Can I make this Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin ahead of time?

Absolutely! This Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin is perfect for make-ahead entertaining. You can assemble the entire dish up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, add an extra 5-7 minutes to the covered baking time. Keep in mind that preparing ahead may cause slight beet bleeding, which doesn't affect taste but can change the visual appearance of your Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin .

What's the best way to slice vegetables for even cooking?

The key to perfect Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin is uniform slicing! I highly recommend using a mandoline set to about 1/8-inch thickness. This ensures every vegetable slice cooks at the same rate. If you don't have a mandoline, use your sharpest knife and take your time to create consistently thin slices. Uneven thickness is the most common reason for some vegetables being overcooked while others remain firm.

Can I substitute different root vegetables in this recipe?

Yes! This Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin is quite versatile. You can substitute turnips, rutabaga, carrots, or even thinly sliced potatoes for any of the three vegetables called for. Just remember to maintain the same total volume of vegetables and keep slicing thickness consistent. Harder vegetables like carrots may need slightly longer cooking time, while softer ones like turnips might cook faster.

Why does my gratin turn out watery, and how can I prevent it?

A watery Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin usually results from vegetables that are cut too thick, using too much cream with the beets, or not covering tightly enough during the first baking phase. To prevent this: slice vegetables paper-thin, use only 2 tablespoons of cream for the beets (versus 4 for other vegetables), and ensure your foil creates a tight seal. Also, let the gratin rest for 10-15 minutes after baking to allow excess liquid to be absorbed.

What cheese substitutions work best if I can't find Gruyère?

While Gruyère gives this Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin its signature nutty flavor, several excellent substitutes work beautifully: Comté (very similar to Gruyère), fontina (creamier and milder), Swiss cheese (similar texture, slightly different flavor), or even a good quality sharp cheddar. Avoid pre-shredded cheeses as they don't melt as smoothly. For best results, grate your cheese fresh just before using in your Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin .

Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin Recipe

Name: Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened; 1-2 long sweet potatoes (about 2 inches thick), peeled; 3-4 large parsnips, ends trimmed and peeled; 3-5 small beets, peeled; 14 tablespoons heavy cream, divided (whole milk is fine, but mixture won’t thicken as much or be as creamy); 4 ounces grated Parmesan, divided; 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme, divided plus more for garnish; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 ounce shredded gruyere; salt and pepper to taste

Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin

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Elegant layered gratin featuring sweet potatoes, beets, and parsnips in rich heavy cream with Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses, seasoned with fresh thyme and garlic for the perfect holiday side dish

Author: Emily
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Category: Side Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1-2 long sweet potatoes (about 2 inches thick), peeled
3-4 large parsnips, ends trimmed and peeled
3-5 small beets, peeled
14 tablespoons heavy cream, divided (whole milk is fine, but mixture won’t thicken as much or be as creamy)
4 ounces grated Parmesan, divided
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme, divided plus more for garnish
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ounce shredded gruyere
salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 3 quart baking dish with butter
Slice sweet potato, parsnips and beets into very thin rounds (using a mandoline is easiest) and transfer each vegetable to its own bowl
Pour 4 tablespoons cream over each sweet potatoes and parsnips, and 2 tablespoons cream over beets. Top each bowl of sliced vegetables with ½ ounce grated Parmesan and 1 teaspoon minced thyme. Season each bowl generously with salt and pepper and toss together until all vegetable slices are well coated
Pour remaining 1/4 cup cream into the bottom of a 3 quart (oval) baking dish and sprinkle with ½ ounce of Parmesan and minced garlic
Grab a stack of sweet potatoes and line them standing up on a bias, at the top of the baking dish. Follow the sweet potato with a row of parsnips, followed by a row of beets. Repeat with the remaining sweet potatoes, parsnips and beets, creating 6 rows of root vegetables
Season top of gratin with salt, pepper and sprinkle of remaining Parmesan
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft
Uncover gratin and top with shredded gruyere
Place gratin back into oven, uncovered, and continue to bake for an additional 18 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender, cheese has melted and the top has lightly browned
Finish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves. Serve

Notes

The aluminum foil should be tightly wrapped around the baking dish to allow the dish to steam and for the vegetables to get tender before uncovering
Wear gloves when handling beets to prevent staining your hands
Keeping the slices as uniform in thickness as possible will greatly help even cooking throughout the gratin
Using a mandoline will ensure even thickness and reduce prep time
This dish can be made up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated, tightly wrapped in foil. Add about an extra 5-7 minutes of baking time to the dish (covered)
If you prep ahead of time, you run the risk of the beets bleeding from sitting in the cream. This won’t affect the flavor but will change the look
Make sure the peeled and sliced beets are just barely coated in cream to ensure they don’t dry out while baking

Find it online: https://recipeshots.com/cheesy-root-vegetable-gratin/