable casserole oozing Velveeta has morphed into something more ethnic, with the addition of Swedish farmer’s cheese, an item she serves at the restaurant.
Granted, Swedish farmer’s cheese isn’t a standard cheese variety offered in Kansas City supermarkets, so go cross-cultural with Mexican queso fresco as a stand-in. Queso fresco is available in large grocery stores and offers a similar texture to farmer’s cheese. You could also use a Monterey Jack or Gouda in this recipe. Just make sure to choose a non-aged cheese that melts easily.
When she was growing up, McLean’s parents had separate cheese drawers in the refrigerator: one for her dad’s “stinky” cheeses and another for her mother’s more delicately flavored cheeses.
“If I could have a restaurant just based around cheese, I’d be the happiest girl in the world,” she says.
Carrots Au Gratin
Makes 8 servings
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 medium sweet onion, diced
4 cups (1/2-inch-thick) sliced carrots
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 cup farmer’s cheese or queso fresco, cubed (or any soft, mild, melting cheese)
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (or enough to cover the casserole dish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking dish or pan.
In a large skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter over low heat. Add onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for 20 to 30 minutes, until the onion is caramelized to a rich brown color and is sticky from the residual sugar.
Meanwhile, set a pot of water to boil on the stove. Prepare an ice bath by putting ice into a large bowl and filling it with cold water. Blanch carrots in boiling water, cooking for 3 minutes or until desired doneness, then shock in ice water bath to stop cooking and preserve color; drain thoroughly in a colander. Spread carrots in the bottom of prepared baking dish.
When onions are caramelized, add cream, nutmeg and farmer’s cheese, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Pour onion-cheese mixture over carrots and stir to combine.
Wash skillet or use another and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Season butter with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then add bread cubes. The bread cubes will soak up the butter; saute until well coated, 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally with a spatula.
Cover carrot mixture with buttered bread cubes and bake in oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown on top.
Per serving: 283 calories (69 percent from fat), 22 grams total fat (14 grams saturated), 62 milligrams cholesterol, 16 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams protein, 209 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber.
This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Carrots au gratin gets Thanksgiving upgrade with soft cheese."