This chipotle sweet potato gratin is a little spicy and VERY cheesy! It's easy to make using just a few ingredients and it's a nice twist on an old favorite.
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Love sweet potatoes, but prefer them in the savory lane? Me too. This chipotle sweet potato gratin balances the natural sweetness of the potatoes with some smoky spice. And also cheese. And cream. Okay you get it.
Put this on the table as a twist on traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, or serve it any time during fall or winter. It's comforting and cozy. Recipe adapted from a little bit of Bobby Flay and a little bit of Epicurious.
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Chipotle sweet potato gratin is spicy, cheesy and easy!
- Chipotle chiles and some adobo sauce make it spicy. Add more or less to suit your taste.
- A blend of monterey jack and gruyère cheese keeps the cheesy topping creamy and delicious and a bit milder than a typical gratin.
- So easy to make! Just peel and slice the potatoes, whisk the sauce together, then pop it in the oven and wait for the magic to happen!
Ingredients you'll need
- Sweet potatoes: Look for sweet potatoes that feel heavy for their size with no brown or soft spots.
- Gruyère cheese: This Swiss cheese melts beautifully and is often used in making gratin dishes.
- Monterey jack cheese: The mild creaminess blends well with the heavy cream, and complements the spicy chipotle peppers.
- Parmesan cheese: I always recommend using the real parmigiano reggiano.
- Chipotle chiles in adobo: We'll use these canned chiles and the sauce in the can with them to be the heat and smokiness of our sauce.
- Heavy cream
- Kosher salt
How to make chipotle sweet potato gratin
Step by step instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Grate all three cheeses. (Unless you're using pre-grated.)
Use a vegetable peeler to peel the sweet potatoes.
Use a good chef's knife to slice the sweet potatoes about ¼ inch thick. If your potatoes are large, cut the slices into half moons or quarters to ensure quick cooking. Put the sweet potato slices in a 9" x 13" casserole dish or similarly sized gratin dish.
Chop the chipotle chiles finely.
Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the heavy cream, salt, parmesan, chipotle chiles and adobo sauce. Stir occasionally and heat to the point that it just barely begins to simmer. Don't scorch the cream.
Pour the creamy chipotle sauce over the sweet potatoes, stir them around to make sure they are all coated and slices aren't sticking together. Cover tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes in the center of the dish are fork tender.
WARNING: When you remove the foil to check the potatoes, be VERY careful! Hot steam will have built up underneath the foil and you could burn yourself. See tips below.
When the potatoes are fork tender, remove the foil and place the casserole dish back in the oven for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Remove from oven and set the broiler to high.
Top the sweet potatoes with the monterey jack and gruyére cheeses and place under the broiler until the cheeses are melted and bubbling on top. Remove from oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.
Tips for making chipotle sweet potato gratin
- Use more or less chiles and adobo according to how spicy or mild you like it.
- Don't skip heating up the cream, chiles and parmesan. This melts the parmesan which helps the sauce to start to thicken, and most importantly, helps the whole dish to cook faster since the cream is already hot.
- WARNING: When checking to see if the potatoes are done, you need to protect yourself from a potential steam burn when you remove the foil. Try using some tongs to carefully remove one corner to let the steam escape before you test the potatoes.
- I always recommend grating your own cheese from a block. It tastes better and is creamier. Pre-grated cheese can get a bit dried out. But as you may be making this for the holidays, convenience may be of utmost importance, so by all means use pre-grated if that works best for your schedule.
- This gratin holds heat for quite some time, so it's a great dish for a holiday meal or any buffet situation. It also tastes great at room temperature.
More cheesy recipes
- Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna uses roasted eggplant in place of pasta noodles and is loaded with mozzarella, fontina and parmesan!
- Creamy Pasta with Bacon and Cheese is topped with Comté which is a cousin to gruyère.
- Spicy Black Beans with Cheddar would be a great way to use more of that can of chipotle chiles we just opened, they are ready in 15 minutes, and they are covered with a beautiful blanket of melted cheddar cheese!
Recipe
Chipotle Sweet Potato Gratin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 chipotle chiles or more
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce or more
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated monterey jack cheese
- 2 cups grated gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grate all three cheeses. (Unless using pre-grated.)
- Use a vegetable peeler to peel the sweet potatoes, then slice them about ¼ inch thick. If your potatoes are large, cut the slices into half moons or quarters to ensure quick cooking. Put the sweet potato slices in a 9" x 13" casserole dish or similarly sized gratin dish.
- Chop the chipotle chiles finely.
- Place a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the heavy cream, salt, parmesan, chipotle chiles and adobo sauce. Stir occasionally and heat to the point that it just barely begins to simmer. Don't scorch the cream.
- Pour the creamy chipotle sauce over the sweet potatoes, cover tightly with foil, and place in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes in the center of the dish are fork tender. WARNING: When you remove the foil to check the potatoes, be VERY careful! Hot steam will have built up underneath the foil and you could burn yourself. See note below.
- When the potatoes are fork tender, remove the foil and place the casserole dish back in the oven for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Remove from oven and set the broiler to high.
- Top the sweet potatoes with the monterey jack and gruyére cheeses and place under the broiler until the cheeses are melted and bubbling on top. Remove from oven and allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use more or less chiles and adobo according to how spicy or mild you like it.
- Don't skip heating up the cream, chiles and parmesan. This melts the parmesan which helps the sauce to start to thicken, and most importantly, helps the whole dish to cook faster since the cream is already hot.
- WARNING: When checking to see if the potatoes are done, you need to protect yourself from a potential steam burn when you remove the foil. Try using some tongs to carefully remove one corner to let the steam escape before you test the potatoes.
- I always recommend grating your own cheese from a block. It tastes better and is creamier. Pre-grated cheese can get a bit dried out. But as you may be making this for the holidays, convenience may be of utmost importance, so by all means use pre-grated if that works best for your schedule.
- This gratin holds heat for quite some time, so it's a great dish for a holiday meal or any buffet situation. It also tastes great at room temperature.
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