Kohlrabi Gratin

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This Kohlrabi Gratin casserole is a decadent side dish! It's baked in a skillet with a creamy Gruyere cheese sauce and breadcrumb topping.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: baked kohlrabi, Gruyere gratin, gluten free gratin,

Servings:

Calories: 430kcal

Author: Christine Rooney

Equipment

Mandoline Slicer or Food Processor
10 inch Cast Iron Skillet or Casserole Dish

Ingredients

For The Gratin:

1 ½ lbs. kohlrabi sliced, equals 25 oz. sliced kohlrabi
6 cloves garlic
1 onion white or yellow
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup gluten free flour blend or AP flour if not gluten free
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 ½ cups whole milk
½ cup heavy whipping cream
6 oz Gruyere cheese grated

For The Breadcrumb Topping:

1 ½ cups gluten free Panko breadcrumbs or regular Panko breadcrumbs if not gluten free
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 lemon zest only
fresh herbs such as chives or parsley for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For The Gratin:

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion (yellow or white).
Remove all of the stems and leaves from kohlrabi bulbs (this recipe yields 10-15 small-medium sized kohlrabi). Discard the leaves and stems in the compost bin or trash.
Pull any fibrous shoots from the surface of the kohlrabi bulbs off with your fingers and discard.
Cut the top and bottom of each kohlrabi bulb off with a knife, creating a flat surface on both the top and bottom.
Placing one of the flat surfaces on a cutting board, remove the outer skin of the kohlrabi, cutting from the top to the bottom with the knife. Discard the tough outer skins.
Continue this process with the rest of the kohlrabi.
Set a mandoline slicer to the thinnest setting and slice each of the kohlrabi bulbs thinly. Alternately, you can use a food processor to slice the kohlrabi.
The kohlrabi bulbs may need to be cut into halves or quarters, depending on their size. If using larger kohlrabi, cut it into chunks before slicing it thinly.
Make sure to exercise caution when using a mandoline slicer!

For The Cheese Sauce:

Cut the rind from a 6 oz. block of Gruyere cheese (or any sharp-flavored melting cheese). Grate the cheese using a cheese grater.
Place a sauce pan on the stove top and heat it to medium-low. Add 4 Tbsp. of unsalted butter to the pan and allow it to melt completely.
Add ¼ cup gluten free flour blend (or AP flour if not gluten free) to the butter and stir until completely combined with a whisk, creating a roux.
Cook the butter and flour mixture for a minute, and then slowly add 1 ½ cups of whole milk, stirring often to prevent it from sticking or burning.
Add ½ cup heavy whipping cream, stirring often.
Once the mixture is somewhat thick and creamy (this may take a few minutes), add 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt, and ½ tsp. pepper to the pan. Stir until combined.
Add the grated Gruyere cheese and stir until completely combined.
Continue to cook until the mixture is smooth, thick, and creamy. Remove from the heat and set aside.

For The Breadcrumb Topping:

Add 1 /2 cups of gluten free Panko breadcrumbs (or regular Panko breadcrumbs if not gluten free) to a bowl along with ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.
Mix all of these ingredients until combined.
Melt 2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter in the microwave. Slowly pour the melted butter into the breadcrumb mixture and stir until completely combined.
Using a Microplane zester, add the zest of 1 lemon to the breadcrumb mixture and stir until combined.

Assemble The Gratin:

Pour 1 Tbsp. of olive oil into a 10 inch cast iron skillet (or any oven-safe, shallow baking dish of similar size) and spread evenly across the bottom (this will prevent the kohlrabi from sticking to the bottom as it bakes).
Spread half of the minced garlic and onions evenly across the bottom of the skillet.
Layer half of the sliced kohlrabi evenly in the skillet.
Pour half of the cheese sauce evenly over the kohlrabi slices.
Spread the remainder of the minced garlic and onions over the cheese sauce. Layer the remainder of the sliced kohlrabi over minced garlic and onions. Pour the rest of the cheese sauce over the kohlrabi, making sure that it completely covers the vegetables.
Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the gratin.
Cover the gratin tightly with foil (this will prevent the breadcrumb topping from burning) and place the skillet in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes.
After 60 minutes, remove the tinfoil and return the skillet to the oven for another 10 minutes.
The dish is ready when the kohrabi is tender, but not mushy and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown.
Remove the skillet from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
To Serve: Garnish the gratin with freshly minced herbs such as chives or parsley.

Notes

This recipe calls for 1 ½ lbs. or 25 oz. of sliced kohrabi (this is the weight without the leaves and stems). The best way to accurately measure the amount of sliced kohlrabi is to use a kitchen scale.

Feel free to use any variety of sharp cheese that melts nicely in place of the Gruyere if you prefer.

Nutrition