A mixture of thinly sliced sweet potatoes and buttery Yukon gold potatoes are layered with Gruyère and Parmesan cheese and baked until golden brown. This heavenly, garlic-infused Sweet Potato Gratin is perfect for your holiday menu.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of De’Longhi. The opinions and text are all mine.
Sweet potatoes are big in this house. BIG. We love them boiled and mashed, roasted, and baked but now that I’ve introduced my family to this Sweet Potato Gratin I’m positive it will hold a permanent place on my holiday menus.
Heavenly is not too strong a word to describe this dish. If you try it, I’m pretty sure you will agree. But, in addition to being delicious, I love the simplicity of it. There’s not a huge list of ingredients and it is pretty darn easy to put together with a few tips and tricks that I’m sharing with you today.
There are elements you can do in advance or you can get the whole thing done and set it in the fridge to rest until you are ready to pop it in the oven. It is recipes like this one that I turn to again and again when cooking those big holiday meals.
Having to rely on your conventional oven alone when cooking a holiday meal can create some real timing nightmares so having additional appliances available to cook some of my side dishes while the turkey roasts is a must for me.
De’Longhi recently sent me their new Livenza Compact Convection Oven so I could give it a whirl before the holidays. I’m here to report that it did a beautiful job on this Sweet Potato Gratin and I’ve got some big plans for it over the coming months, not just for my holiday meals but for our everyday cooking. And, it looks pretty sharp on my kitchen counter! It is right at home with all of my other stainless steel appliances.
With a household full of grown kids this oven will be used daily. It has settings that allow it to roast, toast, bake, and grill without the need to occupy my oven or heat up the kitchen which will be a very nice thing in the summer months. And, it preheats FAST. This gratin bakes at 400 degrees F and this oven got to temperature much faster than my conventional oven. It also includes a convection setting that cooks recipes 40% faster.
You pick up this oven at Best Buy and get 20% off through November 3.
Here is a look at how this dish comes together.
The list of ingredients includes red-skinned sweet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, a mixture of heavy cream and whole milk, a touch of butter, fresh thyme, some minced garlic, and both Gruyère and Parmesan cheese.
You should be able to find Gruyère in the fine cheese area of your local grocery store and it is so worth it in recipes like this one. It is an excellent melting cheese and it has a rich, nutty, slightly sweet flavor that enhances but does not overwhelm. Paired with the sharp, tangy flavor from the Parmesan, it is out of this world delicious in this gratin.
Once you’ve peeled the potatoes they will need to be sliced very thinly. This is easiest to accomplish by using the slicing blade on your food processor or very carefully with a mandoline. I used my food processor and it has never done me wrong. You can slice them by hand with a very sharp knife but if they are more than 1/8″ thick, you will need to increase the baking time a bit to compensate.
Kitchen Tip
Sliced potatoes have a tendency to turn brown if allowed to sit for too long but you can still get this task out of the way in advance. Just fill a large bowl with cold water and once you slice the potatoes, transfer them to the bowl to soak for up to an hour. When you are ready to proceed with the recipe, transfer the potatoes to a colander to drain, pour them out on to a clean kitchen towel, and pat them dry.
Place half of the sliced sweet potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes in a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper, sprinkle with some fresh thyme, and half of the Gruyère and Parmesan.
This first layer will be covered up so I like to save my prettiest slices for the top layer.
After you repeat the layering with the remaining ingredients you’ll pour a warmed cream and garlic mixture over the top.
The dish is covered tightly with foil and transferred to the preheated oven to bake for 35 minutes.
I was surprised to find that the interior of this oven is roomy enough to fit most of my round and square baking dishes and can handle roasting a whole chicken!
After the initial baking time, remove the foil and return the dish to the oven, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes.
This is where the magic happens.
The gratin is ready when it is fork tender, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and it is nicely browned.
Allow it to rest for 5 or 10 minutes before serving.
This dish would be absolutely delicious served with your holiday turkey or ham. It has officially been added to my Thanksgiving menu.
But, it’s easy enough to pull together for a cozy fall or winter meal anytime. It doesn’t need to be a special occasion!
Sweet Potato Gratin
A mixture of thinly sliced sweet potatoes and buttery Yukon gold potatoes are layered with Gruyère and Parmesan cheese and baked until golden brown. This heavenly, garlic-infused Sweet Potato Gratin is perfect for your holiday menu.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
- 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes and use a food processor or mandoline to slice them into 1/8" thick rounds. If using a knife, see recipe note below.
- Combine the cream, milk, 1 tablespoon butter, and garlic in small saucepan and place over low heat. Watch the pot to be sure it doesn't boil over while you proceed with the rest of the recipe.
- Butter a 10" round or square baking dish with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Transfer half of potatoes to the prepared baking dish, arranging them so that you are alternating the sweet potato slices with some Yukon Gold potato slices. Sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper to taste, and half of the fresh thyme. Sprinkle with half of the Gruyère and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering with remaining potatoes, salt, pepper, thyme, and cheese. Use your hands to compact the mixture down into the baking dish and then pour the cream mixture over the top.
- Select the BAKE function. Turn the temperature to 400 degrees F. and preheat the oven. Cut off a sheet of foil large enough to cover your dish and coat the bottom side with non-stick cooking spray. This will ensure the cheese will not stick to the foil when you remove it. Cover the gratin tightly with the foil and transfer the dish to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove the dish from the oven and remove the foil. Select the BAKE function and turn the temperature to 400 degrees F. Return the dish to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes or until the top of the gratin is golden, the potatoes are fork tender, and most of liquid is absorbed. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead Instructions:
This dish can be assembled up to 6 hours ahead of time. Just cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off. Remove the plastic wrap and proceed as directed.
Nutrition
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of De’Longhi. The opinions and text are all mine.
Beckie Bergeron says
October 31, 2018 at 6:18 amThat looks amazing! I am going to try it soon! I have an induction counter top oven, but, I am not sure if it cooks the same. If I make this in the regular oven, would the temps and times be the same?
Valerie says
October 31, 2018 at 9:14 amHi Beckie! I used the Bake function on the oven so it should be about the same in your conventional oven and it’s pretty fail-proof. Just be sure to let it cook long enough so it’s tender when you remove the foil and you’ll be just fine.
Beckie Bergeron says
October 31, 2018 at 6:17 pmThank you! I think this will be great with the pork loin I am going to make.