Parsnip & Mushroom Flans

I've adapted this recipe from Georgeanne Brennan's in her book The Vegetarian Table: France. I baked the flan in individual dishes rather than one large one and added cheese and changed the ratio of milk and cream, and changed the oven temperature and baking time. That's enough changes that I can call this recipe my own, but thanks Georgeanne for the inspiration.

4 tablespoons butter, plus additional for buttering the dishes
½ cup minced yellow onion
½ cup minced fresh mushrooms
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup creme fraiche or heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
1½ cups peeled and grated parsnips
4 ounces grated truffle Gouda or other cheese

Option 1: substitute ham for the mushrooms

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Thoroughly grease 4 individual souffle dishes with butter, my dishes have interior dimensions of about 4 inches by 1.25 inches. In a small skillet, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When it begins to foam, add the onion and mushrooms and sauté, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, creme fraiche, and salt until well blended. In another bowl, mix together the onion-mushroom mixture, the parsley, and the grated parsnips. Portion the parsnip mixture into the prepared souffle dishes and top each one with 1 ounce of cheese. Divide the custard mixture amongst the dishes. Place the filled dishes on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until the tops are puffed and golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately or let cool slightly. They can be kept in the refrigerator in the dishes and reheated in the oven or microwave.