Sweet Potato Gratin

Jump to Recipe

These easy Sweet Potato Gratin is the perfect make-ahead decadent side or even main dish. Made with pantry staples in the oven or Instant Pot, this is a rich and delicious twist to the classic sweet potato au gratin casserole.

Suitable for gluten free diets.

close up of cooked sweet potato gratin with a spoon scooping some out

This simple yet deliciously warming Sweet Potato Gratin recipe combines layers and layers of thinly sliced sweet potatoes interspaced with salty anchovies and a bit of heat, then baked in a creamy sauce until it is all nicely ooey gooey and caramelized.

Sweet potato au gratin is an easy recipe that can be baked in the oven in about an hour. Imagine the warmth of your kitchen filled with the aroma of creamy sweet potatoes baking to perfection.

baked sweet potato casserole garnished with green onions and chili

When you want to speed things up a bit or you don’t want to heat up your kitchen, you can also make this in the Instant Pot. Whether it’s a cozy family dinner or a festive gathering, this dish is a crowd-pleaser that’s just as easy to make as Brussel Sprouts Gratin or this creamy dreamy Scalloped Corn.

Want to save this Recipe?

Enter your email below and get it sent straight to your inbox. Along with recipes & tips every week!

Save Recipe

Scalloped sweet potatoes are a symphony of flavors and textures that bring comfort to any table. As it bakes, the top transforms into a golden, crispy masterpiece that promises to be the star of your dinner spread.

This quick Sweet Potato casserole recipe is a warming and comforting recipe. This casserole is a great side dish for various meals like brunch, dinner, Easter, Thanksgiving, potlucks, Christmas, and more. Or serve with a salad for a complete meal.

Why Make This Recipe

  • It’s a crowd-pleaser. It’s an easy, creamy, decadent side dish everyone will love. Plus, the leftovers taste amazing the next day.
  • It’s budget-friendly. It is made from affordable everyday fridge and cupboard ingredients.
  • Perfect for a crowd. The oven version is easily doubled or tripled to feed a crowd.
  • It’s diet-friendly. This sweet potato gratin recipe is gluten-free.

To help you make amazing dinners without stress, I created the Instant Pot Dump & Dash Recipe Book. It includes my best instant pot recipes, tips, a weekly planner, and grocery lists. Just download, print, and impress your family. 😉

Ingredient Notes

  • Sweet Potatoes – This recipe uses orange sweet potatoes that are peeled and sliced thin.
  • Anchovies – Use tinned anchovies in oil that have been drained. Chop them up small. Feel free to add even more anchovies if you wish. Because of the anchovies you don’t need to add any extra salt.
  • Crunchy chili sauce – I used the mild crunchy chili sauce you get in Chinese restaurants (specifically Lao Gan Ma crispy chili in oil). If you use a hotter chili, you may need to reduce it to your taste.
  • Green onions – also called spring onions or scallions use both the green and white bits.
  • Whole milk – but you can use half-fat milk too
  • Heavy cream – Heavy cream keeps it decadent but you can use half and half.
Ingredients to make sweet potato gratin

Handy Tip: Use Good Kitchen Tools!

For the best tools to help make your recipe even easier and more successful, check out my collection of the Best Kitchen Tools on Amazon.

How To Make Sweet Potato Gratin

Making casseroles is a great way to save time and money. Check out these casseroles for more flavorful ideas your family will love. 

Get the complete ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card further below.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C / gas 6.
  2. Into a lightly oiled skillet, casserole dish, or gratin dish, add a layer of sweet potato slices and top with some anchovies, chili sauce, and green onions.
  3. Then repeat with more layers until all the ingredients are gone.
  4. Pour the milk and cream mixture over the top, cover with some foil, and bake for 40 minutes.
  5. Then remove the foil and bake scalloped potatoes uncovered for about 20 minutes until done and the top is nicely caramelized.

Make Instant Pot Sweet Potato Gratin

  1. Into an Instant Pot ready lightly oiled baking dish, add a layer of sweet potato and top with some anchovies, chili sauce, and green onions.
  2. Then repeat with more layers until all the ingredients are used.
  3. Pour the milk and cream over the mixture, cover with some foil, and place on an instant pot trivet.
  4. Add 1 ½ cups of water to the bottom of the Pressure Cooker insert and place the dish on the trivet in the Instant Pot.
  5. Close the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and set to manual pressure / high pressure for 35 minutes. When done, perform a quick pressure release.
  6. Carefully remove the hot dish from the Pressure Cooker, discard the foil, and place the potatoes under the grill/broiler for 5 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.
Cooked Sweet Potato Gratin in in an Instant Pot

Expert Tips

  • Slice potatoes to the same size. Cut your potato to a similar thickness so that they cook at similar rates. Using a mandolin to cut the potatoes will help.
  • Partially precook the sweet potatoes by boiling or cooking in the microwave before layering the casserole.
  • Cook the sweet potato bake casserole on a baking sheet or tray for easy cleanup if it overflows while baking.
  • Remove the foil during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
  • The potatoes will easily pierce with a fork when the au gratin is done.
  • For the Instant Pot version make sure the potatoes are submerged in the liquid. You may need to add a little more cream and milk to make sure.
  • Let it sit for about 15 minutes for the juices to thicken even further before serving.
someone holiding the Anchovy, chilli and sweet potato gratin recipe in a skillet

Delicious Variations

  • Add in meat – add in some cooked smoky bacon, cubed ham, or shredded chicken.
  • Add heat – add extra heat with red pepper flakes, jalapeños, cayenne and more.
  • Add cheese – add in some grated parmesan or Gruyère for extra flavor.
  • Add crunch – Just before serving, top with maple roasted nuts for some crunch.

