Winter Vegetable Gratin

In-Season Winter Recipes Side Dishes

This gratin can adapt to the vegetables you have: winter squashes, different kinds of sweet potatoes, potatoes, different colored beets — mixing up the flavors and the colors make this a fun dish to make. You want about 4 pounds of vegetables total. You can slice and layer the dish a day or two in advance and save the baking for the day of the meal, or if oven space will be tight on party day, do all the baking in advance and refrigerate — set it out to come to room temperature an hour or so before mealtime, and put it in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes while you are getting everything (and everyone) to the table. You can microwave it, but the topping won’t be quite as crunchy.

November 01, 2012

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 12 Serving(s)

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1 large Butternut squash (2¼ pounds), peeled and seeded
1 medium rutabaga (2 pounds), peeled and halved lengthwise
2 large beets (if desired)*
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup heavy cream
1 heaping cup plain or lemon-pepper panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼–½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

* (If using red beets, remember that they will bleed.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Slice the vegetables no more than ¼ inch thick. (A mandoline or food processor is really useful for this dish.)

Spray an 8- by 12-inch glass baking dish (or similar baking dish) with cooking spray. Arrange about ¼ of the vegetable slices in the dish, overlapping them slightly; season with salt and pepper. Add remaining vegetable slices — about ¼ of the slices at a time, seasoning each layer. Pour the broth over and around the vegetables

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 hour, until the vegetables are almost tender when pierced. Remove the foil and pour the cream over the gratin. Bake for about 30 minutes longer, until the liquid has thickened.

Preheat the broiler. Mix the panko with the oil and season with salt and pepper; add Parmesan cheese if using, sprinkle mixture over the gratin. Broil 3 inches from the heat for 2 minutes, until golden, rotating for even browning. Let the gratin stand for 10 minutes, then serve