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When I was young, creamed peas were a side dish staple that you could find served along with fried chicken or other comfort food dishes. I fell in love with this sweet creamy dish as a child. Nowadays it seems to be a rarity to find it on any restaurant menus.

Creamed peas are basically sweet peas in a white sauce or bechamel sauce. Sounds simple enough. Well, that was until I tried the au gratin peas at Ruth Chris’s Steakhouse. Their sweet peas are baked and topped with a layer of cheddar cheese. Yes please and keep them coming!

That’s when I went on a quest to find the recipe! The one that came the closest, in my opinion, is Emeril’s Sweet Peas Au Gratin. I think it is because of the addition of his own seasoning mix Emeril’s Original Essence. I did, however, make this delicious recipe a little less glamorous. Here is my version of his dish. Enjoy!

Au Gratin Creamed Peas

Name: Au Gratin Creamed Peas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 people
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter + 1 tsp butter; 1 cup onions, minced; 2 tbsp whole wheat flour; 2 cups milk; 1 16oz bag organic frozen sweet peas, thawed; 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs; 1/2 tsp Emerili's Original Essence; 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded; salt & pepper

Yield: 6 people

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Creamed peas smothered in cheese with a crumb crust

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter + 1 tsp butter
1 cup onions, minced
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
2 cups milk
1 16oz bag organic frozen sweet peas, thawed
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Emerili's Original Essence
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x9 baking dish with the 1 teaspoon of butter and set aside.
In a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter.
Add the onions and season them lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to make a paste.
Slowly stir in the milk and whisk to blend the mixture. Bring to a bubbling simmer.
Cook the flour mixture for 4 to 8 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
Add in the peas, salt & pepper to taste, stir to blend and pour into the 9x9 dish.
In a small bowl mix the Emeri's Essence with the breadcrumbs, then sprinkle them over the peas. Top breadcrumbs with the shredded cheese.
Bake for 20-25minutes.

Notes

The original recipe (link below) is for use with an au gratin dish and baked at 400 degrees, which is a slight broil. I found my peas and sauce were a bit too soupy so I added the ingredients to a 9x6 (you can use a 9x9 dish) dish and baked it slower like a casserole and it came out perfect!

This recipe was adapted from Emeril Lagasse Sweet Peas Au Gratin.