Easy Spinach Gratin.

This spinach gratin recipe is sponsored by ALDI! This dish is incredibly creamy, hearty, has a touch of spice and is loaded with gruyere and parmesan cheese. It’s absolutely delicious and makes for the perfect side dish to any holiday. It’s easy as can be, is great to prep ahead of time and also reheats beautifully. 

It’s official! Today we kick off the MOST important part of Thanksgiving.

The side dishes!

While I love to create a beautiful turkey for the holiday, my heart really is with all of the incredible side dishes that come along with Thanksgiving. Carb after carb after carb – it does not get better than that. In fact, I could handle a plate of all sides when it comes to my favorite meal of the year.

And today, we’re making a new side dish for you to serve at your gathering this year: spinach gratin. Not just any spinach gratin. The creamiest, dreamiest spinach gratin that is loaded with gruyere, savory pancetta and a touch of nutmeg. It makes the perfect complement to all the other potato-heavy side dishes at Thanksgiving. It’s also delicious!

The best part, perhaps? It is SO EASY. Like, incredibly easy. We’re using frozen spinach to get the biggest impact here and you.will.love.it.

I am also incredibly excited to be partnering with ALDI for this delicious post! ALDI and I have partnered together for Thanksgiving for years – in fact, last year, I created a whole delicious spread using ingredients from ALDI. Check it out if you’re looking for something wonderful, affordable and easy – you only have to make one stop! 

I also created this delicious citrus sage butter turkey for ALDI in the past and it is my favorite turkey recipe by far. It’s so golden, beautiful, juicy and tender. You have got to try it.

This year, ALDI is doing something extra special. With the crazy rising prices we’re seeing today, ALDI is hitting the rewind button and dropping prices back to 2019* on over 50 (!!) Thanksgiving favorites. This way, we can all focus on having a delicious, quality-time filled holiday without breaking the bank. I love it so much! ALDI is truly the best. 

ALDI is such an incredible one-stop-shop. I can find everything I need for my weekly grocery shops, our favorite weeknight meals and my personal favorite: all the holiday entertaining gatherings that I’m so pumped about. My favorite ingredients are wildly affordable and it makes the entire grocery shopping process seamless!

In order to celebrate these rewind prices from ALDI, I wanted to share a side dish that I am currently losing my mind over. I picked up every ingredient at ALDI, especially highlighting my favorite Simply Nature Organic Chopped Frozen Spinach, Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk and Emporium Selection Gruyere Cheese. This spinach gratin is a showstopper side on your Thanksgiving table and is a must try! 

This dish could not be simpler. You can make it in one pan if you use an oven-safe or cast iron skillet. Or you can make it in one pan and transfer it to a baking dish. 

To start, I cook the Appleton Farms Diced Pancetta until it’s crispy. I use that fat from the pancetta to sauté my onions and garlic, then stir in some flour to create a roux. It’s so easy. 

I whisk in the Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk and Friendly Farms Heavy Whipping Cream to make a delicious bechamel. I do a pinch of Stonemill Ground Nutmeg as well as the Emporium Selection Parmesan Cheese Wedge to give it an extra pop of flavor. 

Next, I stir in a few bags of the Simply Nature Organic Chopped Frozen Spinach – it is the easiest thing! Super creamy, cheesy and almost good enough to eat right out of the skillet.

Then I stir the pancetta back in, transfer it to a baking dish and top with lots of the Emporium Selection Gruyere Cheese. 

Bake it for about 20 or 30 minutes, until it’s golden and bubbly and warm. 

OH MY WORD. This is heavenly. It tastes absolutely amazing. It pairs well with everything else on your plate. And guess what else? Leftovers are fantastic too.

Yes, you can prep it ahead of time! You can fully bake it and reheat (it reheats so well!) or even make it up until baking, store in the fridge and bake the next day. It’s truly the ideal Thanksgiving side dish because of this. Prep ahead and you’re good to go! 

Spinach Gratin

Spinach Gratin

Yield: 8 to 12 people

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

This spinach gratin is incredibly creamy, hearty, has a touch of spice and is loaded with gruyere and parmesan cheese. It's absolutely delicious and makes for the perfect side dish to any holiday. It’s easy as can be, is great to prep ahead of time and also reheats beautifully.

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5 from 13 votes

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Ingredients

• 4 ounces Appleton Farms Diced Pancetta
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• kosher salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons Baker’s Corner All-Purpose Flour
• 3 10 ounce bags Simply Nature Organic Chopped Frozen Spinach
• 2 ½ cups Simply Nature Organic Whole Milk
• ½ cup Friendly Farms Heavy Whipping Cream
• ¼ teaspoon Stonemill Ground Nutmeg
• 1 cup grated Emporium Selection Parmesan Cheese Wedge
• 1 cup grated Emporium Selection Gruyere Cheese

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Add the pancetta to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the fat is rendered, and the pancetta is crispy. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain excess grease.
• Keep the skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until the onions soften, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour to create a roux.
• Cook the flour and onion mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until it’s golden and fragrant and nutty. Slowly stream in the milk while whisking continuously. Continue to stir as you pour in the cream.
• Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, as the milk mixture thickens to a sauce that coats a spoon. Add the nutmeg.
• Reduce the heat to low and stir in the parmesan cheese, 1 handful at a time. Stir until the cheese melts completely.
• Remove the spinach from the bags and if there is any excess liquid or it seems wet, squeeze out the liquid with a dish towel. Add the spinach into the bechamel sauce and stir. Turn off the heat. Stir in ½ cup of the gruyere cheese. At this point, you can taste it if you wish to see if it needs any more salt and pepper.
• Transfer the mixture to a 9x9 or 6x10 baking dish (or leave it in the skillet if it’s an oven-safe skillet). Sprinkle the remaining gruyere on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
• Serve immediately!
• To make this ahead of time, either bake the entire thing off and reheat in a low oven, covered with foil, until warmed through. Or, make the mixture in the skillet and spread it in the baking dish. Store it in the fridge until 30 minutes before baking. Let sit out of the fridge for 30 minutes then bake as usual!

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Author: How Sweet Eats

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*2019 Thanksgiving Price Rewind on select ALDI products based on average retail at ALDI from November 2–29, 2019. Available in store and online from November 2-19, 2022. Taxes and online and delivery fees not included. Products with reduced prices are marked with the Thanksgiving Price Rewind icon. Prices for other Thanksgiving-related products may be higher than 2019 prices at ALDI. Wine and beer available at select ALDI stores.