Ranch lovers will adore this saltine cracker recipe as a snack. Cheap and simple to manufacture.
| Prep Time: | 25 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 55 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 8 heads Belgian endive, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, divided
- 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or amount to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 8 slices deli-style ham
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Lightly grease a baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Place the endives into the water. Cover, and cook until tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Place the butter into a saucepan, and melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and golden brown. Gradually whisk the milk into the flour mixture, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until well blended. Cook gently over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Preheat an oven broiler to low.
- Drain the endives. Wrap each endive with a slice of ham, and place into the prepared baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce over the endives. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Gruyere cheese and parsley.
- Cook the endives under preheated broiler until cheese is golden brown and sauce bubbles, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 207 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 29 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 16 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Sodium | 210 mg |
| Sugars | 3 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Easy peasy… and SO good!
My Dad went to Belgium for a work trip when I was younger and came back making this recipe. It has a distinctive flavor and is a family favorite. We nicknamed it “Belgian Hotdogs”. Nutmeg and fresh guyere cheese is key. Also, I cut the endives in half. I think this sauce would be awesome on anything.
One of my favorite dishes to make and eat.
Very easy to do takes no time and It tastes delicious
I thought that the endive would be expensive for some reason. It was not at all. $1.69 lb I believe. Next time I will steam the endive or cool it and squeeze it out to remove the excess water. I read other reviews too late to pick up that tip.
Delicious! I made as is except for I halved the recipe and it was great!
Just returned from Belgium.visiting family. We had this for dinner, but my cousin says steaming is better. It is certainly delish!
I did make some changes…steamed the endive, added about 1/8 cup white wine and used 1/2 cup 1% milk. I used a cheddar and gruyere cheese combo from Trader Joe’s. To assemble I layered the endive (separated), slices of ham steak, and poured the bechamel overtop. I sprinkled a little swiss and gruyere cheese overtop and broiled at 400degrees for under 10 minutes. Fancy and delicious!
We eat this dish at least twice a month. We never boil the endive though. Just wrap the fresh endive (cut in halves) with ham, then top with the béchamel and cheese. I bake it at 200°C for 20 minutes and it is cooked perfectly every time. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
I was an exchange student in Belgium for my senior year of high school and I was really taken with chicon au gratin while I was over there. This recipe was nearly perfect, but I found I had to double the sauce amount and I added a splash of white wine to the sauce. 🙂 I found that way, it more closely resembled the chicon au gratin I’d had in Brussels.
Absolutely delicious! We used prosciutto instead of deli ham and didn’t really measure the spices. My husband would like to replace some of the milk with Belgian beer next time we make this. I cooked the endive, put it in ice water, then gently squeezed out the excess water into a towel before wrapping with the prosciutto. Ours did not turn out watery at all!
My husband and I loved it! Next time I’ll try steaming the endive instead of boiling to retain more nutrients.
Urheka! I found a recipe for Endive. As soon as I can find some endive in a local market I’ll be sure to make this and write a review of the recipe. Do you know anyting about a dish made with cabbage, ham and spaghetti pasta?
This recipe turned out exactly how my father always made it. I’m also Belgian, and it had been years since I’ve had this! It’s AMAZING. Definitely one of my favorite meals ever. The sauce tastes amazing and complements perfectly with the flavor and texture of the endives. Will make over and over again! Thank you for posting this recipe. I will have my American friends try it 😉
Wonderful recipe. If you don’t want your sauce to become too runny, cook your endives the day before, so they can drain well. I’m Belgian too and this is one of our favorite Belgian dishes. 🙂
I first had this while living in Gent, Belgium. It’s fantastic! I would have never had this otherwise.
Thanks for sharing this classic recipe! The cream and cheese in this recipe makes for a nice contrast to the sharp taste of the endives.
Just perfect ! Yummy !