Cheesy Beetroot Gratin
Cheesy Beetroot Gratin with pre-cooked beetroots in a rich and creamy bechamel sauce, a last-minute side dish for your Thanksgiving or Christmas roast. It's really easy to make in under 40 minutes, and it can be made ahead to save time for the big day. A colourful, holiday side dish that pairs wonderfully well with any roast of your choice.
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 157kcal
Ingredients
- 10 pre-cooked small beetroots (2 x cooked beetroot packets from Tesco)
- 375 ml full-fat milk ( 1 ½ cups)
- 100 g grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup)
- 30 g butter ( 2 tbsp)
- 1 ½ tablespoon plain flour
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (or dijon mustard)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (390 Fahrenheit).
- Pat the beetroots dry using kitchen paper and slice them thinly and evenly.
- To make the bechamel sauce, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk well to get a paste.
- Cook the paste for 30 seconds, then add the milk and continue to mix until the sauce start to thicken.
- Add the cheese, mustard and ground black pepper, and whisk again to get a smooth sauce.
- Spread a quarter of the sauce over the bottom of an ovenproof dish ( mine is 27 x 22 x 5 cm or 10.5 x 8.5 x 2 inches).
- Arrange the sliced beets in slightly overlapping rows, then top with the remaining sauce.
- Bake for 25 minutes until bubbling hot and golden.
Video
Notes
- Pat dry the cooked beetroots with kitchen paper to remove some moisture to avoid a watery sauce
- You could use raw beetroots for this dish too, but that will take a lot longer in the oven, at least 50 minutes. The thinner the slices, the better, as that will speed up the cooking time.
- I would also go for cream instead of bechamel sauce if you use uncooked beets for better results and would cover the dish with kitchen foil for most of the baking time to prevent quick browning.
Nutrition
Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 419mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 166mg | Iron: 1mg