Herbed Sweet Potato Gratin - Today I'm exited to be a part of Anolon's "Make It Yours" campaign where I get the chance to make a recipe my own by tweaking it to my little heart's content. Now if I'm being honest, I do this in some way, shape or form everyday but this time it was fun to actually have a "mission" to take a classic recipe and give it a twist. And, what's more of a classic than Julia Child's recipe for Gratin Daphinois (Potato Gratin)? Alright, I know I'm messing with the queen here, but bear with me. The result is a decadent sweet potato gratin that is ridiculously good.
How to Start Making Your Herbed Sweet Potato Gratin
We're starting with a pound each of russet and sweet potatoes that have been both scrubbed and peeled.
Slice them up about an ⅛th of an inch thick and place in a bowl. If you'd like to slice the potatoes up ahead of time you can leave them in a bowl of cold water until you're ready for them. Cut potatoes will brown if left for more 5-10 minutes in the open air.
Simple Herbed Sweet Potato Gratin
Julia's recipe is pretty simple: potatoes, cream, cheese, salt, and pepper. I decided to bring out some of the earthy-ness of the sweet potatoes by using some herbs. I used dried herbs for this, but if you have fresh use 'em! It takes about 3 times the amount of fresh herbs as is needed for dry. So if you need ½ teaspoon of dried thyme, you'll want 1 ½ teaspoon if you're using fresh thyme. Make sense? I like to put the salt, pepper, and herbs in a little bowl to make it easier to dump right into the cream when it's time.
I've had the chance to try out several of Anolon's Nouvelle Copper pans over the past several months and I'm in love! The one I'm using here is a 3 quart saute pan that comes with stainless steel lid. The pans are gorgeous and I'm loving how well they distribute the heat while cooking. I also love that the non-stick coating is metal utensil safe so I don't have to be the silicone spatula nazi just to keep my pans looking nice. Keep reading for a chance to win one of your own!
Heat some cream, butter and garlic over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
Remove from the heat and stir in the herbs, salt, pepper and cheese. I decided to go with sharp cheddar as opposed to Julia's swiss cheese to offset some of the sweetness from the sweet potatoes. The cheese doesn't have to be all the way melted, just stirred into the cream.
If you're smart you'll take the spatula out of the pan before adding in the potatoes. Regardless, add the sliced potatoes to the pan...
...and arrange them so that most of them potatoes are submerged in the cream mixture. Cover the pan with foil or a lid and bake for 3o minutes at 375 degrees.
30 Minutes Later ...
After 3o minutes they should look like these. The potatoes will be tender but there will still be a lot of liquid in the pan.
Continue to cook uncovered until they are golden brown on top and crispy around the edges-- about 20 minutes longer.
What you'll pull out of the oven can only be described as a big pan of splendor. It's savory and creamy and slightly sweet and the perfect side dish for a holiday dinner party! I think Julia would approve.
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This post is sponsored by Anolon and I’ve received compensation for my time and work. As always, recipes and opinions are 100% my own.
Interested in other delicious potato recipes?
📖 Recipe
Herbed Sweet Potato Gratin
Ingredients
- 1 lb russet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 lb sweet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 ⅓ cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup sharp cheddar grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- In a 3 qt. oven-safe pan, heat cream, butter and garlic over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Remove pan from heat.
- Stir in salt, pepper, and herbs followed by the grated cheese.
- Add potatoes to the pan, arranging the slices so that most of them can be submerged in the cream mixture.
- Cover pan with a lid or foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake until the top is golden and edges are crispy-- about 20 more minutes.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
paola says
I have never made this myself... So I would follow it to the T haha... you have to start somewhere!
Karen D says
I would make it just with sweet potatoes & bump up the thyme a little bit.
Melissa says
I would sprinkle crumbled bacon on the top.
David Eckels says
white cheddar
ralph says
love analon cookware
sjohnson says
try using various herbs and spices
sharon says
I would have red potatoes and skim milk and basil.
Sam McNeal says
Nutmeg for warmth.
Linda says
Just missing garlic
Ray Langer says
I would want to add a little more spice. Maybe pepperjack cheese and crushed flakes to give it a little kick.
Susan says
I might add a greater portion of sweet potatoes vs regular potatoes and/or figure a way to replace some of the cream with milk to keep the creaminess, but cut some of the fat.