Courtesy California Sweetpotatoes
This is a sweet twist on scalloped potatoes. The combination of orange- and yellow/white-fleshed sweet potatoes makes a pretty presentation. All in all, it’s impressive enough for special occasions—it would be great alongside Thanksgiving turkey—but easy enough for weeknights, paired with a simple chicken breast or chops. Or served as a vegetarian entrée with a crisp salad.
To make the recipe your own, try using different colored sweet potatoes, your favorite type of cheese, different herbs (or none at all), or by using broth instead of some of the cream.
1½ pounds orange- fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
1½ pounds yellow/white- fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
2½ cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
Heat the oven to 400° F.
Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or a 2½- to 3-quart casserole dish. Layer about half of the sweet potatoes in the prepared casserole dish, overlapping them and mixing the colors. Sprinkle about half of the cheese on top. Add the remaining potatoes and set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, thyme, salt, pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg, garlic powder and onion powder and cook just until bubbles appear at the edges of the saucepan.
Pour the cream mixture over sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese, cover loosely with foil and bake until the sweet potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes.
Uncover and continue baking until the sweet potatoes are tender and the top is browned, about 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8–10.
About the author
At Edible Monterey Bay, our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.
