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.
Made this yesterday and served it with chicken and green vegetables at a family gathering in my house. Everybody, from 7 to 55 loved it and the gratin form was scraped clean ☺️
This will make it into my recipe folder. So easy, yet so delicious!
Love to read comments like these, thanks so much Christine! Have a fun and safe New Year’s Eve and the coming year!
I’m an absolute sucker for ANYTHING gratin, so this would be welcomed with open arms (and mouth!) at any time of the day for me. Someone hand me a fork!
Creamy gouda and sweet potatoes are a wonderful match!
That really does look delicious. Toss in a bit of cubed ham, and I’d call it dinner.
Bacon works, too! 😉 Thanks Jeff. Hope you had a great Christmas out there!
You know When you are browsing the internet while relaxing on a comfy sofa, and then you see something so amazing it makes you sit straight and open your eyes wide?! That what happened to me when I saw the first click in this post. Your sweet potato gratin looks creamy and perfect.
You made my evening Muna, thanks! I too am sitting comfy on my sofa, wind and rain outside and catching up on my laptop. I hope you give this a try, it’s really so good! All the best for the holidays. Cheers!
Kevin! I am loving this twist! I love sweet potatoes and this gratin looks amazing! I do hope you and Dave have a wonderful Christmas! Hugs my friend.
You’re the sweetest! Thanks so much Gaila, so happy to have connected here. All the best to you and yours this holiday season.
It’s just not the holidays without some taters! And I just happen to prefer mine with a ton of cheese. So clearly I feel like you made this beautiful Sweet Potato Gratin just for me!! Loving the use of sweet potatoes and gouda here!! Looks amazing, Kevin!! I hope you guys have a wonderful holiday! Cheers!
Thanks ma dear! A little shake up of the usual never hurt and these are pretty darn tasty! Hoping you, Boy and the furry critters have a fun, safe Christmas. Stay warm!
Whyyyyyy in the world have I never thought to try this!? I love normal au gratin potatoes, so I can only assume that I’ll be obsessed with these. Love this recipe!
Thanks Karly, glad I could assist! These are so good, you won’t be disappointed. 🙂
Carbs and cheese? How much better can it get?! So good! Love the sweet potato touch and the gouda cheese. Great twist, Kevin! Perfect side for the holidays! Have a relaxing one, my friend!!
Oh yeah, these are so good. Yeah Gouda, but full on cheddar has worked well, too. Super crazy rain here last couple days so I’m hoping lots of snow up on Mt. Laguna where we take the boys every Christmas. Oliver and Kodi love to try and catch snowballs and when they jump and bite them their faces are priceless when it disintegrates. Stay ward friend! 🙂
Oh man… it’s been almost a year since I’ve made sweet potato gratin and now you have me craving it again! (I took a break when I realized how much cream and cheese I was consuming… though, I’m totally over that now and ready to dig in!)
Well seeing as we are in the season of indulgence, every once in a while, right Brian. Everything in moderation! Happy Holidays to you and yours. ?
Ohh yum! Cheese + sweet potatoes is always a great combo. I could definitely eat an entire plate of this haha.
Thanks so much Elizabeth, it’s a great switch from the usual scalloped potatoes or sweet candied sweet potato dishes. Happy Holidays to you and yours. ?
Wow, this dish sounds and looks fantastic, Kevin! We do like baked sweet potato mash, but I’ve never made a gratin. Andrey asked to make some sweet potato, but well…now I’m thinking we will try a new recipe:) Thanks for the idea!
Definitely, thanks Ben. This is a savory as opposed to sweet potato dish and I love it. Hope you give it a go and Andrey likes it too. Happy Holidays to you and yours. ?
Hey Kevin! Nice twist! I love sweet potatoes and this certainly makes them more festive! This would be especially good with a nice big ham!
Thanks Dorothy! Super crazy rain here last couple days so I’m hoping lots of snow up on Mt. Laguna where we take the boys every Christmas. Oliver and Kodi love to try and catch snowballs and when they jump and bite them their faces are priceless when it disintegrates. I love this dish and hope you give it a try. We are smoking a turkey this year! Hello to Gary and Happy Holidays to you and yours. ?