If you love sweet potatoes you’ll love this recipe.  I can eat sweet potatoes right out of the oven with just butter and S&P but this gratin is even more savory and sumptuous with fresh herbs, Gorgonzola and cream.  Serve it with any roasted meat.  With all the vitamin A and C ingested you’ll see right past the calories.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb of fresh sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
• 1-1/2 cups of whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves chopped fine
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves chopped fine
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 4 ounces of Bleu Cheese or Gorgonzola Cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a 9″ X 11″ rectangular baking pan with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl mix together the rosemary, thyme, pepper flakes, salt and pepper. 
4. Use a mandolin or slicer blade on a food processor to slice sweet potatoes 1/8″ thick. 
5. Arrange 1/3 of the sweet potato slices in a single layer on the bottom of the pan, over-lapping each slice slightly. 
6. Pour 1/2 cup of whipping cream over the layer and sprinkle 1/3 of the herb mix over the cream and half of the bleu cheese. 
7. Repeat layers, ending with the sweet potatoes, cream and the herb mix. 
8. Cover pan with foil or glass lid if using pyrex and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes or until top is nicely browned. 
9. Remove from oven and let stand for 20 minutes before slicing into squares.

Variations:

1. Add 2 scallions, sliced thinly, tops and bottoms both, to the herb mix.
2. Top each layer of potatoes with fresh spinach before applying the cream and herb mix.
3. Top each layer of potatoes with crisp bacon bits or slices of proscuitto.
4. Crumble feta cheese over each layer.