Sweet Potato Gratin with Gruyère
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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.
One year ago: Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Two years ago: Cheddar and Chiles Bread[/donotprint]
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 9x13-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!
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.
I made this last Turkey Day and it was fantastic! I used yams and sweet potatoes, and since I always add to recipes I added lemon juice to the sauce, then I additionally went to my herb garden and randomly cut these: coriander, rosemary, and oregano.
I just attempted making these for the first time – it was a failure! I typically read through comments before cooking, but given it is the night before thanksgiving I just went for it. I was concerned when I poured my measured liquid over the potatoes and realized they weren’t covered. I added more, simmered and poured again. The potatoes ended up overflowing and the liquid broke. I am heading to the grocery store to attempt this again, amended by the fact the potatoes only need to be coated not covered. May I request you edit the recipe to prevent further confusion?
I’ve made these the past 2 years and I’m pretty sure I’m obligated to make every year moving forward…the dish was all but licked clean! I did add in some smoked paprika and used three different kinds of sweet potatoes which not only added to the look (color) but also gives it another dimension. A truly magnificent recipe!!!!!!! YUM!
My parents came over for dinner tonight and I made these instead of the usual mashed potatoes. I must say…I was skeptical about the very short ingredient list, but HOLY SWEET POTATOES! These are amazing. They ARE the perfect sweet/savory combo. I want to make (only) these for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, my husband still wants our traditional sweet-sweet potatoes. So I’m making both. I could eat these every day. YUM!!!
-andi
I know this post is older but i have to say that I absolutely love this recipe!! I added some lemon zest and it totally took it to a new level!! I think the zest pairs nicely with the gruyere and thyme! Thank you for this Delish recipe!! This may need to replace the traditional thanksgiving sweet potato dish! Thanks so much!
Your gratin is wonderful! We also don’t care for sweet potatoes when they’re prepared with sugar and without something savory to balance the sweetness. I thought gruyere and sweet potatoes would be a good combination, went to Google, and found your wonderful recipe, better than I pictured. We eat it as a main course for dinner with salad or, tonight, broccoli. My teenager cleaned her plate, said how much she loved it and ate seconds. I’m considering trying half-and-half since we’ll eat it regularly. Do you think it will work? I don’t think whole milk would work, but I’m not sure.
Hi Kate, I’m so thrilled that you and your family are enjoying this dish! I think that half and half would work okay.
Hi Michelle,
I’m hoping to make this for Easter Sunday, but I’d like to double it. Do you think I could do that in one pan, or should I stick to two separate pans to make sure the potatoes cook through? Just trying to conserve oven space, and I always worry about potatoes not cooking through if I add more.
Thanks!
Hi Amanda, I would probably err on the side of making two pans. Otherwise, you’d likely need to significantly increase the baking time and I’m still not sure how they would turn out.
I never leave comments, but felt compelled to do so this time! This dish was amazing and all dinner guests were impressed. I used rosemary instead of thyme, and Pecorino Romano instead of gruyere (just because I already had those ingredients). It was incredible! It was so easy to assemble and great for a dinner party because you can make it ahead of time and simply keep it warm in the oven. Thanks!
Thank God for those who invent any recipes with sweet potatoes – it’s the one day of the year where my wife cannot dictate what gets eaten at the Thanksgiving table (she despises any form of yam/sweet potato, no matter how cleverly disguised).
Thank you for the (pre-tested) delectable gratin and brulee recipes, Michelle!
These are fabulous!!! Have you ever converted this to a slow cooker recipe? I’d love to make them when we go camping, but I’d need to use a slow cooker. If so, how did you adjust the liquid and cooking time? Thanks!
Hi Sharon, I’ve never made this in a slow cooker, so I’m not sure how it would translate. If you try it, please stop back and share your feedback!
I made this on Thanksgiving and it was so good that I’m making it again tomorrow for company with some steaks. I also added some dried Herbes de Provence and a little nutmeg to the cream, and sprinkled the Herbes throughout the layers too.
Also, I meant to use gruyere, just like you did, but then Publix had a Morel Mushroom and Leek Monterey Jack cheese, so I used that and mixed it with some baby swiss. So good! Thanks for the recipe!
I made these to pair with fillet mignon (and brussel sprouts, bacon and caramelized onions) and it was the clear favorite of the whole meal. I followed your recipe exactly, except for the addition of one layer of white potatoes), and it came out perfectly. Thank you for sharing!!
