My friend Julie brought this root veggie gratin to book club last winter, and I wasn't thrilled about it. Root vegetables? For a party? But after one bite, I got it. The thin slices of potatoes, carrots, and parsnips all baked together in cream and garlic tasted nothing like the boring roasted vegetables I'd been making. This was rich, cozy, and kind of addictive.
Why You'll Love This Root Veggie Gratin
After making this for potlucks, holiday dinners, and regular weeknights, I know exactly why it works. This dish feeds a lot of people without costing much - root vegetables are cheap, especially in winter. You can prep the whole thing hours ahead and just pop it in the oven when you need it. No scrambling at the last minute.
What I love most is how it makes vegetables actually exciting without being hard. You're just slicing, layering, and baking. Nothing tricky. The cream and cheese make everything taste good together. Leftovers are great too - I've eaten this cold straight from the fridge more times than I'll admit. And if you need to swap things out for dietary reasons, it handles that fine.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Root Veggie Gratin
- Ingredients for Root Veggie Gratin
- How To Make Root Veggie Gratin Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Root Veggie Gratin
- Tasty Twists on Root Veggie Gratin
- equipement for Root Veggie Gratin
- Storing Your Root Veggie Gratin
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Time to Make Some Comfort Food!
- Related
- Pairing
- Root Veggie Gratin
Ingredients for Root Veggie Gratin
For the Vegetable Layers:
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 pound carrots, peeled
- 1 pound parsnips, peeled
- ½ pound turnips, peeled
- 2 tablespoons butter for greasing the dish
For the Creamy Garlic Sauce:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
For the Cheesy Topping:
- 1 ½ cups Gruyere cheese, grated
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- Fresh thyme sprigs for garnish
How To Make Root Veggie Gratin Step By Step
Prep Your Vegetables:
- Peel all root vegetables and keep them in cold water to prevent browning
- Slice potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and turnips to ⅛-inch thickness using mandoline
- Pat sliced vegetables completely dry with kitchen towels to remove excess moisture
- Butter your 9x13 baking dish generously on bottom and sides
- Preheat oven to 375°F while you work on the cream mixture
Make the Garlic Cream:
- Combine heavy cream and whole milk in medium saucepan over medium heat
- Add minced garlic, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to cream mixture
- Heat until small bubbles form around edges but don't let it boil
- Remove from heat and let flavors blend while you layer vegetables
- The cream should smell garlicky and aromatic when ready to use
Layer Everything Together:
- Arrange one layer of potato slices in overlapping pattern on bottom of dish
- Add layer of carrots, then parsnips, then turnips in same overlapping style
- Pour about ⅓ of the garlic cream mixture over the vegetable layers
- Sprinkle ⅓ of the Gruyere and Parmesan cheese over cream layer
- Repeat layering process two more times until all vegetables and cream are used
Bake to Golden Perfection:
- Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil to trap steam and cook vegetables through
- Bake covered for 45 minutes until vegetables are starting to soften
- Remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheese over top with butter pieces
- Bake uncovered another 30-40 minutes until top is golden and bubbling
- Let rest 15 minutes before serving so layers can set properly
Smart Swaps for Root Veggie Gratin
Vegetable Swaps:
- Russet potatoes → Sweet potatoes or Yukon gold
- Carrots → Butternut squash or celery root
- Parsnips → More potatoes or rutabaga
- Turnips → Beets (they'll turn everything pink though)
Dairy Alternatives:
- Heavy cream → Half cream, half chicken or vegetable broth
- Whole milk → Oat milk or almond milk
- Gruyere → Sharp cheddar or fontina
- Parmesan → Pecorino or skip for dairy-free
Flavor Changes:
- Fresh thyme → Rosemary or sage
- Garlic → Shallots or leeks
- Nutmeg → Skip it or add cayenne for heat
Make It Vegan:
- Use full-fat coconut milk instead of cream
- Swap regular milk for plant-based
- Use nutritional yeast instead of cheese
- Add extra garlic and herbs for flavor
Tasty Twists on Root Veggie Gratin
Mediterranean Style:
- Add sliced zucchini and eggplant
- Use olive oil instead of butter
- Mix in sun-dried tomatoes
- Top with feta cheese
- Fresh basil at the end
Cheesy Loaded Version:
- Layer in crumbled bacon
- Add caramelized onions
- Mix three types of cheese
- Top with buttered breadcrumbs
- Finish with chives
French Herb Garden:
- Use herbs de Provence
- Add fresh tarragon
- Layer in leeks
- Extra Gruyere cheese
- White wine in the cream
