Beet Gratin

Beets and their greens combine with rich cheese in this NY Times-inspired dish. This recipe could easily be used as a template for other vegetable gratins, which make decadent, vegetarian main dishes. 

The Nutrition Rundown: Beets and their greens are full of vitamins and minerals, including folate, a critical B vitamin helping to reduce risk of heart disease and to prevent birth defects for women of child-bearing age. This dish is also packed with filling-fiber. 

Beet Gratin

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 bunches of beets (red or golden) and their greens

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used Gruyere and semi-hard Toma)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean and dice beets. Toss beets in 2 Tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Reduce heat of oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Clean and slice greens. Preheat 1 Tbs olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic with salt and pepper for 1-2 minutes. Add greens with their rinsing liquid. Cover with lid and cook ~3-5 minutes to steam greens. Turn off heat an allow to cool. 
3. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Pour in beets and greens and stir to combine.
4. Grease 9x13" baking pan and pour in beet mixture. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for ~25 minutes until set. Place under broiler additional 2-3 minutes to brown cheese. Serve warm.