Made this yesterday and it is seriously one of the most delicious things I have ever made! Thanks for a new favorite! LOVE it! p.s. made it with Trader Joe’s cheddar/gruyere and that made it even that much more delish!
This was a huge hit at our house last year! Making again this year but would like to try making them as individual muffin tin sizes. Do you think this would work? Any suggestions?
Hi Taylor, I have not made these in muffin tins; you could certainly try, but I’m not sure how much layering and crispness you would get. If you do try it, I’d love to know how it turned out!
I made this last year and it was very yummy! But, to save some time this year I am trying to pre-make more items. Could I make this dish and only cook for half of the time the day prior, then refrigerate, and bake the additional time the next day? Or do you think it will taste better making it the day of? What do you suggest?
Hi Maria, I think for the most part, everything tastes the best freshly baked. But to save time, you could bake this the whole way through the day before, then rewarm (and maybe a quick broil) the day of.
How do you think this dish would turn out if I did the 30 minute foil covered baking part of this dish and then the next day do the 20 minute broiling part? I’m trying to streamline Thanksgiving day!
Hi Cindy, I think you’ll need to bake it a bit to re-warm it before broiling the next day, to ensure that it’s heated through.
I have made this for thanksgiving and my husband and I loved it, he requested that I make and take it to our Christmas gathering. It was a hit there also. It will be on our must have holiday dishes. The cheese was excellant in this dish. Thanks!
I made this over the weekend and it is easily in the top 5 best things I have ever made. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing!
I just made this tonight for my annual holiday dinner with two other families, and it was a hit! I doubled the cheese because I bought an 8 oz block of gruyere cheese, which when shredded came to about 3 1/2 cups. I then added 4 oz of shredded cheddar cheese because when I made a different potatoes au gratin recipe, there wasn’t nearly enough cheese. I didn’t want that problem this time, and boy did it come out awesome. It was delicious! One guest told me 4 times how great everything tasted. I served this dish with a spiral ham from Costco, lima beans, and dinner rolls.
Made this for thanksgiving and was a HUGE HIT!!!! Thanks
Another note – when I reheated the leftovers, it broke and got greasy. Any idea how to prevent this? (Add a touch of flour to the cream, perhaps, or toss the shredded Gruyere in a bit of flour before layering?)
Hi Randy, My guess is that it is due to all of the extra liquid that you added (per your comment above).
Made this as a side for Thanksgiving…I believe I’ve converted those who were not so sure about sweet potatoes. YUM.
There wasn’t nearly enough cream to cover the potatoes – in fact, I added nearly another 3/4 cup of half-and-half, and it still only came halfway up the dish. However, it still cooked up beautifully. (In fact, the potatoes gave off enough liquid that I think if I HAD covered them, the pan would have overflowed.)
Ahh, my apologies if the directions weren’t written clearly – you don’t want to actually submerge the entire casserole in liquid; I just meant that you want to make sure that some cream touches all of the potatoes on top as you pour it over, so that they don’t dry out.
I have already started prepping this for Thursday! The sweet potatoes are sliced, sitting in water in the fridge, and the Gruyere is shredded. Do you think it would be okay if I put this together Wednesday night and baked it off Thursday afternoon?
great use of sweet potatoes. sounds yummy!
Several years ago I began hosting Thanksgiving for our large extended family. I replaced my grandmothers baked sweet pototes and marshmallow topping for a gratin and it was a hit. I just kind of improvised using a compilation of various recipes. This year I think I will stick to a plan, and try out yours. It looks great, and I love the fact your recipe calls for Gruyere cheese. Many of the others I looked at called for cheddar, (boring) or parmesan (not cheesy enough).
Im going to have to try this one out. Our family is anti sweet potato and it makes me sad! I love the flavor.
OMG! I made a recipe very similar to this in a cooking class I took while I was in college. Only we used half sweet potatoes and half yukon gold potatoes, and nutmeg instead of thyme. I’m sure everything else was the same. The results were A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.! I think about this dish all the time, but I had lost the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing! I’m very excited to make it again. You totally made my day;)
Is there another cheese that could be substituted while making this?
Hi Brianna, You could use any type of Swiss cheese, or even a white cheddar.
I used manchego to make this last night and it was delicious! I may try a mix of manchego and gruyere for next time :).
