Winter Vegetable Gratin Gruyere (Printable)

Golden baked layers of winter vegetables with creamy sauce and Gruyere cheese, perfect for cozy meals.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 2 cups parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
03 - 2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
04 - 1 cup leeks, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

→ Sauce

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (gluten-free flour for gluten-free option)
07 - 1 1/2 cups whole milk
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

→ Cheese & Topping

12 - 2 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
13 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (gluten-free if needed)
15 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
16 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Peel and thinly slice butternut squash, parsnips, potatoes, and leeks.
03 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Gradually whisk in whole milk and heavy cream. Cook, whisking, until sauce thickens and is smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.
05 - Stir in ground nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Remove from heat.
06 - Arrange half the sliced vegetables in the prepared dish, slightly overlapping. Sprinkle with half the grated Gruyere.
07 - Add remaining vegetables over the first layer and top with the remaining Gruyere cheese.
08 - Evenly pour the warm sauce over the layered vegetables and cheese.
09 - In a small bowl, combine fresh breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, olive oil, and thyme leaves. Sprinkle evenly over the gratin surface.
10 - Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
11 - Allow the gratin to rest for 10 minutes before serving to set.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The vegetables turn impossibly tender while the top crisps into a golden, cheesy crust you'll fight over.
  • It looks fancy enough for guests but forgiving enough that uneven slicing or a too-hot oven won't ruin it.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day when all the flavors have melted together.
02 -
  • Slicing the vegetables evenly matters more than I thought; thick pieces stay crunchy while thin ones turn to mush.
  • Don't skip the resting time after baking or you'll end up with a soupy mess on the plate instead of neat, scoopable portions.
  • If your sauce looks too thin, let it simmer another minute before taking it off the heat, it keeps thickening as it cools.
03 -
  • Use a mandoline if you have one; it'll slice the vegetables paper-thin and save you 10 minutes of knife work.
  • Grate your own Gruyere instead of buying pre-shredded because the anti-caking powder on bagged cheese keeps it from melting smoothly.
  • If the top browns too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last few minutes so the inside finishes cooking without burning the crust.

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