Fall Harvest:
- Include butternut squash
- Add fresh sage leaves
- Drizzle maple syrup
- Top with crushed pecans
- Finish with thyme
equipement for Root Veggie Gratin
- 9x13 inch baking dish (glass or ceramic works best)
- Mandoline slicer (makes everything the same thickness)
- Large mixing bowl for the cream mixture
- Medium saucepan for heating cream
- Sharp chef's knife and peeler
Storing Your Root Veggie Gratin
Fridge Storage (4-5 days):
- Let it cool completely before covering
- Store in the baking dish covered with foil
- Or cut into portions and store in containers
- Reheat at 325°F for 20 minutes until warm
Freezer Storage (2 months):
- Cool completely and cut into portions
- Wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap
- Put wrapped pieces in freezer bags
- Thaw in fridge overnight before reheating
Reheating Tips:
- Oven works way better than microwave
- Add a splash of cream if it looks dry
- Cover with foil to prevent burning
- Let it come to room temp first for even heating
Make-Ahead Trick:
- Assemble everything the night before
- Cover and refrigerate unbaked
- Add 15 minutes to baking time
- Perfect for Thanksgiving morning
Top Tip
- Here's something Julie didn't mention when she first gave me this root veggie gratin recipe - her mom's trick for making it extra creamy. About six months after I'd been making it regularly, Julie's mom came to visit and watched me prep it for dinner. She smiled and said "You're missing the best part."
- Turns out, she always adds a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the cream mixture. Just one tablespoon stirred in with the garlic and herbs. You can't taste mustard at all, but it does something to cut through all that richness and makes each bite more interesting instead of heavy. She said her own mother taught her that back in Lyon, where they put mustard in almost everything.
- The other thing she showed me was salting the vegetable slices before layering them. She spreads them out on kitchen towels, sprinkles salt over everything, and lets them sit for 20 minutes. Then she pats them dry. This pulls out extra moisture so the gratin doesn't get watery, and the vegetables taste more flavorful on their own. I've been doing both things ever since, and people always ask why mine tastes different from other versions they've tried. Sometimes it's the small stuff nobody writes down that makes all the difference.
FAQ
Why avoid Root Veggie Gratin vegetables to eat every day?
Root vegetables are actually fine to eat daily - they're packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The concern comes from eating only starchy roots like potatoes every single day without variety. Mix different colors and types of root vegetables throughout the week for better nutrition. This root veggie gratin combines several varieties, which gives you more balanced nutrients than just one type.
Can you make vegetable gratin ahead of time?
Yes, and it actually works great. Assemble the whole root veggie gratin the night before, cover it tightly, and keep it in the fridge. When you're ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then add 15 extra minutes to the baking time. The flavors develop overnight, making it taste even better than fresh-made.
What are the facts about root vegetables?
Root vegetables grow underground and store energy for the plant, making them naturally high in carbohydrates and fiber. They're loaded with vitamins A and C, potassium, and antioxidants. Most root vegetables last weeks in proper storage, making them budget-friendly. In this root veggie gratin, the combination of different roots provides a wide range of nutrients your body needs.
How to store root vegetables in the fridge?
Keep unwashed root vegetables in the crisper drawer in perforated plastic bags. They need some airflow but not too much. Cut off any greens before storing since they pull moisture from the roots. Most will last 2-3 weeks this way. For already-sliced vegetables like in this root veggie gratin prep, keep them submerged in cold water in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Time to Make Some Comfort Food!
Now you've got everything you need to make root veggie gratin that'll have people asking for the recipe. This dish has been tested in my kitchen more times than I can count, tweaked based on what actually works, and perfected through lots of dinners with honest feedback from family and friends.
Want to build a complete dinner? Start with our Delicious Beef Wellington Recipe for a show-stopping main course that pairs beautifully with this gratin. Need something lighter? Try our Best Best Crispy Bang Bang Chicken Recipe that brings serious flavor without the heaviness. And for easy lunches throughout the week, our Best Tuna Salad Recipe comes together in minutes and never gets boring.
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