Chef Dean
Amish Buttered Egg Noodles
The humblest side dish in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, where wide egg noodles and good butter need nothing more than salt and a warm bowl to become the thing everyone remembers from the church supper.
Culinary Explorer
A cooking platform built around craft, culture, and the stories behind what we eat.
Creamy Summer Corn and Zucchini Gratin
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Layers of sweet summer corn and tender zucchini swim in a garlic-kissed cream, blanketed by sharp cheddar and golden breadcrumbs that shatter at the first bite. This is the dish that disappears at every potluck.
Side Dishes
American
Potluck
25 min
Active Time
45 min cook•1 hr 10 min total
Yield8 servings
The gratin is a French farmhouse technique that Americans claimed as our own somewhere around the first church potluck. Take seasonal vegetables, nestle them in cream, crown them with cheese and breadcrumbs, and let the oven do its transformative work. The French would use Gruyère. We use sharp cheddar, and we're right to do so.
This dish celebrates the fleeting window when corn and zucchini overlap at their peak. Maybe three weeks in August when both hit perfection simultaneously. The corn should be so fresh it still smells like the field. The zucchini should be firm and no bigger than your forearm. Anything larger turns watery and bitter.
I've served this at potlucks from Portland to Portland, Maine to Oregon. It travels beautifully, reheats without complaint, and feeds a crowd without apology. The cream sauce comes together in minutes. The assembly takes longer to describe than to execute. What emerges from your oven is golden, bubbling, and honest. The kind of dish that makes people ask for the recipe before they've finished their first serving.
Don't rush the breadcrumb topping. It needs time to form that crackling crust that shatters when your spoon breaks through to the creamy layers beneath. That textural contrast, the crunch against the silky vegetables, is the whole point.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
medium zucchini
Quantity
4 (about 2 pounds)
sliced 1/4-inch thick
fresh corn
Quantity
4 ears
kernels cut from cob, about 3 cups
kosher salt
Quantity
1 1/2 teaspoons, divided
unsalted butter
Quantity
3 tablespoons
large shallot
Quantity
1
minced
garlic
Quantity
3 cloves
minced
all-purpose flour
Quantity
2 tablespoons
whole milk
Quantity
1 1/2 cups
warmed
heavy cream
Quantity
1/2 cup
nutmeg
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
freshly grated
black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground
sharp cheddar cheese
Quantity
2 cups (8 ounces)
grated
fresh thyme leaves
Quantity
2 tablespoons
fresh breadcrumbs
Quantity
1 cup
from day-old bread
butter for topping
Quantity
2 tablespoons
melted
Parmesan cheese
Quantity
1/4 cup
finely grated
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| medium zucchinisliced 1/4-inch thick | 4 (about 2 pounds) |
| fresh cornkernels cut from cob, about 3 cups | 4 ears |
| kosher salt | 1 1/2 teaspoons, divided |
| unsalted butter | 3 tablespoons |
| large shallotminced | 1 |
| garlicminced | 3 cloves |
| all-purpose flour | 2 tablespoons |
| whole milkwarmed | 1 1/2 cups |
| heavy cream | 1/2 cup |
| nutmegfreshly grated | 1/4 teaspoon |
| black pepperfreshly ground | 1/2 teaspoon |
| sharp cheddar cheesegrated | 2 cups (8 ounces) |
| fresh thyme leaves | 2 tablespoons |
| fresh breadcrumbsfrom day-old bread | 1 cup |
| butter for toppingmelted | 2 tablespoons |
| Parmesan cheesefinely grated | 1/4 cup |
Equipment Needed
- •9x13-inch baking dish or oval gratin dish
- •Large saucepan
- •Whisk
- •Rimmed baking sheet
Instructions
- 1
Salt the zucchini
Arrange zucchini slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let stand 20 minutes. The salt draws out excess moisture that would otherwise make your gratin watery. You'll see beads of liquid forming on the surface. That's exactly what you want leaving the zucchini, not pooling in your dish.
Don't skip this step. Summer zucchini holds tremendous water. Salting is the difference between a creamy gratin and a soggy disappointment. - 2
Prepare your station
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish or gratin dish generously. Warm the milk in a small saucepan or microwave. Cold milk added to a hot roux causes lumps. Room temperature is acceptable. Warm is better.
- 3
Build the cream sauce
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it foams, add the shallot. Cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, maybe 30 seconds. You'll smell it transform from raw and sharp to sweet and mellow. Sprinkle the flour over the aromatics and stir constantly for 1 minute. This cooks out the raw flour taste. The mixture will look like wet sand.
If the garlic starts to brown, your heat is too high. Pull the pan off the burner briefly. Burnt garlic turns bitter and ruins everything it touches. - 4
Finish the sauce
Pour in the warm milk gradually, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the cream. Continue whisking over medium heat until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes. It should leave a clear trail when you run your finger through it. Remove from heat. Stir in the nutmeg, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar. The cheese melts into a glossy, golden sauce. Taste it. Adjust the salt if needed.
- 5
Dry the zucchini
Pat the zucchini slices firmly with fresh paper towels. Press down. They should feel notably drier than when you started. Blot both sides of each slice. This takes a minute but pays dividends in texture.
- 6
Assemble the gratin
Spread a thin layer of sauce across the bottom of your prepared dish. Arrange half the zucchini slices in overlapping rows, like shingles on a roof. Scatter half the corn kernels over the zucchini. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon thyme. Pour half the remaining sauce evenly over everything. Repeat: zucchini, corn, thyme, sauce. The layers don't need to be perfect. This is farmhouse cooking, not architecture.
- 7
Create the topping
Toss breadcrumbs with melted butter in a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and the Parmesan. Mix until everything is coated and clumping slightly. Scatter evenly over the gratin. The mixture should cover the surface completely but not be packed down. Air pockets help it crisp.
- 8
Bake until golden
Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes. The edges should bubble vigorously and the topping should turn deep golden brown, almost mahogany in spots. The smell will shift from raw cream to toasted cheese and bread. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final 10 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to set slightly so slices hold together.
Chef Tips
- •Buy corn the day you cook it. The moment corn leaves the stalk, its sugars begin converting to starch. Yesterday's corn tastes like next week's corn compared to today's harvest. Farmer's markets beat supermarkets every time.
- •Sharp cheddar means aged at least a year. The younger stuff melts fine but lacks the tang that cuts through the cream. Vermont, Wisconsin, Oregon all produce excellent options. Avoid pre-shredded cheese; it contains anti-caking agents that prevent proper melting.
- •Make your own breadcrumbs. Tear day-old bread into chunks and pulse in a food processor. Store-bought breadcrumbs taste like cardboard dust. Fresh breadcrumbs taste like bread.
- •This gratin pairs beautifully with grilled chicken, roasted pork loin, or a thick tomato salad dressed with good olive oil and basil. A chilled rosé or crisp Sauvignon Blanc complements the richness without competing.
Advance Preparation
- •The cream sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of milk if it's too thick.
- •The entire gratin can be assembled, covered tightly, and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. Add 10 minutes to the baking time if going straight from refrigerator to oven.
- •Leftovers keep refrigerated 3 days. Reheat covered at 350°F until bubbling, then uncover for the last 5 minutes to re-crisp the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 460g)
Calories
460 calories
Total Fat
25 g
Saturated Fat
16 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
9 g
Cholesterol
56 mg
Sodium
863 mg
Total Carbohydrates
21 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
4 g
Protein
9 g
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