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Indulge in the ultimate low-carb alternative with these cheesy baked Turnips au Gratin, a delicious twist on traditional au gratin potatoes! This creamy and cheesy dish makes for the perfect side at your holiday dinners, providing all the comforting flavors you love without the carbs. Easy to prepare and packed with flavor, these turnips au gratin will impress your guests and elevate any meal. Say goodbye to heavy sides and hello to this satisfying and nutritious option!
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This Turnips au Gratin recipe is my low carb answer to my family's top requested holiday dish of Julia Child's potatoes au gratin dauphinoise.
I have to be honest with you and say that a couple of years ago I would have never thought I would be eating, or posting turnip recipes.
I, in my 50-some years of life, had never even tried a turnip.
But going low carb, and missing potatoes will make you try some crazy things. Or at least what might seem crazy at the time.
But turnips blew my mind. Kevins too!
We both love them as a potato substitute. We love them in soups like this Low Carb Pork Stew, Low Carb Turkey Stew, Cheesy Ham Chowder, a breakfast hash, and in this au gratin recipe.
We are even going to grow them in our garden next year!
So, if you have never tried turnips, hopefully, that will put your mind at ease and you will give this turnips au gratin recipe a try!
In This Post
🥘Turnips au Gratin Ingredients
This Turnips au Gratin recipe uses just a handful of common ingredients, so it is not difficult or super expensive to make.
- Turnips
- Butter
- Sea salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Organic garlic powder
- Sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
- Heavy cream
- Fresh thyme leaves
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
🔪IHow to Make Turnips au Gratin
Use this section for process shots, alternating between the step and the image showing the step. Users don't like seeing process shots cluttering up the recipe card, so include your process shots here.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel the turnips and slice them 1/8 inch thick (or use a mandolin).
Combine the salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Spread 1/3 of the turnips in the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 each of the cream, cheese, salt mixture, butter, and thyme. Repeat with the next 2 layers, finishing with the last 1/3 of the cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Allow the gratin to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Hint: To get a golden brown bubbly top place the turnips au gratin under the broiler for a minute or two. DO NOT walk away, it will happen quickly.
📖Substitutions
This Turnips au Gratin recipe is perfect as is, in my mind, but if you want to change things up due to personal taste, or possible dietary needs, here are a few ideas.
- Cheese - The cheese used in the original recipe that I created this from is Gruyere but I opted for white cheddar since some of my family aren't big Swiss cheese fans. You can use whatever cheese you and yours enjoy!
- Heavy Cream - If you would like to lighten the dairy in this recipe you can substitute canned unsweetened coconut milk for the heavy cream in this recipe. You might detect a hint of coconut but not much and that will totally depend on the cheeses you use.
- Herbs - I went with thyme as it is again the traditional herb but you can use whatever herb or combination of herbs you enjoy. The sky is the limit!
🍽Equipment
Special equipment is not really necessary to make Turnips au Gratin. You can get away with a good sharp chef's knife, vegetable peeler, measuring cups and spoons, and a casserole dish. But, I highly suggest you invest in a mandolin if you would like to make this recipe more than once a year. It cuts the time down and makes sure that all of the vegetable slices are the same which ensures even cooking throughout the dish.
Storage
Store any leftover Turnips au Gratin in an airtight container. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months. The best way to freeze them is in individual portions for easy reheating in the microwave or the oven.
Larger Turnip au Gratin portions can be reheated from frozen in a low-temperature oven (300-325 degrees F) for about 60-90 minutes, depending on the size. The low temperature ensures that the cream doesn’t separate.
💭Top tip
My top tip or suggestion has to do with making Turnips au Gratin for the holidays. This dish is a fabulous make-ahead/meal prep dish so feel free to make this the day before, cover it with foil, and store it in your refrigerator. Take it out of the refrigerator and place it on the counter for a couple of hours before baking it in the oven.
FAQ about Turnips au Gratin
Absolutely! I always make this ahead of time to save on the day of preparation chaos. I just make it all, cover the dish with foil, and pop it into the fridge. Then I bring it out and leave it on the counter for a couple of hours before I put it in the oven, just to let it warm up a bit.
Yes, it is traditionally made with gruyere cheese but I chose the white cheddar because my family enjoys that cheese. Other cheeses you could use would be mozzarella, gouda, Swiss, fontina, or Havarti. Try smoked cheese or cheeses with herbs and spices. Pick hard or aged cheese if you want an au gratin with a bite.
I have not personally used vegan cheese to make this but do know there are several fabulous vegan kinds of cheese out there that melt just like dairy cheese so I am 100% confident this recipe would work well with those products.
Pairing with Turnips au Gratin
Some of my favorite dishes to serve with Turnips au Gratin are this Maple Mustard Roasted Turkey Breast, it is delicious and sugarfree! My family also enjoys this Maple Mustard Ham, Greek Style Beef Tenderloin Roast, Ground Turkey Meatloaf Muffins, Pan Seared Pork Chops, or this Oven Roasted Salmon.
Turnips au Gratin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs turnips (opt for medium to smaller sized turnips)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter diced and divided
- 1 tsp pink salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp organic garlic powder
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Peel the turnips and slice them 1/8 inch thick with a sharp knife or a mandolin.
- Grease the baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Combine the salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl.
- Spread 1/3 of the turnips in the bottom of the dish.
- Top with 1/3 each of the cream, cheese, salt mixture, butter, and thyme.
- Repeat with the next 2 layers, finishing with the last 1/3 of the cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the turnips are tender and the cream is absorbed, and the top is turning golden brown.
- If the top is not golden brown enough, you can place the gratin under the broiler for a minute or two. DO NOT walk away, it will happen quickly.
- Allow the gratin to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Disclaimer
Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs will not be included as it has a glycemic index of 0 (meaning it does not spike blood sugar) and it’s not metabolized. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Nutrition
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Yvette
Can you please please send the original recipe ?!
bobbiskozykitchen
You can substitute potatoes for the turnips in this if you are not low carb.