This new recipe for Turnip Gratin with Bacon absolutely wowed us when we tested it, and turnips are such a great low-carb vegetable! If you think you don’t like them, try this fun way to cook turnips and you might change your mind!

PIN Turnip Gratin with Bacon to try it later!

Turnip Gratin with Bacon shown in baking dish

I know on the first Monday of the new year many people have a renewed resolve to watch the carbs in their diet. And on the blog I always try to welcome the new year with a new recipe that I think is really a wow.

And this Turnip Gratin with Bacon was absolutely a winner for Kara and I when we tested the recipe! I also shared the turnip gratin with my friend Bev who loved it too and has been waiting patiently for several weeks for me to post the recipe. 

I knew that turnips are a great low-carb vegetable and I got inspired to experiment with them more after my recipe for Roasted Turnips got popular this last year! Then I saw a few different turnip recipes online that ended up inspiring this one. There’s also no doubt that the recipe was inspired by some of the other vegetable gratin recipes on the blog, which are some of my most popular side dish recipes. Hope you enjoy!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.

  • turnips
  • thick-sliced bacon
  • bacon grease or olive oil
  • Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
  • grated Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
  • coarsely-grated Parmesan cheese
  • heavy cream, or use half and half or milk if you prefer

Is Gruyere Cheese a must for the Turnip Gratin?

Gruyere is a type of firm yellow Swiss cheese that’s named after the town of Gruyères in Switzerland. It’s often used to top French Onion Soup and is known for it’s nutty flavor and good melting characteristics. If you can’t find Gruyere or don’t want to splurge on it, any semi-firm Swiss cheese will be fine in this recipe.

What is a Gratin?

A Gratin is a dish where food is topped with a browned crust that usually contains cheese, breadcrumbs, or butter. I’ve become a huge fan of cheesy gratin dishes like this Turnip Gratin, and personally I don’t think any breadcrumbs are needed!

Are turnips Low in Carbs?

If you compare the carbs in root vegetables, only radishes have fewer carbs than turnips. In one cup of cubed raw turnips there are 8 carbs and 2.3 grams of fiber.

More Vegetable Gratins to enjoy:

This recipe for Turnip Gratin with Bacon is joining a collection of super popular cheesy vegetable gratins on my blog! If you like the idea of vegetables baked with cheese check out Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin, Broccoli Gratin, Sweet Potato Gratin, Onion Gratin, Cauliflower Gratin, Spaghetti Squash and Chard Gratin, and Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin!

Can you make the Turnip Gratin lower in fat?

I know people who are eating Keto will love a recipe like this that has bacon, heavy cream, and two kinds of cheese. But if you prefer to make the recipe lower in fat by using turkey bacon, switching out cream for half and half or milk, and/or reducing the amount of cheese, I’m sure it will still be delicious!

Turnip Gratin with Bacon process shots collage

How to make Turnip Gratin with Bacon:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.

  1. Preheat oven to 400F/200 C and spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. 
  2. Peel turnips and cut into slices, then cut into fourths.
  3. Cut bacon into squares and brown in a large frying pan (big enough to hold all the turnips).
  4. Remove bacon to paper towels and leave some bacon grease in the pan, or use olive oil if you prefer.
  5. Add turnips and dried thyme and cook until turnips are starting to soften.
  6. Add bacon and cook 1-2 minutes more.
  7. Then add heavy cream and both types of cheese and stir to combine.
  8. Transfer to baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes, or until turnips are soft and the top is nicely browned.
  9. Serve hot and enjoy!

Make it a low-Carb meal:

Turnip Gratin with Bacon will be an amazing side dish for a low-carb meal. I’d love this with Roasted Lemon Chicken and Green Beans, Spicy Green Beans and Shrimp, Air Fryer Pork Loin Roast, Roasted Barramundi with Tomato and Olive Relish, or Chicken Piccata with Fried Capers.

close-up photo of Turnip Gratin with Bacon shown in baking dish
Yield: 6 servings

Turnip Gratin with Bacon

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

We absolutely swooned over this Turnip Gratin with Bacon when we tested the recipe; you'll be surprised how absolutely delicious turnips can be when they're prepared like this!

Ingredients

  • 3 small turnips
  • 8 slices bacon (see notes)
  • 1 T bacon grease or olive oil
  • 2 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss Cheese
  • 1/2 cup coarsely-grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (see notes)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F/200 C and spray a medium-sized baking dish with non-stick spray. (This dish splatters a bit when it's baking so a baking dish with high sides will be the best.)
  2. Peel the turnips and cut into half inch slices, then pile up the slices and cut into fourths.
  3. Cut thick-sliced bacon into squares and brown well in a large frying pan (big enough to hold all the turnips).
  4. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and leave about 1 T of bacon grease in the pan, or use olive oil if you prefer.
  5. Add turnips and dried thyme and cook 5-6 minutes, or until turnips are barely starting to soften.
  6. Add bacon and cook 1-2 minutes more.
  7. Then add heavy cream and both types of grated cheese and stir to combine.
  8. Transfer to the baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes, or until turnips are soft when you stick a fork into one of them and the top is nicely browned.
  9. Serve hot and enjoy!

Notes

I would prefer thick-sliced bacon for this recipe.

You can use half and half or milk instead of heavy cream if you prefer.

This recipe inspired by a variety of Turnip Gratin recipes I saw online; this version was tested and perfected by Kalyn and Kara.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 511Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13.5gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 675mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 3.6gProtein: 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

square image of Turnip Gratin with Bacon shown in baking dish
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Turnip Gratin with Bacon is a good side dish for any low-carb or Keto diet. It is probably too high in fat for the original South Beach Diet, although if you used the tips above to make it lower in fat I would eat it for an occasional treat.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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