As the cold and wet weather begins to stick to our bones here in the Willamette Valley, I look to cook warming foods that will satisfy everyone in the household. My husband is in construction, and after a day spent outdoors, he yearns for filling and comforting dishes. My stepson likes very flavorful things, especially those with carbs, while our Korean exchange student loves meals that have several dishes, each with complementary but different flavors. So I took to the kitchen to create a new side dish that would please them all and be great alongside any kind of protein I may be making for dinner. The base was easy for me to choose as it's one of my favorite comfort foods—sweet potatoes!
There are millions of ways to dress up sweet potatoes, and most of the time we tend to lean into the sweet nature of the vegetable. I decided instead to make a more herbaceous and savory recipe. After a few trials and errors, I came up with a scalloped sweet potato recipe that is decadently dressed in an herby shallot cream sauce. The result is not only packed with flavor, but is a beautiful dish to bring to potlucks or holiday feasts. It's also gluten-free, which is always nice for our GF friends.
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Shallot Cream Sauce & Herbs
Serves about 6 people.
Ingredients
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F
- Wash and peel sweet potatoes.
- Thinly and evenly slice sweet potatoes to about 1/8" (A mandolin works great for this.)
- Add to bowl and set aside.
- Add butter to a large pan and put on medium heat.
- Once melted, add shallots and herbs and cook until shallots soften.
- Add heavy cream and bring back up to a gentle simmer.
- Next, pour in white wine and stir.
- Whisk in potato starch, adding a quarter teaspoon at a time to thicken. It should be thick and pourable, not pasty. This not only adjusts the texture but also helps to emulsify the ingredients.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir and set aside.
- Pour a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet.
- Add slices of sweet potato to mixture and coat so that each slice is coated. Stack on each other, then turn over so they are stacked on their side.
- Fill in the entire pan and pour remaining sauce on top.
- Place lid on pan and place in oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes and assess the softness of the potatoes. If not done, put back in oven for 5 minutes at a time until finished.
- Top with fresh parsley and serve hot.
Pro Tips:
- This recipe can easily be scaled up or down depending on the number of people you are feeding.
- If you like thicker or thinner slices, you can slice to your preference. Keep in mind that the thickness of your potatoes will affect cook time, so you'll want to factor that in.
- If you prefer a smoother sauce, you can blend the sauce to break up the onion pieces once all ingredients are combined.
- Sweet potatoes come in a wide variety of shapes, so they may fit differently in the skillet from batch to batch. Sometimes when I have extra slices of potatoes that won't fit, I'll throw them in a smaller skillet and cook them with just some butter, salt, and pepper. Or you can upgrade to a larger skillet if you have one. This recipe is really quite flexible.
- Using a lid for this bake will ensure even cooking and prevent drying out.
- You can make this recipe a couple of days ahead of time.
Looking for more Culinary inspiration?
You may also enjoy: