Goat Cheese Sweet Potato Gratin

Why You’ll Love This Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe

Not your ordinary sweet potato gratin, this recipe calls for goat cheese and fresh thyme, playing up the savory flavors of fall. While maple cinnamon mashed sweet potatoes always have a spot on my menu, I like leaning into the pungent tanginess of goat cheese in this gratin. It’s elegant and just different enough to feel truly special.

Easy to make and always sure to impress, this gratin makes a wonderful holiday side, or you can serve it anytime. It’s a nice vegetarian offering at Thanksgiving and it also happens to be naturally gluten free, making it ideal for everyone gathered around the table. Some high points include:

• Layers of texture and flavor. Goat cheese adds beautiful richness while using a mix of sweet and regular potatoes keeps this grain from being overly sweet.
• Easy to adapt. You can use this method to make a potato gratin, add other vegetables to the mix, such as baby spinach, or try different cheeses.
• Gluten free! Every ingredient in this gorgeous sweet potato gratin is naturally gluten-free! It’s also vegetarian, so it’s suitable for those who go meat-free as well as gluten free.

What You’ll Need

Simple ingredients are all that’s required for this rich-tasting dish. I’ve outlined them below. Don’t forget to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

• Garlic: This is used to rub the cooking dish for a little extra flavor.
• Milk: Either whole or 2% milk works fine.
• Goat Cheese: Parmesan makes an easy swap if you don’t like goat cheese.
• Thyme: Fresh herbs will give the most flavor, so try not to substitute these!
• White Potatoes: You can substitute these for sweet potatoes for an all-sweet potato gratin.
• Sweet Potatoes: Any variety of sweet potato or yam will work in this recipe.
• Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is my choice. Avocado oil also works.
• Salt and Pepper: I use kosher salt and black pepper.

How To Make Goat Cheese Sweet Potato Gratin

This is a super easy recipe that anyone can make. Here’s a look at how to do it. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.

• Prepare a pan. Grease a round glass pie plate and rub it with garlic.
• Heat the milk. Simmer the milk, two ounces of goat cheese, and thyme in a pot to melt some of the cheese. Discard the thyme.

• Make the gratin layers. Layer half of the potato slices on the pie plate, then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
• Add sweet potatoes. Top the potato layer with a layer of sweet potato slices and also drizzle them with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

• Top with potatoes. Add the final layer of white potatoes, oil, salt, and pepper.
• Add milk. Slowly pour the milk mixture over the top of the potatoes.

• Bake. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes.
• Finish baking. Uncover the gratin and add the remaining goat cheese. Continue to bake, uncovered, for another 20-25 minutes.

Tips & Variations

You can try a combination of fresh herbs, including rosemary, rather than just using thyme if you want to play up the herbal flavors in this dish. A few more tips and ideas include:

• Rest the gratin. When the sweet potato gratin comes out of the oven it can be bubbling and liquidy. I like to let it cool for at least 5-10 minutes to let it solidify a bit before I cut into it.
• Prep ahead. Prepare the sweet potato gratin ahead of time. You can store it, covered and unbaked, in the fridge and then bake it when you want to eat it. You can also prepare the recipe fully, then cover and store the dish in the fridge until you’re ready to rewarm it.
• Add toppings. To add a little bit of crunch to this gratin, sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts or gluten free breadcrumbs.
• Try other cheeses. If you don’t care for goat cheese, you can substitute it with another cheese you prefer. I like Parmesan cheese in place of goat cheese, and Gruyere or cheddar cheese are nice too.
• Use all sweet potatoes or all potatoes. For an all-sweet potato grain, omit the potatoes and replace them with an equal amount of sweet potatoes. Likewise, you can use this method to make a potato gratin by using all potatoes rather than sweet potatoes. The total amount of sweet potatoes or potatoes should equal about 1 ¾ pounds.

Make It A Meal

Sweet potato gratin is such a rich dish it needs a side of lightly cooked vegetables like air fryer green beans or air fryer broccoli to balance it. A few more serving suggestions include:

• Make it into a vegetarian meal. This sweet potato gratin is hearty enough to serve as a vegetarian main dish. Add a side of harvest salad for a seasonal pairing, along with a bowl of lightly caramelized roasted cauliflower.
• Add to the holiday table. Sweet potato gratin is the best side for festive meals. Along with creamy corn pudding and roasted butternut squash plus the holiday roast, you’ll have a colorful and celebration-worthy dinner.
• With meat dishes. A hearty meat main is perfectly balanced by gratin. I love serving sweet potato gratin with apple cider dijon marinated tip roast, gluten free cube steak with gravy, or easy steak bites.