Turnip Gratin

These turnips have been oven-roasted with layers of Gruyere cheese, filling and satisfying.  I did enjoy this as a main entree but would be perfect as a side dish too.

Turnips have only 34 calories for a medium turnip, 8 grams of carbs, 2.2 gms of  fiber and a good source of Potassium and vitamin C.  A small potato has more than 100 calories and looks similar after roasting, so I opt in for good nutrition.  I started with a recipe from Martha Rose Shulman, NY Times Cooking but since I did not have 2 pounds of turnips and substituted almond milk for low-fat milk, I was on my own.  

 

I used an 8" Le Creuset round stoneware baking dish and  improvised.  I loved how it turned out and so easy to make.  

Ingredients

butter  or oil for the baking dish

1 garlic clove, cut in half

2 pounds turnips, preferably small ones, peeled and sliced in thin rounds  

salt and freshly ground pepper

4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (about 1 cup tightly packed)

2 ½ cups low-fat milk (1 or 2%)

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped

I used 1 medium and 2 small turnips, dried thyme, almond milk and an indeterminate amount of almond milk and about a cup of loosely packed shredded cheese.  

Step  1 preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Butter or oil a 2 qt baking dish.  Rub the sides with the cut clove of garlic. 

Step 2 place the turnips in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.  Add half the cheese and the thyme and toss together, then transfer to the gratin dish and pour on the milk.  It should just cover the turnips.  I used almond milk, about 1 1/4 cups, halfway up the side of my dish than the recipe recommended. 

Step 3 place in the over, bake for 30 minutes.  Push the turnips down with the back of a large spoon,  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and return to the oven.  Bake another 40 to 50 minutes untl all of the milk is absorbed, the turnips are soft and the dish is nicely browned on top and around the edges.

Tip

Advance preparation:  You can assemble this several hours before baking, but don't add the milk until ready to bake.  You can bake it several hours ahead of serving, reheat in a medium oven.

I only baked it for another twenty minutes until the top was golden browned.  The milk was not yet fully absorbed, but it did not matter.  Delicious.