Sweet Potato Au Gratin
I actually like plain sweet potatoes. Generally I don't put any butter, oil or sugar of any sort on my sweet potatoes, but one bite of this Sweet Potato Au Gratin recipe & I was sold. The first thought I had when I put it in my mouth was, "this tastes like Thanksgiving".
It's not overly sweet like some holiday sweet potato dishes I've had & it's full of such wholesome ingredients. It's a bit of an indulgence that's actually good for you! Plus it is really easy to make & could totally be prepped or even made the day before you plan to serve it.
This dish is quick to make so it's a great side for any meal, not just on Thanksgiving. By using more of a mashed sweet potato instead of traditional sliced potatoes, it's a lot faster prep than many au gratin dishes. Also, since we eat dairy free, the au gratin topping is made with chopped pecans. Trust me, you won't miss the cheese & you will be glad you kept the ingredients clean & simple for the sake of nourishing your body!
Sweet Potato Au Gratin
ingredients
for the potatoes:
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons ghee
2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
for the topping:
1 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons ghee
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
+ a smidge of olive oil for the pan
directions
preheat the oven to 375º.
In a large pot, place cubed potatoes, water & a pinch of salt. place pot on stove top & turn on medium high heat. once the water begins to boil, continue cooking for 15 minutes{water should continue to boil somewhat rapidly but watch carefully to make sure it doesn't boil over}. check that the potatoes are fork tender & drain from water.
immediately after draining, return potatoes back to pan & add in 2 tablespoons of ghee. begin mashing potatoes, either with a handheld masher or small hand mixer. once the ghee is melted, add in coconut milk, salt, pepper, sage & nutmeg. stir coconut milk & spices until totally blended into potatoes.
using a smidge of olive oil, grease the bottom & sides of an 8x8 pan. {i used an oval dish above, that was 6x9}
pour the sweet potato mixture into the pan & spread out evenly.
in a small saucepan, melt the ghee over low heat & add in the maple syrup, cinnamon & pecans. stir well.
evenly pour the toping over the dish of sweet potatoes & bake 15 minutes or until pecans are golden brown.