Start a new tradition! This Cheesy Winter Vegetable Gratin is an ooey-gooey veggie-packed side dish that will quickly become a family favorite on your holiday table.
This post has been sponsored by Cabot Creamery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Every holiday meal needs a delicious vegetable side that everyone loves. Something colorful, somewhat healthy, but definitely a little decadent. This Cheesy Winter Vegetable Gratin is that dish - it’s guaranteed to become your family’s new favorite holiday side!
This Gratin is a savory, layered vegetable dish that’s packed with flavor and topped with melted cheese and toasted breadcrumbs. You can customize it based on what vegetables and spices you prefer. The only non-negotiable item is the slightly over-the-top amount of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar that we layer throughout the dish and sprinkle on top before baking.
Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar is our year-round, go-to cheese. We love how versatile it is -- in fact, it’s almost guaranteed that there is at least one block in our fridge on any given day!
We love that buying Cabot directly benefits farmers! Cabot is a farmer-owned co-operative with farms in New York and New England. This means that buying Cabot Cheese directly supports the hard-working dairy farmers who care for the land and the happy cows.
Cabot has won every major award for taste, including World’s Best Cheddar - and it’s no surprise! It’s a perfectly balanced cheddar cheese, good for any cooking or snacking occasion.
I always stock up on Cabot Cheese at Shaw’s because it’s always a great price and easy to find! I make sure to check out the Shaw's mobile app before heading to the store to be sure that I’m getting the best deals.
Make your holidays easier with a vegetable gratin:
It’s what we all want, right?!
You can do the majority of the work for this Vegetable Gratin in advance to keep your holiday meal prep as easy as possible! Shred the cheese, roast the veggies and layer them together up to one day before you bake it.
You know the holiday meal oven-calculus you put yourself through when planning a holiday meal? “So if the turkey takes 5 hours at 350° F, but the green bean casserole takes 30 minutes at 400° F and the veggies have to roast at 425° F for 45 minutes - how do I get it all on the table while it’s hot and on time before the family throws a revolt?!”
This Vegetable Gratin is a perfect side because you can prep a lot of it ahead of time, and then it only takes about 20 minutes for its final pre-serve bake! Also, in my opinion, it counts as the veggie side and something a little more decadent, so maybe you don’t need to make as many dishes to please everyone.
How to make this Cheesy Winter Vegetable Gratin
This veggie-packed side dish may look like it has a lot of ingredients and steps, but it’s really very straightforward!
We’ll start by roasting the vegetables. You’re welcome to switch up the vegetables based on what’s available, but we love this dish with a mix of cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. It’s a celebration of winter vegetables!
While the veggies are roasting, sauté the leeks in butter. If you can’t find leeks, feel free to use scallions or white onions. The sweeter the better, but really, anything works here!
We’ll also prep the breadcrumbs now so they’re ready for layering! Simply melt the butter in a small bowl and mix in the bread crumbs and some salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
And, of course, we need to freshly shred the Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese! Freshly shredded cheese makes a huge difference, and Cabot is the creamiest and tastiest option by far. And to spice up the recipe, you can use Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar or Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese.
Now we’re ready to build the gratin! Layer half the roasted vegetables, then half the leeks, then half the shredded cheese and half the breadcrumb. Repeat with all the remaining ingredients and bake until bubbly and browned on top.
Cheesy Winter Vegetable Gratin
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 lb brussels sprouts trimmed and quartered
- 3 tablespoons olive oil separated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 4 tablespoons butter separated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 bunch leeks whites only, cleaned and sliced
- 8 oz. Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar shredded
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425° F. Spread the broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts out on a sheet pan in one layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and season with garlic powder, onion powder, fennel seed, crushed red pepper, oregano, turmeric, curry powder and a shake of salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- In the meantime, heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan, then add in the leeks and garlic clove. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat.
- In a small bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave, then mix in the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add in 1/4 cup of the shredded Cabot cheese into the breadcrumb topping.
- Lower the oven to 400° F, then start to build the gratin in a casserole dish. Layer half the roasted vegetables, then half the leeks, then half the shredded cheese and half the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 20 minutes until gratin is bubbly and the top is lightly browned.
- Let cool for a couple minutes, then serve!
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