Need a new side dish idea for the upcoming holiday dinner table or something to bring to your host to lighten their cooking duties? This Sweet Potato Gratin is packed with flavors and is a comfort food side dish favorite.
Layers of sliced sweet potato and shallots mixed with Gouda cheese get topped with cream and chicken broth, then baked to a bubbly, golden brown. Fantastic side dish and a switch up from the usual scalloped potatoes.
So today I thought I’d share with you guys two recipes, because some of us need a little helping hand with things for the upcoming Christmas dinner table. This Sweet Potato Gratin is one creamy, dreamy and tasty side dish that is fantastic as is, or to make it more of a meal, serve it alongside some chicken anytime.
I love the buttery, nutty taste and aroma from melted Gouda cheese. If Gouda isn’t for you, feel free to use cheddar cheese. I shake it up sometimes and make this with several cheeses and a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on the top is fantastic too.
This Sweet Potato Gratin is a layer after layer of sweet potato, shallot, thyme and cheese. An easy cream and chicken stock mixture with some whisked in flour do the heavy work to bring this all together as it bubbles away to a golden, cheesy finish. Sound good?
Just look at this beauty! Ready to dig in? I am and hope you give this a try.
For other holiday side dishes, try my Carrots with Pistachio Herb Butter, Savory Stuffed Acorn Squash, Herb Roasted Poupon Potatoes, or these Marinated Slow Roasted Onions. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Gratin
Ingredients
- 2 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and sliced 1/8th inch thin
- 1 large shallot thinly sliced, rings separated
- 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
- 2 cups Gouda cheese shredded (See Note 1)
- 4 tbsp flour divided
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9x9 inch baking dish (2 1/2 quart baking dish) with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper and fresh chopped thyme.
- Using a mandolin or with sharp knife, slice sweet potatoes and shallot 1/8th inch thin and separate shallot rings. Set aside.
- Arrange half of the sweet potatoes and shallot rings in the baking dish. Sprinkle one tablespoon of flour on top with half of the thyme mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat another layer with remaining potatoes and shallots in overlapping rows. Scatter with remaining thyme mixture.
- In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 of heavy cream and remaining three tablespoons of flour until smooth. Whisk in remaining cream and chicken stock. Pour evenly over sweet potatoes and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Let sit for 10 minutes and serve with sprig of thyme on top.
Notes
- 2 cups shredded is about 6.5 ounces of cheese. I've used 12 slices of Gouda before and divided it to 6 on top of one layer and 6 slices on the other. Feel free to use cheddar cheese if Gouda is not available. A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on the top is fantastic too.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
What we usually do here, is cooking a little bit the potatoes in cream before disposing them in the baking dish. That way, we’re sure they’re all well cooked and they’re infused with the cream flavour.
That is a great idea! Thank you for the tip!