Sweet Potato Cheese Gratin: A Delicious Oven Dish Perfect for Home Parties
Sweet Potato Cheese Gratin: A Delicious Oven Dish Perfect for Home Parties
Homemade Sweet Potato and Cheese Gratin Recipe – A Hit for Home Parties and Oven Cooking
Today feels like a day where I really don’t want to take photos. I have a head full of delicious recipe ideas, but I lack the motivation to pick up my camera. I procrastinated, took some photos in the evening, but ended up with not a single shot I liked. It seems the quality of the photos truly depends on my mood! Sundays are often days when you just want to relax and do nothing, and eating can feel like a chore. Everyone else is resting, so I wish I could too. Despite that, I decided to get my act together and try an oven dish for a blog post. Since I don’t host home parties often due to being lazy, things have been a bit quieter, but sometimes I do miss the hustle and bustle. So, today’s dish is ‘Sweet Potato Cheese Gratin’! I received a whole box of sweet potatoes and had been just steaming them, but I wanted something different today, which led me to choose this sweet potato dish. Let’s make this wonderful combination of sweet potatoes and savory cheese!
Ingredients- 2-3 medium sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/4 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1/4 onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup canned corn kernels
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 slices cheddar cheese
- Pinch of dried parsley
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the sweet potatoes. Peel the sweet potatoes thoroughly. To help them cook faster, dice them into small cubes and boil them in a pot. While you can use a microwave, boiling retains moisture, resulting in a much softer and tastier sweet potato. If you have a small amount, microwaving for 1-2 minutes is also a quick option.
Step 2
Next, prepare the vegetables. Finely chop the onion and the red and yellow bell peppers to a size similar to the corn kernels. For a more visually appealing dish, you could add green bell pepper for color, but I’ve used the ingredients I had on hand. Feel free to add other vegetables according to your preference.
Step 3
Using a fork, mash the thoroughly cooked and soft sweet potatoes. The degree of mashing is up to you! If you prefer some texture, leave small lumps. If you like a smoother consistency, mash them completely. The sweet potatoes I used were honey sweet, so they were incredibly delicious; I found myself snacking on the mashed sweet potato as I worked!
Step 4
Now, spread the mashed sweet potato evenly into an oven-safe dish. If the mashed sweet potato seems too dry, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of milk to achieve a creamier texture. Since I boiled mine, they were already moist, and the natural sweetness of the potatoes was sufficient, so I didn’t add any extra seasoning.
Step 5
Spread the tomato sauce evenly over the mashed sweet potato layer. Some recipes call for adding honey, salt, or milk when mashing the sweet potatoes for pre-seasoning, but since I’m using tomato sauce, I kept the sweet potato layer plain.
Step 6
Arrange the chopped vegetables nicely over the tomato sauce. The vegetables add a lovely variety of colors and textures, making the gratin more interesting to eat.
Step 7
Generously cover the sweet potato and vegetable layers with shredded mozzarella cheese. I bought mozzarella cheese specifically for this dish, and it came in handy! Don’t be shy with the cheese; more is always better for gratins.
Step 8
I briefly considered whether to use the cheddar cheese slices, but decided to tear them into pieces and place them on top for a nice visual touch. Since I’m using two types of cheese, I skipped the grated Parmesan. Look at that tempting cheese pull! This is why it’s called ‘Sweet Potato Cheese Gratin’ – cheese makes everything better!
Step 9
Feel free to use up whatever ingredients you have! Lastly, sprinkle a pinch of dried parsley for an aromatic finish. Spices and herbs can be tricky to use up before their expiry date since recipes often call for small amounts. Using them in dishes like this helps ensure they get used while they’re still fresh.
Step 10
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes. When I took it out, the visual wasn’t quite what I had imagined, so I was a little disappointed. I decided to use the oven’s broiler function and baked it at 220°C (425°F) for another 5 minutes. Finally, the appetizing visual I was hoping for in my Sweet Potato Cheese Gratin was achieved!
