Cheesy Root Vegetable Gratin Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes a gratin a gratin? ›

What Does “Au Gratin” Mean? A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover's Companion. The term au gratin or gratinée just refers to anything prepared in that manner.

Many root veggies also have antioxidant properties. Some, like onions, ginger, beets and turmeric, have known anti-inflammatory capabilities. A few, like garlic, contain natural antibacterial qualities that can help limit bacterial overgrowth in the gut.

Cons of Root Vegetables

Eating large servings of root vegetables or other carbs in one sitting can cause your blood sugar to spike. Repeated blood sugar spikes may increase your risk of diabetes. If you already have diabetes, sugar spikes can make it difficult to manage.

Yams, beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, carrots, yuca, kohlrabi, onions, garlic, celery root (or celeriac), horseradish, daikon, turmeric, jicama, Jerusalem artichokes, radishes, and ginger are all considered roots. Because root vegetables grow underground, they absorb a great amount of nutrients from the soil.

A “gratin” is any dish that is topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated in the oven or under the broiler until brown and crispy, according to The Food Lover's Companion. The term “au gratin” or “gratinée” just refers to anything prepared in that manner.

Fortunately, you can still make a delicious gratin dauphinoise without cream. Substitute fat-free or non-dairy milk, a small amount of light butter, and plenty of herbs and spices so you wind up with a tasty dish that you don't have to feel guilty about eating.

Research shows that vitamin K-rich leafy greens like spinach and kale, berries, and yellow and orange fruits and vegetables may be particularly protective. Whole grains. The fiber in oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and other whole grains may help with inflammation.

Carrots Pack Anti-Arthritis Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene

Add carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes to your anti-arthritis shopping list, too, Sandon says. These and other orange-hued vegetables are rich in vitamin A and beta-carotene, both of which are believed to fight inflammation.

Strict Jains do not eat root vegetables, such as potatoes, onions, roots and tubers, as they are considered ananthkay. Ananthkay means one body, but containing infinite lives. A root vegetable, such as potato, though appearing to be a single object, is said to contain infinite lives.

The cons of root vegetables

For example, there are 37 grams of carbs in a baked russet potato, and 24 grams in a medium baked sweet potato. Fung warns that if you eat more carbs than your body needs, it will store them as fat, leading to weight gain. Eating too many carbs in one sitting can spike your blood sugar.

What root vegetable tastes like a potato? ›

Jicama is a root vegetable with thick, brown skin and white flesh. It tastes like an apple but not as sweet. It's a bit like a potato but with a lot fewer carbs.

Murasaki sweet potatoes are characterized by their deep purple skin and creamy white flesh, as well as their extra starchy texture. Although they're sometimes labeled "Japanese sweet potatoes," Murasaki sweet potatoes were actually developed in Louisiana.

Root vegetables are underground plant parts used as vegetables. They are called root vegetables for lack of a better generic term, but include both true roots such as tuberous roots and taproots, as well as non-roots such as tubers, rhizomes, corms, bulbs, and hypocotyls.

The phrase au gratin literally means "by grating" in French, or "with a crust," from the verb gratter, "to scrape, scratch, or grate." Definitions of au gratin. adjective. cooked while covered with browned breadcrumbs (and sometimes cheese)

So here's what we know: A gratin is always baked and/or broiled in a shallow dish. The topping is traditionally cheese or breadcrumbs, and they should get crispy under the broiler.

The etymology of gratin is from the French language words gratter, meaning "to scrape" (from having to scrape the food out of the dish it was cooked in). The technique predates the current name, which did not appear in English until 1846 (OED, s.v. "gratin").

Both are baked in the oven, but a gratin is a special form of a casserole. When cooking it, you will layer the ingredients instead of just adding them all together. In most cases, a gratin is also served as a side dish, not a main, and it has a signature crust that has to be, well, gratinated.