Recipes › Rutabaga › Rutabaga Gratin
Rutabaga Gratin
Thinly sliced rutabaga layered with heavy cream, gruyère, and garlic and baked until bubbling and golden-crusted is a rich, warming gratin that transforms a humble winter root into a dish worthy of any holiday table. The rutabaga holds its shape better than potatoes and its slightly sweet, mustard-like flavor pairs beautifully with the nutty cheese. Serve alongside roasted lamb or beef for an elegant cold-weather dinner.
Rutabaga is in season now. More rutabaga recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 2½ lbs rutabaga, peeled and sliced very thin (1/8 inch) on a mandoline
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1½ cups gruyère cheese, grated, dividedSwiss cheese or sharp cheddar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, for greasing the dish
- 1¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 0.13 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)
Contains: milk.
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a small bowl, combine cream, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.About 5 min
- Layer roughly one-third of the rutabaga slices in slightly overlapping rows in the prepared dish. Pour one-third of the cream mixture over and scatter one-third of the cheese. Repeat layers twice more, finishing with cheese on top.About 15 min
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes until the rutabaga is tender when pierced through with a thin knife.About 45 min
- Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.About 15 min
Tips
- A mandoline makes slicing the rutabaga thin and uniform, which is essential for even cooking.
- The covered baking phase is crucial — rutabaga does not soften as quickly as potato and needs steam to tenderize.
- Press down on the layers once or twice during baking to keep the slices compact and the cream absorbed evenly.
Ring the changes
- Add a layer of caramelized onions between the rutabaga layers for added depth.
- Use a mix of rutabaga and thinly sliced parsnip for a more complex root vegetable gratin.
Keeping it
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat portions in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes or microwave covered.
In the app this recipe finds you
Log what you've picked and GrowMore CookMore matches it to 2,482 more recipes like this one, tells you what's ready before the frost gets it, and keeps the freezer honest. Free to start.
More from the same crop
Rutabaga replaces the standard potato in this deeply savory beef stew, its slightly sweet, earthy flavor absorbing the rich braising liquid beautifully while holding its shape far better over long cooking times. Slow-cooked with beef chuck, carrots, onion, and a Worcestershire-spiked broth, this is the ultimate cold-weather one-pot dinner. The rutabaga is the element that makes this stew completely unforgettable.
2 h 20 min · medium · Rutabaga
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 6 April 2026.