These look amazing, and I absolutely LOVE Gruyere. I will have to try this soon :)
This is a wonderful change from the standard sweet potato dishes and even the cheesey potato type of dishes. Sounds yummy. I rarely remember gruyere but it is a great cheese. Sounds like this is a winning dish. Maybe a nice add-on for Thanksgiving.
Girl, I had never even heard of you (sorry), but this recipe is legit..!!!!
OMG, I printing this in my teeny tiny blog and sharing it with everyone I know. This is outrageous…
Lisa
Sweet potatoes and gruyere are so fabulous together… This looks amazing!
I adore sweet potatoes too but I am a veggie eater. Certain ones I can’t stand but otherwise I’ll eat them. This looks so good. I guess you could use a different swiss cheee if you can’t afford Gruyere, which is $13 a pound around here.
Hi! This looks scrumptious…question: do you think the sweet and savory is well-balanced here or does one outshine the other? I’m looking for more of a sweet flavor and am trying to figure out if the sweetness from the potatoes comes through strongly enough in spite of all the cheese…any thoughts? Thanks for posting this!
If you want a sweet dish, then this is probably too much of a sweet/savory balance. I think it’s a perfect balance, but not so if you want something sweeter.
I’m addicted to sweet potatoes and have never thought of a gratin. I usually make them into wedges, or bake them and stuff them with tuna mayo. May try this as an alternative to roast potatoes this Sunday.
Beautiful! Seasonal! And I just love the addition of Gruyere – that was a very sophisticated and exciting touch. Wonderful recipe and photography.
Oh my goodness! I just put this dish in the oven thirty minutes ago and while looking at my regular blogs I see this on your site! How weird! This was super easy and i used some regular potatoes in place of some sweet to switch things up.
Oh my gosh this looks DELICIOUS! I’m a huge fan of classic scalloped potatoes, but this looks like a fantastic new twist. Can’t wait to try it!
Mmmmm, gruyere would be perfect with this! Sooo trying this.
Love the sweet potato version of this dish!! Will add this to my thanksgiving list :)
holy crap these sound amazing! why haven’t i ever thought of making a gratin with sweet potatoes? oh that’s right, because i’m not awesome like michelle!! :) yum yum yummmmm!
Once again, I’m totally giving this to my dad to make for Thxgiving. LOL.
Although I AM a huge fan of sweet potato casseroles topped with marshmallows, this also looks pretty amazing!
So funny, I just created a recipe for my cookbook that is pretty similar to this one. I used the white fleshed sweet potatoes though. I never know the difference between the two… the orange ones always seem like Yams to me. Maybe it’s a regional thing?
Oh that’s so funny, maybe it is regional. I’ve never seen a white fleshed sweet potato! Now I’m curious :)
I had an “aha moment” a couple years ago at my grocery store when they had orange yams, yellow/white sweet potatoes, and orange sweet potatoes all next to each other. I finally realized they were all different! Haha
Would it be wrong to eat these potatoes for breakfast? I didn’t get any breakfast today and these look deadly! YUM!
Yum! I love scalloped potatoes. I love sweet potatoes. This recipe looks perfect! This will be made!
Yum! Definitely trying this. And not a marshmallow in sight! :)
I luv sweet potatoes and am always happy to discover a new recipe for them! Thank you for the tip on the mandolin, too. I’ve always wanted to purchase one.
yummm, this looks fantastic, love sweet potatoes and love gruyere!
This is a great idea for a Thanksgiving side dish. Sounds delicious with the flavor of the cheese and a hint of the thyme. Looks so pretty too.
This sounds incredible. Thanks Michelle! xo
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This looks so interesting and yummy! I’ve never actually made anything with sweet potato and thyme until this week when we made a sweet potato flatbread and I really liked it. This will definitely be a dish that I need to make soon! The combination of sweet and salty from the potatoes and cheese is so awesome!
oh yum this looks awesome!
Oh I am making this for a holiday gathering!! Awesome. Pinned! http://pinterest.com/pin/554307094/
Gruyere makes everything better.
This looks fab, I love baked sweet potato’s. How come when I make this stuff, mine never turn out like yours photos? It tastes great, but always messy looking! Sigh… I’ll get there some day!!
That’s awesome. I would be so happy to see this show up at the T-day spread.
I’ve yet to make a gratin from scratch! Looks amazing and tasty!
Like you, I much prefer savoury versions of sweet potatoes and I particularly love anything with gruyère, I imagine it pairs perfectly with the sweet potatoes. Delicious!