Savory Sweet Potato Gratin

Smooth sweet potatoes, spiked with umami-rich miso, ginger and soy sauce and finished with a crisp topping of peppery-sweet panko bread crumbs and sesame seeds.

By Diane UngerOctober 16, 2017

Makes
8 servings
Cook Time
2 hours 20 minutes

Umami-rich miso adds savoriness to this smooth, sweet potato gratin spiked with fresh ginger and soy sauce. We liked mellow white miso best, which has a milder flavor than yellow or red miso. For a crispy topping, we toasted panko breadcrumbs in butter, then mixed them with sesame seeds, brown sugar and white pepper. To make holiday-dinner prep more convenient, the gratin can be made up to a day ahead. Roast the sweet potatoes, cool them enough to peel, then make the sweet potato mixture as instructed. Transfer to a baking dish, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring to room temp for 1 hour, then bake at 400°F for 50 minutes. In the meantime, make the topping. Once the sweet potatoes are warmed through, sprinkle with the topping and bake as instructed for 20 minutes.

Tip

Don't use garnet or ruby sweet potatoes (often called yams). They are too dry and won't yield the desired creamy texture. Beauregard sweet potatoes, the most common variety available at grocery stores, worked nicely. Choose potatoes that are large and bulbous rather than long and slender.

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