Melty, cheesy, gooey, and heavenly scalloped sweetpotatoes made healthier {but you definitely can't tell!}
I received free samples of California sweetpotatoes mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by the California Sweetpotato Council and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
I don't think scalloped potatoes have ever been mistaken as health food, so I thought it would be fun to try to make them a little bit healthier just in time for casserole season. They're also a great side dish for the holiday season. By the way, Christmas is in 76 days! 76!!!
Anywho, I love scalloped potatoes but they are usually full of heavy cream, butter, and full fat cheese. Totally stinks because they are so tasty.
Seeing as I had over 10 pounds of sweetpotatoes to experiment with for the California Sweetpotato “One Word, Endless Possibilities†Recipe ReDux Challenge, I decided I'd dream big and try to make something that is terribly unhealthy a little lighter.
And as luck would have it, these scalloped potatoes turned out delightful!
There was the perfect ratio of cheese/sauce to potatoes. I added in a little onion and garlic for flavor and to boost the nutritional content. {I'm always looking for ways to add in more veggies into people's diets}
Melty, cheesy, gooey, and heavenly. It was right near impossible to tell that these were not regular scalloped potatoes.
To make this dish extra pretty, I used two different color of California sweetpotatoes - the O'Henry and Diane sweetpotatoes. The O'Henry is the tan sweetpotato and the Diane is the red or garnet colored sweetpotato. Aren't they pretty together? However, feel free to use whatever color makes you happy.
Curious about California sweetpotatoes? Well, they are grown in soft sand and are hand sorted during harvest to minimize scarring and scratching. This makes their skin smooth and pretty. They also have a superior texture to regular ole' sweet potatoes or yams, being much more flavorful and not as starchy/dry.
They are my new found obsession thanks to the samples I received from the California Sweetpotato Council.
For this Scalloped Sweetpotato Casserole, I used a combination of gruyere cheese and part-skim mozzarella. You get all the flavor of the gruyere but using the part-skim mozzarella helps lower the fat & calories a little. For the milk, I used 1% which is my favorite milk because it has just 20 more calories than skim milk but more flavor and can be used in cooking. I also added a touch of butter to sauté the onions & garlic because, honestly, what's scalloped potatoes without some butter? The fresh thyme really ties together the nutty gruyere, smooth mozzarella, and the sweetpotatoes. Adding a dash of nutmeg adds that extra something that sends the cheesy sweetpotatoes over the top.
Oh and did I mention that this is relatively simple? It took me 10 minutes to peel two sweetpotatoes and thinly slice them. They don't have to be too thin; I'd say about 1/8 inch thick. I just cut them myself using a sharp knife but you could use a mandoline if you want. Meanwhile, you saute the onion then make a quick cheese sauce. Then bake and enjoy the wonderful deliciousness that these scalloped sweetpotatoes bring to your table.
Scalloped Sweetpotato Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 1/4 cup 1% milk divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 2 oz . shredded Gruyere cheese 1/2 cup
- 2 California sweetpotatoes peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 oz . shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add onion and sauté for about 5-7 minutes until softened and lightly golden. Add garlic and thyme and stir for 30 seconds.
- Stir in 1 cup milk, salt, paprika, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly, and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Stir together remaining 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch, and add to the simmering milk. Simmer for another minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Add in gruyere and stir until melted.
- Layer half of the sliced potatoes into an 8 inch square or circle baking dish. Pour half of the cheese-milk sauce over the potatoes. Top with the other half of the potatoes and pour the remaining cheese sauce on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, and cover with foil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until potatoes are done and cheese is bubbly. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Serena says
What a beautiful way to showcase the 2 colors of sweetpotatoes! And love the ooey gooeiness of this. I grew up eating the (unhealthy) version of this casserole w/ white potatoes. Will def give your casserole a try with the rest of my sweetpotatoes!
Meme says
Thanks! I have always loved scalloped potatoes but hated how unhealthy it was. Not anymore! 🙂