Here is a side dish worthy even of a festive day: broccoli gratin, prepared with my light béchamel. It’s a really very tasty dish and it’s more than a side dish — by increasing the cheese and splitting it into two servings it becomes a vegetarian main course with a built-in side dish.
The preparation is also very practical: you can make both the broccoli and the béchamel in advance and then the next day put everything in the baking dish and cook in the oven. I’m sure they can also be gratinated in the air fryer even though I haven’t tried that yet.
You know I don’t publish recipes unless they’re enjoyed at home, and this one was a big hit. Considering that the Dutch person here doesn’t like broccoli, they asked me to make them again as soon as possible. So here it is for you now.
Other light broccoli recipes are here:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb broccoli
- 0.75 oz grated Parmesan (or half Parmesan and half Pecorino)
- to taste salt
- 1 1/4 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp light butter
- 1 cup skim milk
- to taste salt and nutmeg
- Points per serving = 3 WW points
Steps
Cut the broccoli into large pieces and boil them in lightly salted water or steam them. They should remain very al dente, be careful.
While the broccoli cooks, prepare the béchamel; the quantities are listed above and the method can be found here: Light Béchamel.
Drain the broccoli very well, season lightly with salt and place them in a baking dish with a little béchamel spread on the bottom first.
Arrange the broccoli with the florets facing up — the taste doesn’t change but the result looks nicer; presentation matters.
Pour the remaining béchamel over the broccoli and then sprinkle everything with the grated Parmesan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 392°F for about 20-25 minutes: the surface should become nicely golden.
In an air fryer you should still use a baking dish and cook at 356°F for 15-20 minutes.
And here are our broccoli gratin with béchamel, ready to serve. They smell wonderful and look great with that golden crust.
I won’t tell you how good they are! I practically couldn’t stop eating them. I served them with my lemon scaloppine and it was truly a fantastic dinner.
If you like you can add a bit more Parmesan and divide the dish into two so you have a main plus side together. Add some bread and it’s perfect for dinner.
As always, I look forward to your comments below and your photos on Facebook.
Enjoy your meal!
by Giovanna Buono
Tips
Instead of broccoli you can also use cauliflower or a mix of cauliflower and broccoli. The method remains exactly the same and the result is just as tasty.
Another idea is to prepare the broccoli gratin in individual cocottes, perfect for the holiday table.
