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Simple Turnip Gratin with Gruyere Cheese

July 1, 2016 By justalittlebitofbacon 14 Comments

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I love gratins, as you can see in my Gratin Collection! So, I knew I had to make a Hakurei turnip gratin as soon as this year’s crop showed up at the farmer’s market. Hakurei turnips (and their cousins, the red Hidabeni turnip), are wonderful, mild turnips great in salads, pickled, and certainly in gratins. This simple turnip gratin makes the most of fresh, seasonal produce and is indeed simple to make.

A casserole dish of simple turnip gratin topped with melted gruyere cheese and fresh thyme.

Hello, all!

I was going to make an all white turnip gratin, since those are the ones I usually see at the market. But this year I came across the red Hidabeni variety, and I thought why not? So I picked up a bunch of each and set about making some gratin.

Something that is so nice about young turnips like these is that they don’t even need to be peeled. Just give them a scrub and you’re good to go. I think the contrast of the red skins against all the white in the dish is very pretty.

And also tasty. šŸ™‚

Though I’m showing the recipe using these beautiful, local turnips, the gratin would still be tasty with any mild, young turnip which is available to you.

Two turnips on a table - one white turnip and one red turnip.

Once I decided on the turnips I was using, it was time to think about any other vegetables I could add to the gratin.

I considered carrots, but I didn’t want this recipe to be too sweet. (Turnips and carrots together are an idea for another day.) Then I thought about potatoes – since they are great in gratins always – but I was going for a lighter style of gratin. And then it came to me. Onions!

A thin layer of white onions right in the middle of the gratin was exactly what I wanted. Not too sweet. Not too starchy. Just right.

A baking dish of mild turnip casserole baked au gratin style.

The last component was the dairy.

I tried the gratin both with and without cream, and highly preferred the cream. It made a lovely sauce which complemented the turnips. So, yes to the cream! As for the cheese, I do love gruyere in a gratin, and adding it at the last moment turned out to be perfect. You won’t get that browned top, but the gruyere stays nice and gooey since it’s only heated briefly.

All in all, this was a gratin which I happily ate up as soon as I put the camera down. Yum!

A white bowl of creamy, cheesy turnip au gratin with a fork.

If you try my recipe for Turnip Gratin, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Simple Turnip Gratin - Thinly sliced mild turnips are layered with onion and thyme in this simple gratin, which is finished with a bit of cream and cheese sprinkled over the top just before serving. | justalittlebitofbacon.com
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Simple Turnip Gratin

Thinly sliced mild turnips are layered with onion and thyme in this simple gratin, which is finished with a bit of cream and cheese sprinkled over the top just before serving.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Keyword: turnip gratin
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 250kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb mild young turnips, cut into 2 mm slices
  • 1/2 small white onion, cut into 2 mm slices
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme, roughly chopped
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 4 oz gruyere, grated
  • 1 oz parmesan cheese, finely shredded

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450F.
  • Pour a little olive oil into the bottom of your gratin dish and spread it around so that it coats the bottom.
  • Arrange half of the turnip slices into a layer then top with the onion slices, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, and a little more olive oil. Then, layer on the other half of the turnip slices. Top with the rest of the thyme and the remaining olive oil.
  • Cover the gratin dish with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the turnips are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
  • Take the gratin out of the oven, pour the heavy cream over, and sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the top. Return the gratin to the oven and bake just until the the cheese melts, 1-2 minutes, then serve.

Notes

  • Turnips: I used a mix of Japanese red turnips (Hidabeni) and Japanese white turnips (Hakurei) in my gratin. Any mild, young turnip will work.
  • Mandoline: To slice the turnips and the onion, I used my GSD Mandoline. I just snapped in my 2 mm blade and finished in moments.
  • Amount of Cream: The gratin will be a little saucy from the cream. If you want a drier gratin, reduce or omit the cream.
  • Be Careful with the Cheese: Don't leave the gratin in the oven too long with the cheese on top. Gruyere will seize at high temperatures. Once it starts to look melted, take it out!

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Filed Under: 10 ingredients or less, christmas, fall, gluten free, holiday favorites, recipe, side dishes, spring, summer, thanksgiving feast, vegetable dishes, vegetable gratins, vegetarian, winter Tagged With: cheese, onions, parmesan cheese, thyme, turnips

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Comments

  1. carrie williams says

    December 9, 2019 at 2:07 pm

    what is the sodium content of this dish?

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      December 9, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      Sorry, I have no idea.

      Reply
  2. simonacallas says

    August 18, 2018 at 1:27 pm

    5 stars
    I love turnips too and I am impressed by your gratin collection! It’s a great source of inspiration, thank you for sharing all these wonderful recipes šŸ™‚ I love this turnip gratin. It’s delicious!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      August 19, 2018 at 12:54 am

      Thanks! I do love making all sort of gratins. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Evan Kristine says

    September 30, 2016 at 4:46 am

    5 stars
    This is absolutely delicious! I love turnip but really never thought of using it for gratin, thanks for sharing the recipe!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      September 30, 2016 at 9:25 am

      I love turnips and gratin, so it seemed the perfect pairing to me.

      Reply
  4. Claudia says

    July 21, 2016 at 3:07 am

    5 stars
    you just gave turnips a new life, what a great dish!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      July 21, 2016 at 11:24 pm

      Thanks! šŸ™‚

      Reply
  5. Alli Kelley says

    July 5, 2016 at 11:46 pm

    You have inspired me to grow turnips in my garden! I love this recipe. I am also a huge fan of gruyere in gratins – it’s just the perfect pairing. So excited to try this recipe out!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      July 6, 2016 at 9:24 am

      Good luck on growing them. šŸ™‚ I don’t grow them myself, but I do love eating them.

      Reply
  6. Dahn says

    July 5, 2016 at 11:21 pm

    yes! the turnip crops are coming in, I just love the summer crops. Your gratin looks wonderful

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      July 6, 2016 at 9:22 am

      Thanks! The summer crops are wonderful. I want to cook everything.

      Reply
  7. Ludmilla says

    July 5, 2016 at 10:29 pm

    I love vegetables “gratin”!! It’s a delicious way to eat them!! Your recipe looks delicious.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      July 6, 2016 at 9:20 am

      Thank you! Gratins are definitely a favorite of mine. šŸ™‚

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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