Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratin

My comforting Sweet Potato Gratin comes with a Crunchy Parmesan Crumble Topping. This simple yet elegant casserole recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and makes for the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any other festive occasion.

This Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratin recipe will make you look at sweet potatoes in a whole new way! Tenderly cooked sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy, buttery parmesan herb crumble topping.

Why this recipe works:

The contrast of sweet and salty, soft and crunchy, paired with the herbs and parmesan cheese takes the humble Sweet Potato Gratin to a whole new level. Make this Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratin your favorite new side dish, main dish, snack dish, anytime dish!

This Sweet Potato Gratin is really such a special side dish, that I promise you will make over and over again. It’s one of those super simple recipes that will make you wonder—why didn’t I think of that before?

It takes 20 minutes to whip up this Sweet Potato Gratin but it’s so utterly delicious! Like sweet potatoes are taken to a gourmet level!

I can’t count how many times I’ve made this Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratin recipe at my cooking classes, and it always leaves everyone pleasantly surprised.

It’s almost like eating a sweet potato dessert, only it’s a simple side dish. I often pair this Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratin with a simple roast chicken, like this easiest garlic herb roast chicken or this rosemary balsamic bbq whole chicken.

For a more “gourmet” pairing, I love to serve this elegant sweet potato casserole with my perfectly grilled steak with lemon rosemary butter .

How to make Sweet Potato Gratin: 

For a perfect Sweet Potato Gratin, the trick is cooking the sweet potatoes on the stove, in a pot, covered over low heat with no water added.

The recipe starts by sautéing the sweet potato chunks with shallots and fresh rosemary (but feel free to use garlic, spices and any other herb) and then simply cover the pot, lower the heat and wait for them to soften up and retain their nutritional value.

This produces tender and flavorful sweet potatoes, perfect texture and gorgeous color!

When it comes to the final texture of the crunchy sweet potato gratin, I like it chunky, so I keep the cooked sweet potatoes as they are. But I found some prefer it mashed, so pick your favorite method.

Now to the crunch in this Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratin, which is a must and really takes this vegetarian casserole to another level. It’s a mixture of flour, Parmesan cheese, herbs and butter (or olive oil) mixed together with a fork until they look like crumbles.

These crunchy parmesan crumbles are scattered over the sweet potatoes and broiled just to make the topping golden and crunchy.

For a vegan sweet potato gratin, use olive oil and skip the cheese completely. I often use pecans, or walnuts, which I highly recommend!

I love to make these Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratins in individual sizes, but they’re easily made into one large 2 quart dish. This recipe will make you fall in love with sweet potatoes all over again, so make sure to try it and enjoy!

Tips for success: 

• Any vegetable may be substituted in this recipe for the sweet potato, or any combination of your choice as long as you adjust the cooking times for each.
• Alternatively, you may skip cooking the potatoes. Assemble the whole dish and place in the oven to roast at 425 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

5 from 7 votes

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Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratin

My comforting Sweet Potato Gratin comes with a Crunchy Parmesan Crumble Topping. This simple yet elegant casserole recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and makes for the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any other festive occasion.

Course side

Cuisine American

Keyword casserole with parmesan topping, sweet potato gratin, vegan sweet potato casserole

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 169 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes , washed, peeled and diced up to ½ inch pieces
• 2 tablespoon butter or olive oil (for vegan)
• 1 large shallot or 2 green onions
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 1 pinch salt and pepper

For the topping:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (skip if vegan)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
• 6 Tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil(for vegan)
• 1/4 cup crushed walnuts pecans or hazelnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler and set the rack on the second top shelf of the oven allowing 6-inch distance from the heating element.

2. Heat a large deep skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the shallots and sauté over medium heat until tender.

3. Add in the sweet potatoes and season well, then add the rosemary and toss everything well with the butter. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet.

4. Cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat.

5. In a small bowl, mix the flour, parmesan parsley and season with salt and pepper. Then gently rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture crumbles up with pieces of butter.
6. Divide the sweet potatoes among 8 ramekins (or you can make this into one large gratin dish-2 quart capacity) and divide the crumbly flour mixture evenly on top of each ramekin. Divide and drizzle olive oil on top of each ramekin.
7. Place the ramekins on a foil lined cookie sheet and broil 3-4 minutes until the tops are golden and crunchy.

Recipe Notes

Any vegetable may be substituted in this recipe for the sweet potato, or any combination of your choice as long as you adjust the cooking times for each. 

Alternatively, you may skip cooking the potatoes. Assemble the whole dish and place in the oven to roast at 425 degrees for about 30-35 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Crunchy Sweet Potato Gratin

Amount Per Serving

Calories 169 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 32mg11%

Sodium 172mg7%

Potassium 117mg3%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 4985IU100%

Vitamin C 0.7mg1%

Calcium 49mg5%

Iron 0.6mg3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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