Prep and Storage

  • Prep ahead – Slice your sweet potatoes ahead of time and refrigerate in an airtight container up to 24 hours beforehand. Also, you can assemble the unbaked gratin about 6 hours ahead.
  • Store – Store the cooled casserole in the fridge for up to 4 days. 
  • Reheat – Reheat foil covered casserole at 350 degrees F /180 degrees C for about 25-30 minutes, and remove the foil for the last 5 minutes to help it crisp up.
Close up of casserole with some scooped out of the side and a spoon inserted

FAQs

Can I leave the skin on the sweet potatoes?

You certainly can leave the skins on. Just scrub them clean before slicing.

Can I add in regular potatoes?

Substitute up to a quarter of the sweet potatoes with regular potatoes that have been sliced just as thin.

What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?

In the U.S., you’ll often find grocers interchanging the two names, but, you’ll find that Sweet Potatoes and Yams, while similar in appearance, taste different. In fact, most likely the “yams” you’re getting at the market are just Sweet Potatoes.

The copper color skinned ones are often referred to as a Yam or a Sweet Potato Yam. However, they’re usually just a firmer Sweet Potato. The softer Sweet Potatoes are usually yellow inside and have lighter skin.

True Yams are native to Africa and Asia. They grow from a root vegetable to a flowering plant and cook differently than Sweet Potatoes. Yams have brown, bark-like skin and aren’t commonly found in US markets. 

You would need to check out a special grocer and they may not taste as sweet in this Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes dish as regular Sweet Potatoes would.

Similar Recipes

Serve with

More Casserole Recipes

Be sure to try some of my other delicious casserole recipes!

Thank you for reading my sweet potato au gratin recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue to slice, dice, and dream up affordable Air Fryer recipes, Instant Pot recipes, Southern Recipes, and more. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.

Instant pot quick start guide image

Get The Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe

Don’t forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Anchovy, Chilli and Sweet Potato Gratin! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I’d love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.

close up of cooked sweet potato gratin with a spoon scooping some out
Print Recipe
4.67 from 6 votes

Anchovy, Chilli and Sweet Potato Gratin

This warming casserole makes a a great side or main dish.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Brunch, Main, side
Cuisine: American, Western
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 6
Calories: 470kcal
Author: Bintu Hardy

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds sweet potato, peeled and sliced thin
  • 8 anchovy fillets, chopped up
  • 3 large scallions white and green parts sliced
  • 2 tablespoon crunchy chili in oil
  • 1 ½ cups (354ml) heavy cream
  • ¼ cup (59ml) milk

Instructions

Make In The Oven

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C / gas 6.
  • to an oven dish add a layer sweet potato and top with some anchovies, chili and green onions.
  • Then repeat with more layers until all the ingredients are gone.
  • Pour the milk and cream over the mixture, make sure to press the top sweet potato rounds into the sauce. cover with some foil and bake at for 40 minutes.
  • Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes until done and tops nicely caramelised.
  • Let it sit for about 15 minutes for the juices to thicken even further before serving.

Make In The Instant Pot

  • Into an Instant Pot ready baking dish, add a layer sweet potato and top with some anchovies, chili sauce and green onions.
  • Then repeat with more layers until all the ingredients are gone.
  • Pour the milk and cream over the mixture, cover with some foil and place on an instant pot trivet.
  • Add 1 ½ cups of water to the Pressure Cooker insert, place the dish on the trivet in the Instant Pot, close the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and set it to manual/ high pressure for 36 minutes.  
  • Let cook until done and then do a quick release.
  • Remove the potatoes in the dish from the Pressure Cooker, discard the foil and place the potatoes under the grill/broiler for 5 minutes until the top is golden and crispy.
**EASY AIR FRYER RECIPE EBOOK**Get the easy Air Fryer Recipe Binder which includes 40 quick and easy recipes all under 30 minutes cook time.
** INSTANT POT DUMP AND DASH RECIPE EBOOK**Get the Instant Pot Dump And Dash Recipes Ebook with easy recipes for busy lives.

Notes

    • Slice potatoes to the same size. Cut your potatoes to a similar thickness so that they cook at similar rates. Using a mandolin to cut the potatoes will help.
    • Partially precook the sweet potatoes by boiling or cooking in the microwave before layering the casserole.
    • Cook the sweet potato bake casserole on a baking sheet or tray for easy cleanup if it overflows while baking.
    • Remove the foil during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
    • The potatoes will easily pierce with a fork when the au gratin is done.
    • For the Instant Pot version make sure the potatoes are submerged in the liquid. You may need to add a little more cream and milk to make sure.
    • Let it sit for about 15 minutes for the juices to thicken even further before serving.
    • Storage – keep leftovers in an airtight container inside the fridge for 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 140mg | Potassium: 726mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 26885IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 1mg

If you like this recipe, then why not check out these other recipes:

This Sweet potato and ham dauphinoise by Kavey Eats.

Sweet potato and fresh ginger protein balls by Veggie Desserts.

Sweet potato, coconut and chickpea curry by Planet Veggie.

Sticky baked sweet potatoes by Family Friends Food.

Save

Save

Save

Similar Posts

4.67 from 6 votes

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




24 Comments

  1. Am I the only person who noticed some very important information missing from the recipe? Like how much milk and cream to use?