Carrot and Cheddar Gratin

This carrot and cheddar gratin in easy to make and makes an impressive and amazing side dish for when company's coming for brunch or dinner.

This carrot gratin begins with carrots steeped in cream and lightly browned onions, topped with cheddar cheese and buttered and herbed bread crumbs, and then baked until golden-brown. 

In fact, this method for creating a gratin will work with most vegetables. These carrots require a quick simmer in the cream, but most vegetables, including sweet potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, or winter squash will work without any advanced simmering. 

This carrot and sharp cheddar gratin turned out to be so good! The flavor is so unexpected - maybe it's the carrots simmered in the cream - but they don't taste as you'd expect and everything goes so well together. It was a great side dish the day I made it and then it reheated nicely the next day. 

Ingredients in Carrot and Cheddar Gratin: 

Carrots: You will need about 3 pounds of carrots. You'll need to peel them, slice them lengthwise, and then cut them into half moons. 

Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Grate it coarsely. 

From the Fridge: Heavy cream, unsalted butter, and Dijon mustard. 

From the Pantry: Extra virgin olive oil, salt, and coarsely grated black pepper. 

Aromatics: Yellow onion, flat-leaf parsley, and fresh thyme. 

Bread Crumbs: I used bread crumbs from the grocery store. You can make your own or use panko bread crumbs if you prefer. 

To Make This Carrot and Cheddar Gratin: 

First, sauté the sliced onion in the olive oil in a large skillet until golden brown. While you are cooking the onion, combine the melted butter, bread crumbs, parsley, and thyme and toss everything together. 

Add the heavy cream, mustard, and salt and pepper into the cooked onion and then stir in the carrots. Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. 

Next, add the carrot and cream mixture to your shallow casserole dish and cover with cheddar cheese. 

After that, sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the cheese. 

Finally, bake the gratin for about 40 minutes, until browned. 

The hardest part is letting it rest for 15 minutes before serving. You'll totally want to dig in! 

Make-Ahead:

You can assemble the carrots and cream mixture and then cover it with cheese, and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to bake, Sprinkle it with the breadcrumb mixture. 

Serving Suggestions:

Serve this dish for brunch or dinner. It's great as a side dish for a steak, roast, or turkey. It's also a wonderful dish at a brunch buffet.  

I loved leftovers reheated in the toaster oven too. 

Welcome to Brunch Week!

This week eight of my food blog friends and I have shared recipes that are perfect for sharing at Brunch. My first two recipes included Tangerine and Cranberry Scones and Potatoes Boulangère.

Thank you for Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventure for putting together this event! 

More Brunch Recipes:

• Egg and Green Chile Molletes from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Strawberry Meringue Cake from Art of Natural Living
• Air Fryer French Toast Muffins from Blogghetti
• Chopped Salad with Bacon and Blue Cheese from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Blueberry Pear Goat Cheese Tart from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate Chip Scones from Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
• Carrot and Cheddar Gratin from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Sun-Dried Tomato Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal

 

Carrot and Cheddar Gratin

Yield: 10 Servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourInactive time: 15 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

This carrot and cheddar gratin in easy to make and makes an impressive side dish for when company's coming for brunch or dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsaled butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds fresh carrots, peeled, sliced lengthwise, and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 4 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. With a rack in the center, heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a 9 inch by 13 inch baking dish. In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the oil and add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until golden, about 10 minutes.
3. Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Add the breadcrumbs, parsley, and thyme and combine.
4. Add the heavy cream, mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper into the onions. Scrap up any browned bits from the pan. Stir in the carrots and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Spread the carrot and cream mixture in your baking dish. Top first with the cheddar and then the bread crumb mixture. .
6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the breadcrumbs are golden.
7. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

270

Fat (grams)

18 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

10 g

Carbs (grams)

23 g

Fiber (grams)

5 g

Net carbs

18 g

Sugar (grams)

8 g

Protein (grams)

6 g

Cholesterol (grams)

44 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2026/04/carrot-and-cheddar-gratin.html

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Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking, Dec 2012/Jan 2013.