I have vivid memories of being a kid, sitting down to eat dinner right after completing my homework.
I’d watch Fresh Prince of BelAir on primetime television, with countless piping hot casseroles of boxed potatoes au gratin.
Mom had this little dish with a divider in the middle, and I remember being like, “ohhhh look at that fly over there in the laundry room” and spooning out like HALF of the dish and dumping it onto my plate before anyone had a clue.
SUCKERS.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had boxed potatoes au gratin, until now. (Imagine my fist over my heart and me looking into the distance with dew on my face.)
But of course I couldn’t just make them as is. No way, man. I roasted some der-lar-shush root veggies and nestled them into the gratin like a little snuggle village of creaminess and love.
I guess you could say I got back to my roots, OHHHHHHHHHHH SNAAAAP.
Oh.
Grab a box of Betty Crocker potatoes au gratin, a couple of carrots, beets and turnips. Rooty!
Slice and dice your veggies and arrange them on a baking sheet with some oil, salt and pepper.
Roasted!
Then you’ll just follow the instructions on the box, whisking together boiling water, milk, some buttah, and the potatoes and cheese mix. Now, throw that into the oven for about 10 minutes. I did this because I didn’t want to drop my roasted veggies straight into liquid. I wanted to let the casserole start to solidify first before adding the root element. Root element sounds so serious.
So after about 10 minutes, we nestle! Nestle, nestle, nestle. I’m using a chopstick, but you can use a knife or whatever.
Throw her back into the oven for about 15 or so minutes.
Look how the beets dyed the whole thing bright pink! Purty, eh?
And then a little chopped parsley on top, for frayshness.
And then it’s time to jam. I mean eat.
You can serve this as a side dish with some chicken or steak. Or if you’re like me, just keep eating it alone until you can’t see. Which is pretty much what I did.
More Au Gratin Recipes
- Loaded au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
- Skillet Ham and Vegetables au Gratin Recipe
- Thyme Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe
Bev really likes root vegetables. She likes to get her root down. For more musings, visit her blog Bev Cooks and her Tablespoon profile.
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