These easy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes will be your new favorite holiday side dish. Savory, creamy, and cheesy, they’re a classic with a twist that your entire family will love!
I'll share my preferred combination of cheese and herbs, and a substitute for the classic herbes de Provence if you don't have that on hand. Your family will devour these just like mine does!
In this article you'll learn:
- How to make scalloped sweet potatoes that are creamy, cheesy, and full of layered flavor.
- The best cheese combination for a rich sweet potato au gratin that melts into the sauce.
- How to season this savory sweet potato side dish using herbes de Provence, plus a quick substitute blend you can make at home.
- Simple layering and baking tips so your sauce is smooth, thick, and never watery.
- Make-ahead and serving ideas for holidays, family dinners, and meal prep.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
I served this with a BBQ ribs meal the first time I made it. My family loved these sweet potato scalloped potatoes! We've made it multiple times since and served it as a side dish to chicken, pot roast, short ribs, turkey, a big green salad, and pork chops. The pairing options are endless!
Sweet potatoes are synonymous with fall and winter holiday meals, especially traditional sweet potatoes with brown sugar, fall spices, and toasted marshmallows on top! They can also be turned into delicious sides like Sweet Potato Cornbread and Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls that taste amazing with butter and honey.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Don't get me wrong, I'll never turn down those sweeter options on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but I've also come to appreciate the savory side of sweet potatoes.
Let me fill you in on everything you'll love about sweet potatoes au gratin:
- Old favorite with a new twist: We'll use the classic method for making scalloped potatoes, but with sweet potatoes instead of Russets or Yukon Golds. It's a cheesy, comforting, and flavorful recipe.
- Best holiday side dish: This savory sweet potato casserole pairs beautifully with all sorts of holiday and Thanksgiving recipes and is sure to become a new family favorite.
- Easy to assemble: And, best of all, scalloped sweet potatoes look fancy but are actually very simple to assemble. Get ready for the oohs and aahs!
Ingredients
You won't need much to make this gourmet sweet potato side. Check out these tips to help you select the best ingredients. See recipe card for quantities.
- Large sweet potatoes: You'll need 2½ to 3 pounds of sweet potatoes (about 3 large sweet potatoes).
- Chicken broth: I usually use chicken broth in the cream mixture, but you could also use Homemade Turkey Stock or vegetable broth.
- Heavy cream: It's important to use a full-fat cream (not low-fat or non-dairy) to ensure the sauce turns out thick and creamy.
- Herbes de Provence: This seasoning mix comes from the Provence region of France and typically contains marjoram, savory or tarragon, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. If you don't have any on hand, you can make your own, or use my simple swap.
- Garlic powder
- Ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Shredded cheese: I typically use sharp white cheddar for its buttery, savory flavor and Gouda that's more earthy and nutty. You could also use mild, sweet Gruyere, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack.
- Fresh parsley: For an optional garnish.
How to make scalloped sweet potatoes
Learn how to make this gorgeous (and easy!) side dish by following this helpful, step-by-step photo tutorial. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
- Step 1: Heat oven to 400ºF. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them on a mandolin. Mix the cream and broth and set aside. Mix the spices together and set aside.
- Step 2: Start with a layer of sliced sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with a few pinches of spice mixture and up to ⅓ cup cheese.
- Step 3: Add the next layer of potatoes on top, and a sprinkling of herbs and cheese.
- Step 4: Repeat until you have 6 to 8 layers of potatoes.
- Step 5: Cover the top layer with all remaining ingredients. Carefully pour the cream mixture over the potatoes.
- Step 6: Wrap the pan with foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove foil and finish baking uncovered for an additional 25 to 30 minutes.
Hint: Let the sweet potatoes rest for about 15 minutes before serving so that the sauce can finish thickening. If desired, top with fresh chopped herbs or parsley as a garnish.
Tara's top tips
Peel the potatoes: Although optional, it's recommended to peel the sweet potatoes before slicing and baking. It will give the final dish a more tender bite.
