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This colorful root veggie bake elevates basic roots into a dazzling side fit for holiday gatherings or family meals. The eye-catching mix of sweet potatoes, parsnips, and beets looks fantastic while the cream and cheese blend everything into a rich combo of tastes and textures.
I whipped this up for the first time at a Thanksgiving dinner when I needed a fancy veggie dish. The beautiful lines of bright veggies got so many compliments that I now make it for almost every special meal at my house.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: Add natural sweetness and bright orange color. Try to find long, straight ones around 2 inches thick so your slices match up nicely.
- Parsnips: Bring a light sweetness with spicy notes. Pick firm, medium ones without any mushy parts.
- Beets: Give an earthy taste and gorgeous red color. Go for smaller beets since they're milder and cook faster.
- Heavy cream: Makes the rich sauce that holds everything together. You need the fat for that smooth feeling you can't get from milk.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds salty, deep flavor. Grate it fresh for the best melting.
- Fresh thyme: Gives a fragrant herb touch that balances the richness. Always go fresh instead of dried for brighter taste.
- Gruyere cheese: Creates that tempting golden top with nutty flavor. Worth buying good stuff for the perfect melt.
- Butter: Stops sticking and makes everything taste better. Get unsalted so you can control the salt yourself.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Get your dish ready:
- Heat your oven to 400˚F and rub soft butter all over a 3 quart baking dish. Cover the bottom and sides completely so nothing sticks later.
- Cut your veggies:
- Grab a mandoline to make super thin, even slices of sweet potatoes, parsnips, and beets. Go for about 1/16 inch thick so everything cooks at the same rate. Keep each veggie in its own bowl so colors don't run together.
- Add flavor to veggies:
- Pour 4 spoons of cream over sweet potatoes, 4 over parsnips, and 2 over beets. Beets need less cream because they're wetter. Toss in Parmesan and thyme to each bowl, then add salt and pepper. Mix each bowl gently so all slices get coated with the goodies.
- Set up your base:
- Pour the last bit of cream (about 1/4 cup) into the buttered dish. Sprinkle half an ounce of Parmesan and all the chopped garlic across the cream. This makes a tasty base that'll bubble up through your veggies while cooking.
- Line up your veggies:
- Starting at one end, take some sweet potato slices and stand them up at a slight angle. Next do a row of parsnips, then a row of beets. Keep going until you have six rows of different veggies. Pack them close enough to hold each other up but not so tight that cream can't flow between them.
- First cooking stage:
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, and the rest of your Parmesan on top. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. The foil keeps steam in to soften the veggies without letting them brown too fast.
- Get that golden top:
- Take off the foil and scatter gruyere cheese all over the top. Put it back in the oven uncovered for about 18-20 minutes. Look for a golden brown top and veggies that feel soft when poked with a fork. The cream should be bubbling and thick.
- Finish it off:
- Scatter fresh thyme leaves on your hot dish just before bringing it to the table for extra color and smell. Let it sit for 5 minutes before digging in so the cream can settle a bit.
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What I love most about this dish is how the beets naturally color the cream around them, making a pretty pink shade next to the orange sweet potatoes. When my niece first saw this on our table, she called it rainbow food and now always asks for her favorite colors whenever I make it.
Prep Ahead
You can put this whole thing together up to a day ahead and keep it in the fridge wrapped in plastic. Just take it out 30 minutes before cooking so it's not ice cold. You might need to add 5-10 extra minutes to the covered baking time if it starts out cold. This makes it great for busy holiday cooking when oven space is tight.
Substitution Ideas
You can switch up the veggies based on what you've got. Rutabaga adds a peppery kick while turnips bring a nice bitter note. Yukon golds work great instead of sweet potatoes if you want something more classic. If you can't do dairy, try coconut cream instead of heavy cream, though it'll taste a bit different. For folks who don't eat animal products, nutritional yeast can step in for Parmesan.
Serving Suggestions
This flexible dish goes great with roasted meats, especially herb chicken or beef tenderloin. For a veggie meal, serve it with a big green salad with tangy dressing to balance the richness. It heats up really well and tastes amazing the next day with a fried egg on top for breakfast. You can even serve it in small individual dishes for a fancy dinner party look.
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This dish transforms ordinary root veggies into a fancy, flavorful showpiece that'll wow everyone at your next gathering.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I swap in other root veggies for this bake?
For sure! While sweet potatoes, parsnips and beets look great together with their different colors, you can use other root veggies like carrots, turnips, rutabaga, or normal potatoes based on what you like or what you've got in your kitchen.
- → Can I prep this bake earlier?
You can set up the whole thing up to a day before and keep it in the fridge wrapped up. When you want to cook it, let it sit out for half an hour before it goes in the oven. You might need to add 5-10 extra minutes to the covered cooking time.
- → What can I use if I don't have Gruyere cheese?
If you can't find Gruyere, try Emmental, Jarlsberg, Swiss cheese, or even white cheddar. Each will bring its own special flavor that still works well with the root veggies.
- → Do I really need a special slicer for this dish?
A mandoline really helps you get even, thin slices that will cook at the same rate. If you don't have one, just grab a very sharp knife and try to cut the veggies as thin and even as you can.
- → Can I use milk instead of cream?
As mentioned in the list, you can swap whole milk for heavy cream, but your dish won't be as thick or creamy, and the sauce won't get as thick while it bakes. Half-and-half works okay as a middle option.
- → How do I tell when the bake is ready?
The bake is done when you can easily stick a fork through the veggies, the cheese has melted, and the top looks light golden-brown. If the top gets too brown too fast but the veggies aren't soft yet, just cover it loosely with foil.