Cheesy Baked Farro

I am a sucker for cheese and keep buying different types of cheeses every time I go to specialty grocery stores. My son just started going taking a weekly class that is right next to Trader Joes and it is not helping anyone. I find myself walking through the aisles of Trader Joes every week looking at just about everything they have in the store and sometimes picking up random stuff that I don't really want or need.

I recently picked up some Gruyere & fontina cheeses from TJs. Cheeses there are a little reasonably priced when compared to other overpriced grocery stores and they also have a huge selection there.

I saw this cheesy Farro recipe being made by Giada on Food Network and I wanted to make it right away. It looked simple to make and sounded cheesy and delicious.
It sure was cheesy but the dish was a little bland to my taste. Next time I would probably add some veggies and some more herbs to bump up the flavor. I think sauteed onions and mushrooms or sauteed spinach would be a great addition here.

Ingredients:

Farro - 1cup

Unsalted butter - 2tbsp

All purpose Flour - 2tbsp

Milk - 1cup

Gruyere Cheese - ½cup, grated

Fontina cheese - 2tbsp
Breadcrumbs - 3tbsp
Thyme - 1tsp, chopped

Salt & Pepper - to taste
Parsley - 2tbsp, finely chopped

Method:

• Combine farro with 3cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to low, cover and cook till the farro is tender, about 25 minutes.
• In the meantime, melt butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, till the flour doesn't smell raw anymore, about 3~4 minutes.
• Whisk in milk and cook till the mixture thickens and is smooth without any lumps, about 5~7 minutes. Set aside to cool for a minute.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• In a mixing bowl, combine all of the Gruyere cheese, 1tbsp Fontina, cooked farro and the cream sauce. Mix well and transfer into a lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining fontina cheese and the breadcrumbs on the top, drizzle some olive oil on top. Bake for 30~40 minutes or until the top is browned and a nice crust is formed.
• Set aside for 5 minutes, sprinkle fresh chopped parsley just before serving.

Linking this to Valli's 'Cooking from Cookbook Challenge: December -- Week 1'.