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A rich, creamy gratin made with sweet potatoes and kale. Perfect for the holidays!
This was a sponsored post with Brandfluential for Organic Valley back in 2012. It has since been updated. All opinions are my own.
I feel like I've written about all my failed Thanksgiving sweet potato attempts several times already (or maybe it just feels that way?) and I really don't want to bore you with yet another story about those sweet potato failures, but I'm going to do it anyway.
Because without those failures this Sweet Potato & Kale Gratin would not exist! (And after this, I will have written about each one of my sweet potato failures, so you won't have to hear about them again. Promise.)
My very first idea for a sweet potato side was a gratin. I had this fabulous idea for a recipe involving fresh rosemary and cheese and I just knew it was going to be delicious.
But I was a little too sure of myself and I thought, "I bet I can make this lighter! I'm going to use milk instead of heavy cream!"
You guys? If you're making a gratin, don't use milk. Oh sure, it works some of the time. But the other times, you have a curdled gratin. That curdled gratin might taste good, but it is quite literally a hot mess. A greasy hot mess.
My husband reassured me that it tasted good, but it looked like something that would be served to prison inmates.
When you're cooking for the holidays, you don't want to run the risk of a gross looking sweet potato gratin. And it's the holidays! The time of the year when you can get away with using heavy whipping cream!
So this is my redemption gratin. I used Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream to make it. No curdled sweet potato gratin this time!
I also decided to replace the rosemary with nutmeg for a more traditional sauce and then because I can never bear to do anything completely traditional, I used fewer sweet potatoes and replaced them with kale. (Yes, kale! I can't get enough kale and sweet potatoes!)
With a rich side dish like this one, the addition of greens helps lighten things up a little bit.
Organic Valley is a brand that I use often in my cooking, so when I had the chance to develop this recipe for them, I was pretty excited about it.
I try to be mindful of what I put in my grocery cart, and when it comes to dairy, things like hormones and antibiotics are a concern for me, which is why I like Organic Valley.
And when I buy produce, I buy organic when possible in order to avoid pesticides--well, did you know that dairy can also contain pesticides? Organic Valley products don't; the pastures that their cows graze on are free of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers.
Those are the reasons I've bought Organic Valley in the past, but in working with them on this post, I learned a new reason to buy from them in the future: Organic Valley is a farmer-owned cooperative, helping small family farmers thrive in an era of agribusiness. How cool is that?
More Tasty Ideas
If you love this sweet potato and kale bake, be sure to check out these other delicious ideas:
- Creamy Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- 45+ Vegetarian Thanksgiving Main Dishes
If you're here planning your holiday menu, don't miss our new Vegan Christmas and Vegan Thanksgiving cookbooks. They're packed with all my favorite holiday-worthy recipes for a plant-based feast.
Recipe
Sweet Potato & Kale Gratin
A rich, creamy gratin made with sweet potatoes and kale. Perfect for the holidays!
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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Keyword: gratin recipe, Sweet Potato & Kale Gratin
Servings: 10 -12 servings
Calories: 418kcal
Author: Oh My Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 lb. kale tough stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- 3 lbs. sweet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced (mine were between ⅛ and ¼-inch - you can use a mandoline slicer)
- 1 c. shredded Organic Valley Parmesan cheese
- 1 pint Organic Valley heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. Black Pepper
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp. Organic Valley salted butter cut into small pieces, plus more to grease baking dish
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Steam kale for about 3 minutes, or until wilted, in a large steamer basket set over boiling water. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Squeeze out excess water.
Place half of the potatoes in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. (You don't have to do this neatly, but try to make sure each layer is even!) Top potatoes with kale, then top kale with half of the Parmesan cheese. Place remaining potatoes in dish and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Whisk together whipping cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and pour over potatoes. Dot with butter.
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20-25 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown. Allow to sit 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
To make this more of an everyday side dish, you can use whole milk in place of the heavy whipping cream, but this increases the likelihood of the gratin curdling. If the gratin curdles, don't panic! It is still perfectly fine to eat, it just doesn't look very pretty.
Nutrition
Calories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 14gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 701mgPotassium: 743mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 24793IUVitamin C: 58mgCalcium: 422mgIron: 2mg
Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Yum, that looks awesome!
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Brian @ A Thought For Food says
I made my first gratin not too long ago and had a moment of weakness... hovered over the stove, a fork in my hand... it was not my proudest moment, but it sure was delicious! This gratin has everything I love... sweet potatoes, lots of cream, cheese, and kale! Loving that addition there.
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Kiersten says
If I didn't have to take photos, I would have been right there doing the same thing!
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Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
So pretty and comforting! Adding this to my holiday menu. 🙂
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Kiersten says
Yay! I wanted to come up with something that would be perfect as part of a holiday dinner spread. 🙂
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Rachel @ Following In My Shoes says
This looks AMAZING -- seriously. Your pictures are so beautiful... and I have sweet potatoes in my pantry. I think I know how they'll be used!
