In the depths of winter, it can be hard to motivate yourself to eat your vegetables. Of course there are trays of roasted roots and velvety soups and even wintry salads to tempt you, but winter is also the heyday of macaroni and cheese and chili. Comfort, in the end, tends to win out.
Thankfully, there are gratins: the no-fail way to make any vegetable creamy, luxurious, and very, very desirable. Because everyone knows that the foolproof way to make your cauliflower, swiss chard, and brussels sprouts disappear is to coat them in a creamy, sharp sauce and bake until golden. Gratins are also a snap to assemble in advance, making them the perfect dinner party side, make-ahead potluck dish, and holiday table mainstay. Basically, every festive meal deserves a gratin—so we've rounded up 11 of our creamy, crisp-lidded favorites from our Holiday Menu-Maker (plus a few extra) to help you reach your vegetable (and cheese) quota this winter.
What's your favorite vegetable to gratin-ify? Classic potato? Or something funkier like beet or parsnip? Tell us in the comments!
A New Way to Dinner, co-authored by Food52's founders Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, is an indispensable playbook for stress-free meal-planning (hint: cook foundational dishes on the weekend and mix and match ‘em through the week).
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