CHEESY ROOT VEGETABLE GRATIN

INGREDIENTS  

• 1-2  long sweet potatoes (about 2 inches thick), peeled
• 4 large parsnips, ends trimmed and peeled
• 5 medium beets, peeled
• 2 ½ cups heavy cream, divided (whole milk is fine, but mixture won’t thicken as much or be as creamy)
• 4 ounces grated Parmesan, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme, divided plus more for garnish
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 ounces shredded gruyere
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS  

• Preheat oven to 400˚F.

• Slice sweet potato, parsnips and beets into very thin rounds (using a mandoline is easiest) and transfer each vegetable to its own bowl.

• Pour ⅔ cup cream over each bowl of vegetables and top each with ½ ounce grated Parmesan and 1 teaspoon minced thyme. Season each bowl generously with salt and pepper and toss together until all vegetable slices are well coated.

• Pour remaining cream into the bottom of a 2 quart (oval) baking dish and sprinkle with ½ ounce of Parmesan and minced garlic.

• Grab a stack of sweet potatoes and line them standing up on a bias, at the top of the baking dish.

• Follow the sweet potato with a row of parsnips, followed by a row of beets.

• Repeat with the remaining sweet potatoes, parsnips and beets, creating 6 rows of root vegetables.

• Season top of gratin with salt, pepper and sprinkle of remaining ounce of Parmesan.

• Cover with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft.

• Remove from oven, uncover gratin and top with shredded gruyere.

• Set oven to broil and broil gratin for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned and bubbling on top.

• Finish with a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves. Serve.