CARROT-PARSNIP GRATIN
A perfect fit for a cold winter night- creamy and delicious!
This is a winter family recipe carrots and parsnips.
- Prep Time30 min
- Cook Time30 min
- Total Time1 hr
- Yield8
- Serving Size1 cup
- Energy192 cal
Ingredients
- 5 large carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
- 5 large parsnips, peeled, cored (see Tips) and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices (about 4 cups)
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white or black pepper
- 2½ cups low-fat milk
- 1½ cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs (see Tips) or ½ cup shredded or crumbled cheese
Method
Position racks in upper and lower third of oven; preheat to 425 °F.
Toss carrots and parsnips in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon oil until well coated.
Divide between 2 baking sheets and spread in an even layer.
Roast the vegetables, stirring once and rotating the pans top to bottom about halfway through, until tender and beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add flour, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
Add milk and continue to stir, scraping up any browned bits. Cook, stirring, until the sauce bubbles and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.
Remove from the heat. (See Tips)
When the vegetables are done, remove from the oven.
Preheat the broiler. Transfer half the carrots and parsnips to a 2-quart, broiler-safe baking dish. Spread half the sauce over the vegetables.
Add the remaining vegetables and top with the remaining sauce.
Combine breadcrumbs and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl (skip this step if you are topping with cheese).
Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture (or cheese) over the gratin.
Place under the broiler and broil, watching closely, until the gratin is bubbling and beginning to brown on top, 1 to 5 minutes, depending on your broiler.
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
MAKE AHEAD TIPS
Roast vegetables (step 2) up to 30 mins ahead. Prepare the sauce (step 3) cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day ahead. Gently reheat sauce before adding to the vegetables.
PREP TIPS
To prep parsnips; peel with a vegetable peeler, then quarter lengthwise and cut out fibrous, woody core with a paring knife before dicing.
To make your own fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form.
One slice of bread makes ½ of breadcrumbs.
To add extra flavor to the cream sauce, at the end of step 3 stir in 1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, sage or parsley.
Or make it a cheesy sauce by stirring in ½ shredded or crumbled cheese, such as Swiss, Gruyere, cheddar or Bleu cheese.
Nutrition Facts
- 8 servings per container
- Serving Size1 cup
- Amount per serving
- Calories192
- % Daily Value*
- Total Fat7 g8.97%
- Saturated Fat1 g5%
- Cholesterol4 mg1.33%
- Sodium341 mg14.83%
- Total Carbohydrate29 g10.55%
- Dietary Fiber5 g17.86%
- Total Sugars10 g
- Protein6 g12%