Leek and Root Vegetable Gratin

Thanksgiving is over and I will breathe a huge sigh of relief when I’ve finally finished the dishes.  I didn’t quite get to all of the side dishes I wanted to make.  Instead, I’ll make them throughout the next week or so.  I have all of the ingredients after all.

I started first with this Leek and Root Vegetable Gratin.

This was one thing I’d been dreaming about for days and days.  Truth be told, it is probably a little too rich to eat alongside turkey and stuffing.  A healthy green salad is more what it needs to offset the glorious cream and cheese.

Not that it’s not chock full of healthy veggies.  They’re just drowning in Gruyere is all.  :)

But I never made my favorite recipe for Braised Carrots as I’d hoped.  The turkey ended up taking longer than it should have and my hands were too tired to peel or chop anything else.  I opted for canned corn, at my son’s request, and a quickly thrown-together green bean casserole.  So I’ll get to the carrots little by little.  My 4 yr. old has her heart set on carrot soup.  There are plenty of carrots for weeks worth of recipes, and she will definitely have her soup.

Leeks are another favorite of mine.  I had intended to put them into the stuffing but changed my mind at the last minute.  Instead, I put some in this gratin and some in a Turkey Pot Pie.  The rest are for a soup recipe I’ve been dreaming up.

Leeks and root veggies go well together.  They both go well with Gruyere and thyme.  I sprinkled in a little fresh nutmeg for good measure.

Leek and Root Vegetable Gratin

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Layers of thinly sliced root vegetables and leeks in a fresh cream sauce, topped with nutty Gruyere cheese.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 6-8 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb. rutabagas (and/or turnips), peeled, cut into 1/8-1/4″ slices
• 1 lb. potatoes, scrubbed, peeled if desired, cut into 1/8-1/4″ slices
• 1 lb. carrots, scrubbed, peeled if desired, cut into 1/8-1/4″ slices (I cut mine on the bias/diagonal)
• 1 Tbsp. butter, plus 2 tsp. for greasing baking dish
• 1 onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 3 leeks, washed well, white and tender green parts thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• sprinkle freshly grated nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter an 8″ by 11″ casserole dish.
2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bay leaf, rutabagas, turnips, and carrots. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes and add the potatoes. Continue cooking until just barely tender. Drain and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
3. While the vegetables are cooking, heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt 1 Tbsp. butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it softens. Add the leeks and continue cooking, lowering the heat a bit, until they lose a little of their volume and start to soften. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Remove from heat and spoon evenly over the root vegetables.
4. Pour the cream over the vegetables and top with the grated Gruyere. Sprinkle the nutmeg and thyme evenly over the top.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cream sauce has thickened and the cheese is golden brown and bubbly on top. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

• Author: Lindsey Johnson
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side
• Cuisine: French