Russet and Radish Gratin

Tips to get you started:
· The recipe calls for the vegetables to be microwaved to cook them, but you can certainly boil them instead. Just plan for a few extra minutes total cooking time as the water will take longer to heat using this method.
· The sodium content can be reduced by adding less or no salt.
· The fat content may be reduced by using less cheese, but I would not reduce by more than 1/4 of the total amount, in order to still have a good amount of creamy sauce in the final dish.
· Gruyère cheese may be substituted for with: emmental, jarlsberg, beaufort, comté or raclette.

Prep time: 10-15 minutes
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
4 oz. water
16 oz. Daikon radish, peeled and sliced thinly
16 oz. Russet potato, peeled and sliced thinly
7 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated
3 oz. Gouda cheese, grated or small diced

12 oz. Evaporated milk
1/2 Teaspoon granulated garlic
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 Cup Panko style breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 Teaspoon sea salt, divided
1/2 Teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Pan spray
2 oz. Chives or green onions, chopped

Part one: In a large microwave safe bowl, place water, radish and potato slices. Cover the bowl completely with plastic wrap and microwave on high 4-6 minutes. When the radishes and potatoes are fork tender but not mushy, they are ready for the next step. Drain off any excess water and set these aside for a moment while you proceed with step two.
Part two: In a large saucepan or pot, combine cheeses, evaporated milk, garlic, flour, pepper and half of the salt. Add the radishes and potatoes and heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring gently with a rubber spatula until all the cheese has melted and the amount of liquid has reduced by about a quarter and the sauce is similar in consistency to a ranch dressing but not thicker. This takes about 5-10 minutes to reach. Remove from heat.
Part three: Evenly coat a medium sized baking dish with pan spray. Transfer the potato, radish and cheese mixture to the baking dish.
Part four: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, EVOO and the other half of the salt. Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the potatoes, radishes and cheese sauce in the baking dish.
Part five: Place the baking dish on the top rack of your oven and turn the oven on the high broil setting. Watching constantly, broil the topping until it becomes a dark golden brown but does not burn. Take the dish out of the oven and allow it to sit at least 10 minutes before serving.
Part six: Serve, garnished with chopped chives or green onions.
Serving suggestions: I really enjoyed this dish served alongside steamed broccoli and a pork tenderloin roast. The broccoli could be dipped in any leftover cheese sauce for a trip down memory lane.

Tiny chefs in the house? They can help:
· Peel the radish and potato (with adult supervision, if they are able to handle a vegetable peeler)

· Grate the cheese
· Measure ingredients
· Stir ingredients
· Garnish the dish before serving

Nutrition information:

Total Calories: 248

Total Fat: 15 g

Cholesterol: 40 mg

Sodium: 502 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 17 g

Sugars: 2 g

Protein: 12 g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.