Cheesy Barley Gratin Food

CHEESY POTATOES GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, then season with salt and cook until the onions are soft and very aromatic, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until the roux is the consistency of wet sand, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the mustard and cheeses. Season with salt to taste to make sure it is delicious!
• Place a quarter of the potatoes in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Ladle a quarter of the cheese sauce evenly over the potatoes. Repeat this process 3 or 4 more times with the remaining potatoes and sauce, pushing down the potatoes between each layer and topping with the sauce. Place the baking dish on a sheet tray lined with foil. Bake, rotating the dish halfway through, until the potatoes are soft when poked with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes. Tent with foil if the top is getting too brown.
• Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
• Hot cheesy potatoes!

CHEESY GREEN VEG GRATIN

Steps:

• Bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the cauliflower florets for 3 mins. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 mins more. Drain in a colander and leave to steam-dry.
• Tip the spinach into a large saucepan, add 2 tbsp water and cook with the lid on over a low heat for 3-4 mins until wilted, then tip into a sieve and press the excess moisture out of it with the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat until foaming, then stir in the flour to create a thick paste. Cook for 2 mins, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the milk in several additions until lump-free. Return to the heat and whisk until thickened. Whisk in the mustard, most of the cheese and the chives. Season to taste.
• Arrange the vegetables, including the cauliflower leaves, in a medium ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden and bubbling.

CHEESY BAKED PEARL BARLEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C fan forced (200C normal).
• Toss the pumpkin with a little oil and salt and pepper in a heavy bottom baking tray and cook in the oven until tender tossing now and again.
• At the same time, put the pearl barley and a pinch of salt in a pot and just cover with stock and gently cook for about 35 minutes until just tender, adding more stock if needed and then drain well.
• To make the mornay sauce, melt the butter in a pot and add the flour and stir well and gently to cook and then add the hot milk, all at once, and whisk well and then add 2 good handfuls grated tasty cheese, the cream and salt and pepper and whisk until the cheese has melted.
• Heat a little oil in a pan and gently saute the tomatoes until they collapse a bit, regularly stirring and then toss the tomatoes with the cooked pumpkin, pearl barley and salt and pepper and add a general amount of the mornay sauce (LEAVE ENOUGH TO COVER THE TOP OF THE BAKED DISH) and mix well and transfer the mixture to a gratin dish (or any ovenproof dish).
• Flatten the top and then spoon more mornay sauce on top and sprinkle with some grated cheddar and parmesan and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
• Can be made ahead and reheated in the oven though you may need to cover with alfoil to prevent cheese burning.

CHEESY STOVE-TOP BARLEY AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large straight-sided skillet or braiser over medium-high. Add mushrooms and chard stems; season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds. Add barley and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 1 minute.
• Stir in tomatoes and 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until barley is tender and creamy, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Stir in chard leaves, Parmigiano, and lemon juice; cover and cook, stirring once, until chard is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season, top with Gruyère, cover, and heat until melted, 2 minutes. Serve with basil.