Apple Rutabaga Gratin With Irish Cheddar
Apple Rutabaga Gratin with Irish Cheddar
By Chadwick Boyd
Photo by Tom Eberhardt-Smith
Never Cooked Rutabaga Before? This is a Delicious Place to Start.
When it’s fall, I love to make gratins. They are cheesy, warm and very filling - ideal on those cool temperature days. Most often, I make gratins with celery root rather than traditional potato (I love the flavor), but a couple years ago, there was a celery root shortage, so I decided to play with rutabagas. I hadn't really cooked with them, so I was curious how they would turn out baked with really good cheese. I found that rutabaga is more pungent than celery root, so I paired it with sweet apple to balance it out. The dish ended up being a big hit with my family and is now a regular request.
To make this dish, use a great baking apple, like Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp. I love really good Irish white cheddar, like Kerrygold’s Dubliner - the sharp taste works really well with the flavors of rutabaga and apple. It forms a really good salty crust on the gratin edges, too. Gruyère cheese works also if you prefer that.
Chadwick’s Checklist
What you need to know before you cook.
- Butter should be softened before prepping the gratin
- Butter a 9”x13” baking dish before layering in the apple and rutabaga
- For best results, carefully slice the rutabaga and apple on a mandoline - this ensures everything is uniform. A sharp chef's knife will work, though
SERVING SIZE: 6-8 PREP TIME: 15 mins COOKING TIME: 1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature + 1 tablespoon for baking
3 apples, washed and cored (skin-on) – I like Cosmic Crisp, Pink Lady or Honeycrisp
3 rutabagas the same size as the apples, (skin-on) both ends trimmed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves + 2 branches to garnish
2½ cups heavy whipping cream
1½ teaspoons sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ cup grated aged white cheddar cheese (I use Kerrygold Dubliner)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the center.
Butter the sides and bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish.
Using a mandolin or sharp chef’s knife, slice the apples and rutabagas ⅛” thin. Place the slices upright in the baking dish, alternating apple and rutabaga. As you put them together, they will lay back on each other to about a 70° angle when the dish is filled. Scatter the thyme evenly on top. Pour in the cream, making sure to coat as much of the apple and rutabaga as possible. Use the last tablespoon of butter to dot the top. Season with the salt and pepper. Arrange the thyme branches in the center of the dish.
Bake for 50 minutes. Top with the cheese. Return to the oven and continue baking for 15-20 minutes until the rutabaga is tender when inserted with a knife and the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Chadwick’s Changeups
Switch things up. Have some fun! Do more.
- Try subbing celery root, daikon radish, or sweet potato for the rutabaga
- Add another sprinkling of cheese on top just as you pull out of the oven for some dramatic, stringy cheese pulls
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