Chili-Spiced Sweet Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese
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This savory sweet potato gratin is an alternative to ones made with lots of sugar. With a hint of sweetness from maple syrup, thin-sliced sweet potatoes are seasoned with chili-inspired spices like cumin and smoked paprika, layered into a baking dish, and topped with goat cheese.
Alongside other indulgent side dishes that pop up around the holidays, there’s always room for sweet potatoes on the table. This is a sweet potato casserole recipe that leans into the savory side.
Baking sweet potatoes is my preferred way to get the most out of their natural sweetness. Plus, I cannot resist the flavor contrast of sweet potatoes combined with earthy spices like cumin and smoked paprika. That’s one reason my black bean chili with sweet potatoes is one of my favorite recipes.
Spices with warm, bold overtones enhance the mellow nature of sweet potatoes, and the topping I use here, a blend of Parmesan, tangy soft goat cheese and crunchy pumpkin seeds, plays off both elements.
This recipe is definitely lighter than my grandma’s baked brown-sugar-topped sweet potatoes (which will always have a place in my heart).
Without cream or butter to weigh it down, think of this dish as an invitation to load the plate with more sides, which is especially appealing on the Thanksgiving table when there’s so much to choose from!
Tips for sweet potato gratin
- To make slicing the potatoes an easier task, I recommend using a basic mandoline. I use my this mandoline almost daily to make precise cuts when preparing vegetables. It comes with three interchangeable blades so you can make thin or wide julienne shapes as well as plain slices, making it a breeze to slice fennel into a tasty salad or shave Brussels sprouts.
Chili-Spiced Sweet Potato Gratin with Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon grated or finely chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 ½ pounds (1225 g) sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 ounces (50 g) soft goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped green pumpkin seeds, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 (200 C) degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, lime juice, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and chili.
- Peel the potatoes if you prefer — I often just scrape off any bruised sections, leaving most of the skin on. Slice the potatoes into ⅛-inch thick rounds, using a mandoline, or use a very sharp knife and great knife skills 🙂
- Toss the sweet potatoes in the bowl to coat with the spiced oil. Arrange the potatoes upright in a 2-quart baking dish with the edges face-up, pouring the liquid from the bowl over all. Grind black pepper over the top to taste.
- Bake 45 minutes. Sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the top and return to the oven for 10 more minutes, until the cheese is softened and melting.
- Sprinkle the cilantro and pumpkin seeds over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Choose an oval 2-quart or 8-inch square baking dish so that the sweet potato slices will fit snugly.
- To make the gratin ahead, bake 45 minutes then cool, cover and refrigerate or freeze. When ready to serve, top with the cheese and bake an additional 15 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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WOW, was this delicious! Followed the recipe exactly, but cut it in half, and it came out great. A keeper!
Parmesan cheese is not vegetarian.
Technically, authentic Parmesan cheese produced in Italy – Parmigiano Reggiano – is produced using an enzyme from calf rennet, which strict vegetarians will want to avoid. Other cheeses like Gruyere, Manchego, Pecorino Romano, Camembert, and Boucheron also contain rennet. If this is a concern, I highly recommend checking the label of any cheese you buy to see what type of rennet is used to coagulate the cheese. Not all dairy-based Parmesan cheese has calf rennet as many brands in the U.S. and elsewhere use vegetable rennet instead. Thanks Helen for bringing up this topic!
i fell in love with this image, the moment I pinned it! this looks so delicious. I love sweet potato and unfortunately, we do not get the orange ones, but I am totally trying this recipe with the white sweet potatoes. looks so so good!!!
Thank you! I would love to know how the white ones work – let me know!
This recipe simple and must taste amazing. I’m for sure going to share it with the family.