Even slices: It's best to use a mandolin to slice the sweet potatoes so that the pieces bake evenly.
Check for doneness: You'll know your sweet potatoes are ready to come out of the oven when the top is golden brown, the liquid is fully absorbed, and the potatoes are fork tender.
Herbes de Provence Swap:
Herbes de Provence is a French dried herb blend that brings warm, earthy flavor to meats, vegetables, and sauces. It typically includes thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, marjoram, and savory or tarragon. Many classic blends include a small amount of dried lavender which makes this dish extra special.
If you don't have, or can't find herbes de Provence, make 1½ teaspoons of a DIY version from herbs in your pantry: mix together ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram, ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary and ¼ teaspoon dried basil.
What to serve with sweet potato au gratin
This sweet potato dish makes an excellent addition to a fancy holiday dinner with all the trimmings. In addition to flavorful sides like Honey Glazed Carrots, Roast Parsnips With Sage Butter, and Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes, enjoy these sweet potatoes with an impressive main dish:
Equipment
• mandoline slicer (cuts thinner and more evenly than a knife)
Storage
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, or in a covered dish in the oven.
Make-ahead: Assemble the gratin up to one day in advance, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook. The scalloped potatoes may need 10 to 15 more minutes to cook covered since it will be cold going into the oven.
FAQ
I like to use a mix of sharp white cheddar, Gruyere and/or Gouda. Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, and Parmesan would also be good options. I think a mix of two to three cheeses works best. Whatever cheese you choose, it should melt well and bring buttery, savory flavors to the dish.
If your potatoes turn out watery, you likely added too much liquid, didn't cook them long enough uncovered, or did not allow them to rest after removing them from the oven. The resting time helps the sauce to thicken naturally.
The most likely reason your sauce curdled was that the oven temperature was too high. If you set it to 400ºF, it might be worth getting an oven thermometer to see if the oven is heating properly.
Sauce can also curdle if you try to use lower-fat or non-dairy cream in the liquid mixture. It's definitely best to use full-fat cream for this dish.
other flavors you can add - -herbs, spices, etc. (bacon, caramelized onions, maple syrup, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pecans - pulled from raptive report)
More potato side dish recipes
There's no doubt about it, potatoes make the best side dishes! Try these cozy and comforting potato side dishes for your next gathering:
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📖 Full Recipe
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes (2½ to 3 pounds)
- ¾ cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1½ teaspoons herbes de Provence (or substitute*)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheese (mix of Gouda or Gruyere and white cheddar, I use 5 ounces white cheddar and 3 ounces Gouda)
- Fresh herbs (or parsley for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400ºF.
- Peel and thinly slice the potatoes to ⅛-inch thick on a mandolin.
- Mix together the cream and broth and set aside.
- Mix together the herbes de Provence, garlic powder, black pepper, and kosher salt and set aside.
- Cover the bottom of a 10-inch diameter cast iron skillet or baking dish (3 quart size dish) with an overlapping single layer of sliced sweet potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with a few pinches of spice mixture and sprinkle with ¼ cup to ⅓ cup cheese.
- Add the second layer of potatoes on top, and finish the layer with a sprinkling of spice mixture and cheese.
- Repeat this process to make 6 to 8 layers of potatoes topping each layer with the spice mixture and cheese.
- On the top layer add all remaining ingredients and cheese. Cover pan or dish with foil and bake 40 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and then continue baking until the cream mixture is almost completely absorbed and the potatoes are cooked through, 25 to 30 more minutes. (You can test the doneness of the potatoes by poking them with a fork. The potatoes should be very soft all the way through) Remove from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs or parsley, if desired, as a garnish.
Notes
- Herbes de Provence swap: To make 1½ teaspoons herb mixture to use in place of herbes de Provence, mix together ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram, ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary and ¼ teaspoon dried basil.
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
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