Rutabaga is one of those vegetables that I know exists and I have nothing against it but I tend to just pass it by all the time in the grocery store. This weekend I noticed some at the grocery store and I decided that it was past time to do something with it. The first thing that came to mind was a cheesy gratin and I figured that the rutabaga would work just like a potato in a gratin. I started by peeling the rutabaga and slicing it thinly using a mandolin. From there I briefly boiled the rutabaga slices to ensure that they would be nice and tender when they finally came out of the oven. I decided to go with a cream based gratin this time rather than a bechamel based one and I jazzed it up a bit with some garlic and thyme. After the sauce was made, it was as easy as assembling the gratin and baking it. By the time the gratin came out of the oven it was perfectly golden brown and covered in ooey gooey, creamy, melted cheesy goodness! I thoroughly enjoyed the rutabaga gratin and now that I have reacquainted myself with rutabaga I am looking forward to doing more with it!
Rutabaga Gratin
ingredients
- 2 pounds rutabaga (peeled, sliced thinly)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups gruyere (grated)
directions
- Heat the sliced rutabaga in boiling water for 3 minutes and set aside.
- Bring the cream, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes and then remove from the heat.
- Pour a bit of the cream into the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Place a layer of rutabaga on top, followed by some cream and some cheese. Continue to layer ending with a layer of cheese.
- Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until bubbling on the sides and golden brown on top, about 30-40 minutes.
Kevin, this look absolutely delicious.
This looks So delicious, I havent tried rutabagas yet either. Must try this, how can you go wrong with all that cream and cheese?
frankly, i might eat my show when covered with cheese and cream.
Looks and sounds divine. I remember eating rutabaga as a kid and really need to reaquaint myself with it as well. :O)
Kevin I love rutabaga, mmm and this look awesome and tasty! gloria
Mmm, this looks so tasty! I've never tried rutabaga, but this makes me want to give it a try!
Hmmm. Never would have thought about making this before I saw this post. It looks super yummy!
looks awesome… but when i hear Rutabaga, it sounds almost like a mythical vegetable, something I've heard about but never seen or had
This looks so wonderful- some serious comfort food!
Will definitely have to try this! I have a ton of rutabaga from my winter CSA.
I have never heard of or seen this veggies, but man that gratin looks scrumptious!!!
I love root vegetable gratins! This one looks scrumptious!
Cheers,
Rosa
How interesting you work with rutabagas right after a friend suggested we try them. They are a mystery veggie, but it must be time to try them.
This looks incredible and a perfect way to try out a new veg.
Wild, Kevin – I just made potato gratin for the first time! I'd bet it would be interesting to intersperse potatoes and rutabagas. I wouldn't have thought of that without this post.
This is something that is pretty common here in the supermarkets in winter. But I've never tried making a gratin with it. I'll have to give this a go once they are in season. Thanks for experimenting with it!
I love rutabaga, although it's hard to find here. I never thought of a gratin. When I do find it I usually do it with bacon and onions.
I have heard really good things about rutabaga but still haven't tried it yet. I definitely need to just do it! This gratin sounds excellent actually.
Love rutabagas, so earthy, and your recipe looks like divine comfort food.
Wow, wow – I LOVE this idea! 🙂 I've never done anything with rutabagas but roast them. I will have to try this post haste. 🙂
I hate to admit it Kevin, but I had to do Google Images to see what a rutabaga even looked like! I have probably passed it a hundred times at the store and never even noticed it!
I'm adding this to my list of foods I've never tried to make it this year, it sounds really good!
I never buy them either! Must give them another chance.
Hell, you could probably cook shoe laces the way you did that rutabaga and I'm sure they'd come out just fine. Looks good my man!
Kevin-
I didn't think I had ever had rutabaga until my aunt made mashed potatos with rutabaga for christmas this year. They were some of the BEST mashed potatoes I have ever had. This has definiely turned me on to this strange veggie, and this gratin looks fantastic. This is going on my list of things to make! Thanks for sharing!!
-Hollow Peas
I love rutabaga! It's also very nice mashed with a bit of butter, milk, and nutmeg–that's the "neeps" of the "neeps and tatties" traditionally served with haggis in scotland (the "tatties" are mashed potatoes!). That's a dish I'll be making to celebrate robert burns day on january 25th!
Hi there! I came across your page on TasteSpotting. I have never had rutabaga before and was feeling adventurous so I tried your recipe, and you know what, it turned out great! We had it as a sidedish with some leftover meatloaf, it was a winning combination. Thanks for the inspiration!
Oh, that looks spectacularly cheesy… Btw, for those of you who are mystified by the rutabaga, it's also called a swede in some countries.
Rutabaga is a large turnip, correct? There were no rutabagas at my market, so I bought some turnips and used those instead. Just put it in the oven. 🙂
Mary
Warwick, RI US
Mary: According to wikipedia a rutabaga is a cross between the cabbage and the turnip. A turnip gratin is also on my list to try. How did yours turn out?
We call it Swede in the UK. They are lovely mashed with carrots.
Definitely Delicious Recipe. This is very good for parties too. thanks.
Excellent…wish I could post the video of it coming out of the oven all sizzling and brown.
I made this to go with some corned beef brisket (https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/2017/02/3-ingredient-oven-baked-corned-beef-brisket.html#comment-991023) and it turned out outstanding, as I've expected from your recipes.
Thank you very much.
What’s the breakdown of carbs, protein, fat, etc for this dish?
Just made this and it is AMAZING! My kids loved it and it is just what I was craving! The texture of the rutabaga is just like potatoes and the flavor is so mild you can’t taste it! This is a home run and I’ll be making this again! Thanks