Maggie Monday: Rotating Parsnips In

Several years ago I decided I would start using a wider variety of vegetables. I walked through the produce section and would buy something new and then go home a look for a recipe to cook it. Often it necessitated a return trip to the store to pick up an extra ingredient or two, but because of it I have been able to add some new veggies to the rotation. One of those, parsnips, only made a single trip to the house. I cannot recall what I made, but it wasn’t something that just grabbed me. I think I need to give them another try, and thanks to Maggie, I have a new recipe to try them. Here it is…

I don’t prepare potatoes often as we try to watch our carb intake. However, when I do make them, I go all out. What the heck- if you’re gonna splurge, there should be lots of cream, butter and cheese, right?

I like adding parsnips to this dish just to sweeten it a bit. You can easily omit them and just add another potato or two. This recipe is huge. When I make this for just the family, I cut it in half. If cooking for a bit of a crowd, make the whole recipe.

These are creamy, tender and just delicious.

Au Gratin Potatoes & Parsnips

What you need:

1 1/2 sticks butter

6Tbs flour

3 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tsp thyme

2 tsp salt

4 tsp dried ground mustard

1 tsp black pepper

6 potatoes, 1/4 inch slices

2 parsnips, peeled and sliced

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

What you do:

Preheat oven to 375. Place the potatoes and onions in a deep casserole dish, lightly greased. In a sauce pan, melt butter, slowly add the flour, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes. Slowly add the cream and spices, continuing to stir. Add the cheese, and stir until melted. Pour over the potatoes, and bake for about an hour, or until potatoes are soft.