Festively crispy baked sweet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes on a bed of caramelized onions. Perfect for a holiday page!
Looking for a special holiday site? Here’s a celebratory dish that alternates the flavors and colors of vibrant sweet potatoes with buttery Yukon Gold potatoes, all topped with a bed of caramelized onions.
I actually started making a gratin, more in the spirit of our Gruyere potatoes, maybe with breadcrumbs. But as I experimented with the recipe, the wonderful flavors of the sweet potatoes and potatoes seemed to get lost in the rich toppings.
So the toppings were ditched in favor of a more naked gratin, the un-gratin. The gratin without the gratin part. A Rainbow Hasselback Sweet Potato Potato Casserole.
It’s so pretty! I found a large beautiful purple yam at the market that contrasts nicely with the garnet yam and yellow Yukon gold. Sweet potatoes come in many shades, so choose a variety.
Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Casserole
Look for sweet potatoes that are small in diameter, long in length, and uniform in shape.
Go vegan? Replace the butter with olive oil in step 3.
ingredients
- Caramelized Onions:
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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4 cups sliced onions (1/8 to 1/4 inch slices)
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1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
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1/2 teaspoon salt
- Sweet Potatoes and Yukon Golds:
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2 pounds sweet potatoes, mixed colors if available, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
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2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch thick slices
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2 tablespoons melted butter
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1 teaspoon of salt
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1/4 teaspoon black pepper
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Sprigs of fresh thyme
method
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Caramelize onions:
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onions, toss to coat, reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes while you slice the sweet potatoes and Yukon Golds, stirring occasionally, until completely tender.
Then increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered until golden brown. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and thyme.
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Peel and slice all sweet potatoes and Yukon Gold:
Try to make them uniform in size.
Place the slices in a bowl of water while you prepare them to keep them from discoloring. If using purple sweet potatoes, keep the slices in another bowl of water (the color will bleed).
Drain the slices and place in a bowl.
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Line the casserole dish with onions, sweet potatoes and potato slices:
Place the caramelized onions in an even layer in the bottom of a 9×12 rectangular or oval baking dish.
Arrange sweet potato slices and Yukon Gold potatoes in rows on top of the caramelized onions.
Brush with melted butter, salt and pepper.
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Cover with foil and bake:
In a 400°F oven, 45 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.
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Remove foil, bake uncovered:
another 15 minutes, until edges are crispy and browned.
Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Serve immediately.
Links:
Gruyere Scalloped Potatoes here on Simply Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole here on Simply Recipes
Roast Sweet Potatoes by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen
