Sweet Potato Gratin Dauphinois

My mum made a classic potato gratin dauphinois for Christmas Eve dinner. IT.WON.RAVES.I swear I saw guests on the brink of fighting each other over the last bit (I won’t point fingers nor name anyone in particular, I just want YOU to know that I saw what happened!)
That’s something I would have never expected.
I don’t mean to diminish my mom’s cooking, but a gratin dauphinois is a pretty simple dish — potatoes cooked/baked in a milk mixture and topped with some cheese. Easy.
Apparently, just a very few ingredients deliver an irresistible creamy potato side dish that almost caused a brawl between two gentlemen. Who knew?


What I actually knew - right away - was that I wanted to make a gratin dauphinois using sweet potatoes, instead of regular potatoes.
An American twist on a French classic.
What came out of the oven was a decadent, ridiculously good, oozing with flavor, kinda healthish, side dish.

About the healthish claim...I know it may look like it is laden with cheese (and calories). It’s really not.
Yes, there’s some butter and some cheese, but more importantly there are tons of melt-in-your mouth sweet potatoes, so delicious and so good for you.
Plus, a serving of this sweet potato gratin dauphinois goes a long way.
Just make sure to prepare enough for your whole crew or, next thing you know, a brawl might start in your dining room.

Sweet Potato Gratin Dauphinois                                                                           Print this recipe!
Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Ingredients
Serves 8

2 lbs / 900 gr sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 garlic clove, halved
2 cups / 500 ml milk (your choice of milk, I used “regular” milk)
½ cup (1 stick) / 4 oz / 113 gr butter
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup / 3 oz / 85 gr grated Gruyère cheese (or other good tasting cheese)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F (175°C) and place a rack in the middle.
Rub inside of a 9-by-12-inch oval baking dish with cut sides of garlic. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat milk and butter over medium heat until bubbles form around edge.
Add sweet potatoes, nutmeg, salt and pepper, bring to a simmer and cook on low for 10 minutes.
Transfer sweet potatoes and milk to the baking dish and sprinkle with Gruyere.
Bake in the oven (with a baking sheet placed on the rack below to catch drips) until potatoes are fork tender, milk has been absorbed and top is bubbling and brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Serve hot!

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 274 calories, 17 grams of fat, 25 grams of carbs and 7 grams of protein.