Scalloped Sweet Potatoes (au Gratin)
Garlic Butter Scalloped Sweet Potatoes – A luxurious sweet potato casserole recipe rich with cream, butter, Parmesan cheese, herbs, and garlic. Your family will love this fall twist on classic creamy scalloped potatoes!
My Savory Twist on Two Classic Casseroles
Sweet Potato Lovers Unite!
Today I’m sharing the most luscious and velvety sweet potato casserole recipe you’ve ever tasted.
And you thought baked sweet potatoes with marshmallows were lavish…
Although I realize traditional marshmallow-topped Thanksgiving sweet potatoes are placed by many on a high pedestal, there are those of us who like to occasionally serve sweet potatoes without added sugar.
That’s not to say we (ok, I) don’t add a whole lot of naughtiness, other than sugar. But sometimes it’s nice to indulge in the more savory and cheesy side of sweet potato side dishes.
This Garlic Butter Scalloped Sweet Potato Casserole is LOADED with butter, cream, and Parmesan cheese, to combine the best of your two favorite seasonal side dishes – classic scalloped potatoes and baked sweet potatoes – into one perfectly delicious celebration of fall.
What You’ll Need to Make Scalloped Sweet Potato Casserole
Do not get me wrong: Classic sweet potato casserole is delicious. There’s no denying that.
However, if you are looking to make something a little off the beaten path this year, yet not so unfamiliar that your family will be disappointed, you’ve got to try our recipe for Garlic Butter Scalloped Sweet Potatoes.
Rich, silky, cheesy, and popping with garlic butter flavor and fresh herbs, these savory scalloped sweet potatoes are to die for!
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make the most INCREDIBLE sweet potato casserole:
- Sweet potatoes
- Heavy cream
- Butter
- Garlic cloves
- Thyme
- Cornstarch
- Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
How To Make Sweet Potatoes au Gratin
- Mix the Cream Topping – In a small saucepan over medium heat or in a microwave-safe bowl, combine all the ingredients except the sweet potatoes and Parmesan cheese. Whisk well and often until the butter is just melted. This should be done first so you can quickly pour the mixture over each sweet potato as you slice and place into your baking dish, to ensure that the slices do not brown.
- Peel and Slice the Sweet Potatoes – Peel the sweet potatoes one by one. Take care to slice each potato into very thin rounds, to create a delicate texture after baking. Just like your classic scalloped potatoes recipe!
- Arrange and Coat – After thinly slicing each sweet potato, arrange the slices in a pretty pattern in the baking dish. The pattern you choose is entirely up to you. Pour a little of the melted garlic herb butter and cream mixture over each thin sweet potato slice, before slicing the next one, to slow oxidation.
- Bake Your Casserole – Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for a few more minutes, until the cheese is melted and your scalloped sweet potatoes are golden brown.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these special cheesy sweet potatoes as a decadent side dish to all your favorite meals! These would be perfect to serve during the holiday season with your holiday meals. Here are some of my own personal favorites to pair them with:
Get The Complete Garlic Butter Scalloped Sweet Potatoes Recipe Below.
Sweet Potato au Gratin Q&A
Can this scalloped potato recipe be made with other varieties of potatoes?
Absolutely. Feel free to use white or purple sweet potatoes, as well as russets and new potatoes in this recipe. Cooking instructions for your scalloped potatoes will stay the same.
Is this Scalloped Sweet Potatoes recipe gluten free?
Yes, it is! Thankfully, sweet potatoes are naturally gluten free.
Is this recipe low carb or ketogenic?
No. Sweet potatoes are starchy, therefore they do contain ample carbs. However, if you remove the cornstarch and use arrowroot powder instead, this scalloped sweet potato recipe is grain-free.
Can I make a dairy-free variation?
Yes! For Vegan Garlic “Butter” Scalloped Sweet Potatoes you can substitute thick coconut milk for the cream, and vegan butter for regular butter. Then omit the Parmesan cheese.
P.S. – If you happen to make this as a vegan scalloped sweet potato casserole, and use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch, then this becomes a paleo recipe!
Is there a low fat version of this recipe?
Hmmmm… You could omit the cream and butter. Then brush a little olive oil over the top of the sweet potatoes, and add the garlic and herbs. The scalloped potatoes will not have the same silky luxurious texture in the end. However, they will be soft and herbaceous.
Can I freeze this recipe?
Due to the cream and butter in the scalloped potatoes, I wouldn’t freeze.
Can I make this recipe ahead?
Yes. You can prep and bake these scalloped sweet potatoes up to 3 days in advance. Then reheat uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 20+ minutes.
More Brilliant Sweet Potato Recipes
- Maple Glazed Prosciutto Wrapped Sweet Potatoes
- Real Sweet Potato Souffles
- Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes with Oat Crumble
- Best Sweet Potato Biscuits
- Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Scalloped Sweet Potato au Gratin
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pull the leaves off the thyme stems. Discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves.
- Place the cream and cornstarch in a small bowl or pot. Whisk well. Add the butter, garlic, thyme, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat over the stovetop, or in the microwave, just until the butter melts. Then turn off the heat and whisk again.
- Peel and slice each sweet potato one by one. Slice the potatoes into very thin rounds, 1/8-inch thick. Arrange each potato in a 9×13-inch baking dish, fanning it out in a pretty pattern.
- Before peeling and slicing the next sweet potato, pour a little of the cream mixture over the potato slices in the pan, so it does not brown while you work on the other potatoes.
- Repeat until all the sweet potatoes are sliced and arranged prettily in the baking dish. Then pour the remaining cream mixture over the top.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the sweet potatoes. Then bake another 10 minutes until the cheese is golden. Serve warm.
Making this next week. They way you changed the directions in each row makes it look so pretty!
Hi Angie, Thanks so much!
I’m going to try making this recipe as written, then I will tweak it a bit. Changing to a scalloped dessert dish. To the cream I will use marshmallows or fluff and some cinnamon, nutmeg spices. Of course butter makes everything better so that would be included. A twist on sweet potato pie. I have seen recipes that have crushed pineapple included with sweet potatoes. I bet it will work out. Thanks for sharing. **
Made this tonight and it was wonderful.  I had only dry thyme and added some fresh rosemary.  The sauce is so much easier than cooking a white sauce, especially in a 2 cup glass measure in microwave.  I did cut back butter a bit.  The other thing I found was, probably best to cover it for the 30 minute initial bake time.  Recipe didn’t specify, I did not and after 20 minutes the top of sweet potatoes kind of dried out a bit, and sauce didn’t bubble up to cover them, which was easily remedied.  Added Panko crumbs with the parm.  Decadent and delicious!!