Cheddar Vegetable Au Gratin is one of those deliciously flavourful cheesy vegetable casseroles that are the perfect side dish for any time of the year — combining lots of vegetables, and tons of creamy mornay sauce, all baked to perfection in one casserole dish. Gratin is a French technique in which the top has a golden-brown crust usually used with breadcrumbs or grated cheese.
Vegetable Au Gratin is one of my husband’s favorite recipes. Extremely simple, creamy, dreamy, buttery and nutty with freshness of the vegetables– this is a dish you need in your repertoire.
Classical French cuisine has been extraordinarily influential in the culinary world and countless sauces have derived from these originals. Bechamel or “white sauce,” is a simple milk-based sauce made from butter, flour, and milk and used the world over in variety of recipes. Add some grated cheese in the sauce and it becomes ‘Mornay Sauce’.
This recipe reminds my husband of a small restaurant called ‘Sheeba’ in Ahmedabad, India. They served revolutionary world cuisine 40 years ago and Vegetable Au Gratin was one of their most popular dishes. Vegetable Au Gratin was always one of the dishes his parents ordered whenever they dined at that restaurant. This recipe evokes some beautiful childhood memories for him.
This irresistibly creamy vegetable au gratin, loaded with vegetables can be a great side dish and doubles up as a fantastic main course as well!
