Sweet Potato Gratin with Gruyère
As you all know, I’m not much of a vegetable person. I make veggie lovers cringe and shake their heads in embarrassment. I do, however, LOVE sweet potatoes. Baked sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes… pretty much however you want to prepare them, I’ll eat sweet potatoes. Unless of course you make one of those overly sweet candied sweet potato casseroles with marshmallows on top. That I have never, ever loved, but it was always a Thanksgiving staple. Last year when I set my sights on re-making the cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and a few other things, I went about looking for a new way to bring sweet potatoes to the table. I gave two recipes a test-run last year, one was the Mashed Sweet Potato Brulee, which I shared last year, and this Sweet Potato Gratin. Think scalloped potatoes, but with sweet potatoes. And lots of delicious Gruyère cheese. Which could sell me on eating pretty much anything.
I have a mandoline that I love for tasks like this. Quick, even slices at a constant thickness, in this case 1/8-inch. If you don’t have one, it’s a kitchen toy I definitely recommend! I have the OXO Good Grips V-Blade version ($40).
You build this gratin by piling on four layers of sliced sweet potatoes with salt, pepper, fresh thyme and Gruyère cheese between each layer. Then you pour garlic-infused cream over top of the whole thing, and of course top with more cheese. The result is a scalloped potato-like dish – tender and creamy, with subtle thyme and garlic undertones, and beautifully cheesy. This was another home run dish last year, and it’s going to be making an encore this year for sure.
Watch How to Make Sweet Potato Gratin:
One year ago: Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potato Gratin with Gruyère
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (357 ml) heavy cream
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 pounds (907.18 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/8-inch thick
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) chopped fresh thyme
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) fresh ground black pepper
- 2 cups (226 g) shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small pot bring cream and garlic just to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside. Butter a 9×13-inch shallow casserole dish or gratin dish of similar size and set aside. Stir the cooling cream occasionally to help prevent skin from forming.
- Build the Gratin: In the buttered casserole dish, spread one quarter of the sliced sweet potatoes out in a single, overlapping layer. Sprinkle the potatoes with 1/3 of the salt, pepper, and thyme and then about ½ cup of the grated cheese. Using another quarter of the sliced sweet potatoes, build a new overlapping layer. Again sprinkle with 1/3 of the seasonings and ½ cup of shredded cheese. Using half of the remaining sliced sweet potatoes, make another layer and sprinkle the last third of the seasonings and another ½ cup of cheese (you should have about ½ cup cheese remaining). Use the last of the sweet potatoes to make one final layer on top. Stir the garlic cream mixture then pour it evenly over the top of the gratin, being sure to cover the top layer of sweet potatoes. Shake the dish gently to distribute the cream. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, move the gratin to the top 1/3 of the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a sharp knife. You may also place it under the broiler for a few minutes if you wish the top to be a deeper brown (but watch it closely!). Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
We’re making this for our Easter dinner tomorrow. I’m sure it’ll be an interesting and different taste with the baked Ham.
Made it with a couple more cloves of garlic and it came out wonderfully. Not sure why there are some people who are critical of the recipe – the flavors are excellent.
I’ve made this every year for thanksgiving , and something’s Christmas, too! Always get so many compliments. Thank you!
Really shouldn’t be a thing. Regular potatoes are much better. Sweet potatoes taste awful prepared this way
I did make this. And it was WONDERFUL!!! I had to cut the recipe for four and I used a little more garlic. It was easy and oh so good. My wife couldn’t get enough of it! Maybe I should’ve made it for 6 or 12!! LOL. Thank you!
OH…MY…GOSH! I made this dish as a contribution to Thanksgiving dinner for a group of nearly 30 people and it was to-die-for delicious!!! Neither Gruyere nor Emmentaler, a common substitute, were available, but since it’s a type of Swiss cheese I substituted with an extra melty type of Swiss and it was perfect! Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly as written. I even prepped it in advance. I prepared the potatoes 2 days in advance, and the next day I finished the dish completely, covered it tightly with foil and refrigerated it overnight and baked it the next morning before taking it to my friend’s house. The foil kept it hot and it was a bit hit! Thank you for this excellent recipe, Michelle!
Can I make it….and bake it next day or two?
What is the best way to reheat?
This sounds wonderfully delicious, Michelle. Can this dish be prepared the day before, stored covered in the fridge, then cooked the following day? I’m making this to take to a Thanksgiving dinner we’ve been invited to. I’ll come back and rate the recipe and provide the guests’ reactions. Thank you for all the side-dish recipe suggestions. :o)
I have been making this recipe for the last 4 or 5 thanksgivings. It is now a tradition and a favorite. Love love this dish!
I’d like to make this ahead of Thanksgiving and freeze it. Should I bake it first and then freeze it, do you think?
This recipe is absolutely delicious! The gruyere compliments the sweet potatoes perfectly. Can’t wait to make it again :)
This recipe is horrible. Came out swimming in the water from the potatoes and the cheese didn’t melt. Looked like sweet potatoes and cottage cheese. Ruined Easter. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere or add some cheddar/mozzarella to make it look less like curdled Mac and cheese because the rue broke.
This is still the best sweet potato recipe ever—exactly as written! I have made it for years!
Could you use coconut cream instead of dairy?
Hi Cheryl, I’ve not tried that but it SHOULD work.
Sweet Potato Gratin with Gruyere – garlic substitution???? I have family that can’t eat garlic. What can I substitute in this recipe for it? Thanks.
Hi Diana, Maybe some minced shallot?
This was SO GOOD. I used some recommendations from other readers and used 1/2 sweet potato and 1/2 yukon cold and added a little shredded cheddar and some ground nutmeg but other than that followed it exactly and it was amazingly delicious.
I make this sweet potato gratin every Thanksgiving but I’ve changed it up a bit as I do with everything I cook or bake!
I buy the jewel yams that come in lovely colors like blue and Purple! I use half yams and half sweet potatoes. I also add a little fresh squeezed lemon juice and herbs from my garden- sweet basil and German thyme!
Can you use fat free half and half for Sweet Potato Gratin?
Thank you.
Hi Mary, I think fat free half and half instead of the heavy cream might result in a runny sauce instead of one that’s smooth and creamy.
My daughter requested a savory sweet potato dish for Thanksgiving, and I selected this. It was absolutely delicious!
I mis-read the thickness of the slices, so ours were 1/4” instead of the suggested 1/8”, but it worked. I also used minced garlic from a jar, but I do think I will use my garlic press next time for a smoother garlic puree in the cream. Absolutely fabulous.
Can I double this recipe and leave in a 9 x 13 and cook the same time?
Hi Mary, If you double it you may need to increase the cooking time.
This was so amazing and beautiful! I made it exactly as written! It is my new fancy yet super easy side!
Just served this for our family Thanksgiving, was a hit. None left, thank you for a great recipe.
Hi! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! It’s a new family favorite for me and I’ve shared it on my site with my changes: http://www.juniperinherhair.com/gruyere-sweet-potato-gratin/
cheers!
Fixed this a few months ago and could not believe how wonderful it tasted. Everyone just loved it. Forgot to make a copy and could not remember where I found this. Thankfully it came up when I googled “Best scalloped sweet potatoes with gruyere”. One of the best dishes I’ve ever made with potatoes! Thanks for sharing this recipe.