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Kiersten says
Thank you! And you like kale too, right? So it's perfect! 🙂
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Rachel @ Following In My Shoes says
Heck yeah! I lurrrrve kale.
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Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
I die. I absolutely die.
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Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
PS. I like the looks of the giveaway entry thing you're using. Which one is that?
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Kiersten says
It's a Wufoo contact form. You have to pay for it, but I really wanted to do a form entry. I've had readers tell me they don't understand how to use Rafflecopter and a lot of people don't like leaving comments either. This is the first one I'm doing like this, so we'll see how it goes!
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Maria Tadic says
This looks like a delicious recipe! If you want to lighten up dishes with heavy cream, you could sub in evaporated milk - not the skim, but 1% works really well. Use the same amount as the heavy cream and you still get a thick creamy texture without all the extra saturated fat! A little tip from a dietitian/chef I worked with!
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Kiersten says
Thanks for the tip! 🙂
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Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
Looks and sounds fantastic. I'm a huge kale fan, so I definitley want to try this!
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Jessi says
This is really brilliant!
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Genevieve says
Glad you were able to create a sweet potato dish that worked out so well! My family likes scalloped potatoes as a side dish at holiday gatherings, but I would definitely prefer sweet potatoes, especially when kale is included too!
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Kiersten says
I haven't had scalloped potatoes in SO long! I had an idea for those that I was going to do this month, but I did a potato recipe last week, so I figured I better wait or people will be potatoed out. 🙂
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trisha says
You make vegis look good. Can you come over?'
trisha
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Kiersten says
But they are good! They really are!
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trisha says
I actually really do love vegis, but sweet potatoes have never been a favorite of mine. I like old fashioned vegis like broccoli and stuff. Green stuff. Ive been trying to get into the sweet potatoes and made them this year w/ bourbon. I was like....nah. Give me a fork and some lettuce.
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Kiersten says
A lot of people seem to not like sweet potatoes. Maybe it's the sweetness? Or the texture? I'm actually picky about vegetables too, believe it or not. I've never even eaten a raw tomato. 😛
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Angie@Angie's Recipes says
A wholesome veggie treat! I have never prepared, let alone had, a gratin with this combo..sweet potato and kale...a perfect match made in heaven!
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Kiersten says
It's not exactly traditional, but like I said, I can never do things the traditional way. 😉
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Danielle says
Any recommendations (other than vegan cheese) for making this vegan? Any suggestions for an exchange for the cream?
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Kiersten says
I wouldn't attempt to use a non-dairy milk--I don't think it will be thick enough. Instead, I'd use cashew cream. You might have to keep the casserole covered a little bit longer (maybe even the whole baking time?) to make sure the cashew cream doesn't get too thick or harden, though. I've had mixed results baking it!
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Danielle says
Thanks!!
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Cassie | Bake Your Day says
This is amazing. we love sweet potatoes!
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claire @ the realistic nutritionist says
this is so pretty!!
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Shannon says
I have not yet tried kale but want to and this looks SOOOO delicious! Yum!
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Kiersten says
Thank you! I really love kale--the texture is better than spinach and the taste is milder than other greens.
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Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
I am putting this on my holiday menu list!
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Kiersten says
It is so perfect for the holidays! 🙂
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Bernadette @ Now Stir It Up says
This looks great. I love using oragnic milk/cream etc. It always lasts longer too.
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Kiersten says
I never noticed that it lasts longer. I guess I use it all up too quickly! 😉
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kirsten@FarmFreshFeasts says
How delicious--thanks!
I've made Smitten Kitchen's gratin with swiss chard, but I'm getting kale in the farm share and have some mixed greens put up, so I will try this with one of them!
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Kiersten says
I love the idea of making a gratin with Swiss chard! Well, this recipe would definitely work with any kind of greens, I think. I just happen to be partial to kale. 🙂
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Ashley - Baker by Nature says
I feel like I just can't get enough when it comes to sweet potatoes and kale! I love love love this dish... it might even be at our party this weekend.
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Kiersten says
Me neither. I have so many sweet potato & kale recipes on my blog. When I find something I like, I really latch onto it! 🙂
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Hannah Healy @ Healy Real Food Vegetarian says
This looks soo yummy! It would be a great side dish for Christmas!
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Stephanie @ henry happened says
How smart are you to use sweet potatoes and kale! I'm pretty sure it cancels out the heavy whipping cream. And I spotted the napkin! That's my 1 and only food photography prop 🙂
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Kiersten says
Ha! Well, you have good taste then. 😉 I need to buy some more props. I'm starting to think people are going to notice that I always use the same forks and that I have exactly 5 napkins that I use on a rotating basis.
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Natalie @ Once Upon a Cutting Board says
I had a similar experience trying to use milk in a chowder recently and it just got all curdled and gross looking, but still tasted good! I love the looks of this gratin and that you added kale!
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Kiersten says
Yup, I've had that happen with soups too. I always try to lighten things up and use lower fat dairy, but apparently that makes things more prone to curdling. 🙁
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Katherine says
This looks amazing!
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Mumseword says
New dish on my christmas must cook list! =)
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