Description
Turnip au Gratin is a rich and creamy low-carb alternative to traditional potato gratin. Thinly sliced turnips are sautéed in butter, layered in a baking dish, and smothered with a garlicky, cheesy cream sauce before being baked to tender perfection and finished under the broiler for a golden, bubbly top.
Ingredients
Scale
Turnips
- 2 lb small turnips
- Salt and pepper to taste
Butter & Garlic
- 2 tbsp butter (divided)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Cream Sauce
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp glucomannan (or 1/4 tsp xanthan gum)
Topping
- 3 ounces grated Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and Slice: Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Use a mandolin slicer to cut the turnips into thin slices about 1/8 inch thick.
- Sauté Turnips: In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Add half of the turnip slices and toss to coat evenly. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently to separate the slices and prevent sticking.
- Arrange Turnips: Lay the sautéed turnips in an 8 or 9-inch ceramic baking dish in an overlapping pattern. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat the sauté step with the remaining butter and turnips and layer them on top, seasoning again.
- Prepare Cream Sauce: Add minced garlic to the pan with butter and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the heavy cream and cook until it just begins to simmer. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in glucomannan (or xanthan gum) to thicken the sauce.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the cream sauce evenly over the turnips. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake for 35 minutes until the turnips start to become tender.
- Add Cheese and Continue Baking: Remove the foil, sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese evenly over the top, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the turnips are fully tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Broil for Finish: Turn on the broiler and broil the dish for 1 to 3 minutes to brown and crisp the cheese topping if desired. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
Notes
- This Turnip au Gratin is an excellent low-carb substitute for traditional potato gratin, offering a similar creamy texture with fewer carbohydrates.
- Use a mandolin slicer for uniform thin slices to ensure even cooking.
- Glucomannan or xanthan gum helps thicken the cream sauce without adding flour or starch, keeping it low-carb.
- Broiling at the end adds a beautiful golden crust and enhances flavor, but can be skipped if preferred softer.
- Feel free to experiment with other cheese varieties like Gruyère or mozzarella for different flavors.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/9th of recipe
- Calories: 183 kcal
- Sugar: 2.0 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 13.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.6 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Protein: 5.9 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
