An easy potato-rutabaga gratin made with Gruyere cheese and topped with crispy sage leaves. It’s perfect the perfect side dish for family gatherings or the holidays. And it also makes terrific leftovers, meaning you can enjoy it as dinner for two with a salad and have your meal planning for the next day complete!
The best thing about preparing a gratin is that the process is simple and the result is a delicious and flavourful potato side dish that is cheesy while not being overly heavy. It’s perfect for holidays or anytime you need a delicious, vegetarian side!
Earthy Rutabaga Adds Intrigue to Classic Potato Gratin
utabagas are often overlooked and under-appreciated, but this flavoursome potato-rutabaga gratin highlights this vegetable’s delicious texture and comforting qualities. This versatile root vegetable belongs to the cabbage family (as a cross between wild cabbage and turnips)and has a yellowish-orange flesh, which when cooked become sweet and savoury and has a texture similar to potatoes. Since they belong to the brassica family, they also have hints of bitterness which is perfectly balanced out thanks to the cream in this dish.
Like many vegetables, rutabagas are high in antioxidants. And when compared to potatoes, although they are higher in sugar, rutabagas provide half the calories, half the carbohydrate, and 4 times the fiber, plus a great dose of vitamin C and E. All of which make them a nutritious stand-in for potatoes.
Everything You Need to Make Au Gratin Potatoes with Rutabaga
This potato-rutabaga gratin recipe uses super simple ingredients and is easy to customise with your favourite cheese. Here’s what you’ll need:
Olive oil: unlike traditional potato au gratin, I use olive oil rather than butter. Since we are infusing the oil with sage you’ll need a heat resistant olive oil. I like to use my go-to extra-virgin olive oil (Farchioni Il Casolare – unpaid mention!) that tastes fantastic while also being heat-resistant.
Sage: adds warmth and a herbal, earthy flavour that is slightly peppery with hints of mint, eucalyptus, and lemon. It’s a terrific match for potatoes and rutabaga. Plus it adds a a hint of green on top and infuses the oil, which coats the pan, with flavour.
Gruyère cheese: Gruyere adds a salty, and nutty flavour which gives the gratin a creamy richness. Nutty Comté would be my second choice of cheese here. Appenzeller would also work nicely. Otherwise try Emmental or a Swiss cheese.
Linda potatoes: the best potatoes for au gratin are all-purpose Linda potatoes. They are a medium starch potato with a gold flesh and make for a tender and creamy gratin.
Rutabaga: also called swede, when cooked it becomes sweet and tastes similar to potatoes, however has some hints of carrot and turnip. It’s a terrifically versatile vegetable that often get overlooked.
Flour: helps to ensure a creamy gratin, as the rutabaga and potatoes will release some moisture after being salted.
Garlic: I recommend preparing this dish with fresh garlic, however the amount can be reduced or skipped all together, if preferred. Or try using a little garlic powder instead.
Nutmeg: freshly grated is preferred as it is more flavourful.
Salt and pepper: I like to use a fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for this recipe.
Cooking cream: with 15% fat, it is creamy but not too heavy. Alternatively, you can also use a combination of equal parts whole milk and heavy cream (Slagsahne).
How to Make Potato-Rutabaga Gratin
The recipe is easily prepared in just a few easy steps.
- Fry the sage leaves in olive oil until crispy.
- Thinly slice the rutabaga and blanch it until crisp-tender.
- Slice the potatoes and toss them together with the rutabaga in flour and seasonings.
- Layer the gratin and pour over the cream.
- Bake and serve!
Tips for Preparing Rutabaga
Rutabaga is a very dense root vegetable, which means it needs to cook longer than potatoes. Therefore, it is first blanched in boiling water before assembling the gratin. Blanching it for 3 minutes will allow it to cook until al dente in the gratin. If you prefer to a very tender and creamy rutabaga, then blanch it for an additional 2-3 minutes. It should still be somewhat crisp-tender after blanching, as it will continue to cook in the oven for another 55-60 minutes.
Curious About Rutabaga? Find More Delicious Recipes Here!
If you love rutabaga as much as I do, then you definitely need to try one of these tasty recipes:
- Roasted Rutabaga Salad with Quinoa
- Rutabaga Stew with Quinoa & Saffron
- Root Vegetable Soup with Barley
Potato-Rutabaga Gratin with Gruyère
An easy potato-rutabaga gratin made with Gruyere cheese and topped with crispy sage leaves. Delicious side dish for weeknight dinners or holiday occasions.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 g fresh sage leaves (20 leaves)
- 500 g rutabaga, trimmed and peeled (1/2 medium)
- 225 g Gruyère cheese, freshly grated
- 600 g medium-starch, all-purpose potatoes (e.g. Linda), scrubbed clean
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3/4 cup cream (15% fat) (180 ml)
Method
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Preheat the oven to 375ºF /190°C (170°C fan-assisted).
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In a 26 cm cast iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and fry until starting to brown and crispen (3–5 minutes). Using a slotted spatula or cooking tongs, transfer leaves to a paper-towel-lined plate. Swivel the skillet from side to side so that the remaining oil fully coats the sides of the skillet. Set aside.
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Using a mandoline, cut the peeled rutabaga into uniform 2-3 mm thick slices.
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Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add the rutabaga slices and blanch for 3 minutes; until crisp tender. Drain in a colander; rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and transfer to a clean kitchen towel. Pat dry to remove the excess water, then transfer to a large bowl.
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Using a large-hole grater, grate the Gruyère cheese; set aside.
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Peel the potatoes and using a mandoline, thinly slice the potatoes to 2-3 mm thick; transfer the bowl with the rutabaga.
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Add the garlic, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and flour to the bowl with the rutabaga and potatoes; toss gently until evenly coated.
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Layer 1/3 of potatoes in the cast-iron skillet coasted with the sage oil. Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese over potatoes.
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Layer another 1/3 of potatoes followed by another 1/3 of cheese. Repeat layering once more with remaining potatoes and cheese.
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Pour the cream evenly over top.
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Tightly cover skillet with foil and bake 30 minutes.
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Remove the foil, increase oven temperature to 400ºF / 200°C (180°C fan-assisted) and bake until bubbly and deeply golden brown (25–30 minutes).
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Use a sharp knife to poke through the middle to test for doneness. There should be some give from the rutabaga which will be al dente, if you prefer it more tender then cover with foil and bake for 5 more minutes.
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Remove from oven and allow the potato-rutabaga gratin to stand for a few minutes. Using your hands crumble the fried sage over top and serve.
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Enjoy!
Rezept Video
Notes
- For this recipe, peel and slice the potatoes last, in order to avoid them oxidising. I also recommend using a mandoline to ensure the sliced vegetables are the same size.
- Make sure you buy a block of the Gruyère cheese and shred it yourself. It melts much better than pre-shredded cheese.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven (or microwave) until warmed through.
- This gratin recipe can be assembled and refrigerated overnight. Let it come to room temperature before baking.
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