Cheesy Parsnip Gratin
This creamy gratin transforms parsnips into a luxurious side dish. Sliced parsnips and onion are simmered in a savoury, cheesy sauce before being baked under a golden crust of Parmesan and Cheddar. It's an ideal accompaniment for a Sunday roast or festive meal, offering rich flavour without being overly heavy. The recipe serves six and takes about 60 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 400 g parsnips (peeled and cut into 2mm thick slices)
- 1/2 medium onion (peeled and cut into 2mm thick slices)
- 2 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)
- 1 vegetable stock cube (made up with 400ml boiling water)
- 180 g reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 tbsp creamed horseradish sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 30 g Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
- 40 g reduced-fat mature Cheddar cheese (finely grated)
- salt and black pepper (to taste)
- low-calorie cooking spray (for greasing)
Method
- Set your oven to 180°C and use low-calorie spray to coat an 18cm x 27cm baking dish.
- Place the sliced parsnips, onion and crushed garlic into a medium pan and season with salt and pepper.
- Dissolve the cream cheese, horseradish sauce and thyme into the 400ml of hot vegetable stock, stirring until smooth. Pour this mixture into the pan with the vegetables and combine well.
- Put a lid on the pan and let it simmer gently for 5-8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the parsnip slices are tender but still intact.
- Spoon half of the parsnip mixture and half of the sauce into the prepared dish. In a small bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan and Cheddar cheeses.
- Scatter half of the combined cheeses over the layer in the dish. Add the rest of the parsnips and all the remaining sauce, spreading them out evenly.
- Top with the rest of the cheese mixture. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Take off the foil and bake for another 25 minutes until the top is golden and the parsnips are soft. Serve as desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Sodium1200 mg
Recipe details
CategorySide dish
AuthorPinch of Nom
