Veggies Au Gratin

At this time of year, zucchini and squash are widely available and CHEAP! Many people eat these vegetables a lot during the summer so eating them can become a little boring. This is a very easy dish and a great new way to enjoy these summer staples. Through out the year, you can take the same basic concept of this dish and apply it to all types of different vegetables.

Ingredients
1 small squash- sliced in rounds
1 small zucchini - sliced in rounds
1/2 small onion- chopped
2 TBS butter
1 TBS flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray small baking dish with non-stick spray. Arrange slices in baking dish alternating vegetables. Drizzle oil in a small sauce pan to coat bottom and heat over medium heat. Add onions, slightly salt and cook for 5 minutes. Add butter and allow to melt slightly then add flour. Mix flour and butter to cook. This should form a paste like substance. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes so that the flour taste cooks out. Slowly whisk in milk and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Bring sauce to a light simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Go light on the salt; the cheese is already very salty its self. Congratulations!! You just made a bechumel (white sauce). Not that hard is it? Traditional bechumel has a little nutmeg in it. I know tons of people who don't like nutmeg but if you do, go ahead and add a very TINY TINY about. A little goes a very long way with nutmeg. Lightly season vegetables with pepper and garlic powder then pour sauce over them. Back un-covered for about 20 minutes until sauce is bubbly and starts to brown. Wait about 5-10 minutes before serving so sauce can set-up.