Description
A delicious and creamy Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin featuring thinly sliced sweet potatoes, parsnips, and beets layered with a mixture of heavy cream, Parmesan, and Gruyere cheese, baked until tender and golden brown, perfect as a comforting side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 2 long sweet potatoes (about 2 inches thick), peeled
- 4 large parsnips, ends trimmed and peeled
- 5 small beets, peeled
Dairy and Cheese
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- 14 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
- 4 ounces grated Parmesan, divided
- 1 ounce shredded Gruyere cheese
Herbs and Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme, divided plus more for garnish
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease a 3 quart baking dish with softened butter to prevent sticking.
- Slice vegetables: Using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice sweet potatoes, parsnips, and beets into very thin rounds and separate each vegetable into its own bowl.
- Mix vegetables with cream and seasoning: Pour 4 tablespoons heavy cream over the sweet potatoes and parsnips bowls each, and 2 tablespoons cream over the beets. Add ½ ounce grated Parmesan and 1 teaspoon minced thyme to each bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss well to coat each vegetable evenly.
- Prepare baking dish cream base: Pour remaining ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) of cream into the bottom of the greased baking dish, then sprinkle with ½ ounce grated Parmesan and the minced garlic, spreading evenly.
- Arrange vegetables in dish: Standing the vegetable slices on their sides and slightly angled, arrange a row of sweet potatoes at the top of the dish, followed by a row of parsnips, then a row of beets. Repeat this layering until 6 rows are formed, using all the vegetable slices.
- Season and cover: Sprinkle the top of the assembled gratin with salt, pepper, and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
- Bake covered: Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add Gruyere and bake uncovered: Remove foil and sprinkle shredded Gruyere cheese evenly over the top. Return the dish to the oven uncovered and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender, cheese is melted, and the top is lightly browned.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. Serve warm as a side dish.
Notes
- Makes 1 (3 quart) casserole serving 8 people.
- Nutrition facts are based on using the lower end quantity of vegetables in the ingredient range.
- Can be prepared up to one day ahead and refrigerated tightly wrapped in foil. Add 5-7 minutes extra baking time when reheating covered.
- Beets may bleed color into the cream when prepped ahead, affecting appearance but not flavor.
- To prevent beet bleeding, coat beets lightly with cream and ensure the bottom of the dish has just a thin layer of cream and Parmesan.
- Cream amounts may slightly vary based on baking dish size; adjust by eye for even coating without excess liquid.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
