Easy Make-Ahead Freezer-Friendly! Gratin for Bento Boxes

Name: Easy Make-Ahead Freezer-Friendly! Gratin for Bento Boxes
Yield: Makes 6 (size #8) aluminum baking cups
Ingredients: 1/2 small onion (or 1/4 medium onion); 2 slices bacon (long slices; use 4 slices if using half-length); Any amount frozen corn (any type of corn is fine); as needed Macaroni,; 1/2 cup milk (100 ml); About 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; as needed Shredded cheese (pizza cheese),; as needed Grated Parmesan cheese,

たかたかっち♪ @cook_40107881

Make-ahead gratin for bento box lunches that you can freeze. Preparing a batch in advance makes packing lunches so much easier!

This recipe was featured in a cookbook.

Recipe background: Store-bought frozen gratin for bento boxes is expensive and often comes with shrimp, which my kids don’t like and always leave behind, so I made my own version.

Make-ahead gratin for bento box lunches that you can freeze. Preparing a batch in advance makes packing lunches so much easier!

This recipe was featured in a cookbook.

Recipe background: Store-bought frozen gratin for bento boxes is expensive and often comes with shrimp, which my kids don’t like and always leave behind, so I made my own version.

たかたかっち♪ @cook_40107881

Make-ahead gratin for bento box lunches that you can freeze. Preparing a batch in advance makes packing lunches so much easier!

This recipe was featured in a cookbook.

Recipe background: Store-bought frozen gratin for bento boxes is expensive and often comes with shrimp, which my kids don’t like and always leave behind, so I made my own version.

Make-ahead gratin for bento box lunches that you can freeze. Preparing a batch in advance makes packing lunches so much easier!

This recipe was featured in a cookbook.

Recipe background: Store-bought frozen gratin for bento boxes is expensive and often comes with shrimp, which my kids don’t like and always leave behind, so I made my own version.

Saved

Ingredients

Makes 6 (size #8) aluminum baking cups

1/2small onion (or 1/4 medium onion)
2 slicesbacon (long slices; use 4 slices if using half-length)
Any amount frozen corn (any type of corn is fine)
as neededMacaroni,
1/2 cupmilk (100 ml)
About 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
as neededShredded cheese (pizza cheese),
as neededGrated Parmesan cheese,

Saved

Steps

1

Finely chop the onion. Cut the bacon into thin strips. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions, then drain. (The photo shows approximate amounts.)
2

Heat some butter (not listed in ingredients) in a frying pan. Sauté the onion, bacon, and corn.
3

When the onion is cooked and translucent, add the macaroni and mix well. Turn off the heat.
4

Add the flour to the pan and mix until everything is coated. (Adjust the amount of flour so it coats all the ingredients evenly.)
5

Add the milk and mix again.
6

Turn the heat back on to low or medium-low. Stir constantly with a spatula until the mixture thickens. It will thicken quickly.
7

Once thickened, turn off the heat. Spoon the mixture into aluminum baking cups.
8

Top with shredded cheese and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
9

Bake in a toaster oven until golden brown. (My toaster is 860W and takes about 5–6 minutes. Adjust baking time as needed.)
10

Once cooled, transfer to a storage container or freezer-safe container and freeze. (In the photo, each is wrapped in plastic wrap before being placed in the container.)
11

To thaw, move to the refrigerator the night before or let thaw at room temperature. If still partially frozen, warm briefly in the toaster oven.
12

Adjust the amount of milk and flour in step 6 to get your preferred thickness.
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Published August 24, 2019 by Takarajimasha in “Delicious Cheese Recipes” (p.49).
14

Ranked #1 in popular searches for “make-ahead freezer meals.” Thank you!