This is another month of tight budgets.  With all the summer fun we have been having and back-to-school right around the corner I am ever mindful of money right now.  I am trying to use as many items as I can out of our freezer as possible.

Recently I have been allowing my children to go down to the basement pick out a meat and whatever it is I have to come up with something for dinner.  My daughter chooses Cod.  Cod?  Other than fry it, or bake it which I have already done what am I going to do?

A quick Google search led me to Rob’s Cod Au Gratin from Big Oven.com.  I had most of the ingredients on hand so with a few minor substitutions this was going to be dinner.

Verdict:

I never would have thought of Cod as a comfort food but this definitely hit that spot.  It was creamy, flavorful and yet had a bit of the uniqueness that we love about making different foods each night.  All four of us really enjoyed it but my daughter asked that I make hers next time without onions.  To me they made the dish but to her they were just something to pick around.

I made my mostly gluten-free son a separate small casserole with no cream sauce but substituted gluten-free cream soup.  I use the recipe at for Cream Soup Base at All Gluten Free Recipes.com.   I topped his with gluten-free bread crumbs topped with a bit on butter on top.

I served this dish with a side of broccoli and a green salad.

Ingredients:

• 2  lbs Cod fillets
• 5 TBSP butter, divided
• 8 TBSP flour
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free Half and Half
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp powdered garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 sleeve butter crackers, crushed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 X 13″ glass baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add about a teaspoon of salt.
2. Cook the cod fillets in the boiling salt water for 4 minutes, then drain into a colander.
3. Melt 1 TBSP butter in a medium skillet over medium-low  heat and then add the onions and celery and saute slowly.
4. Melt 4 TBSP butter in a sauce pan. Remove pan from heat and whisk in the flour and Half and Half.   To the sauce add salt, pepper and garlic, to taste.
5. Return the sauce pan to the burner over medium-low heat until thickened.  Stir frequently scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to keep from burning.
6. Flake half of the fish into the prepared baking dish.  Then add half  of onions and celery spread over the fish. Cover this layer with 1/2 of the sauce and top with a 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar.
7. Repeat step 5 using the remaining fish, onion mix and sauce.
8. Sprinkle the  rest of the cheddar cheese on top of the casserole – 1 cup.  Then sprinkle with the crushed butter crackers.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top looks golden brown and bubbly. Remove dish from oven and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.