Garden Recipe: Sweet Potato Gratin

There are fewer choices for fresh, local vegetables right now at the farmer’s market, but sweet potatoes are still readily available. The following recipe for Sweet Potato Gratin is cheesy and delicious! It’s a variation on a sweet potato gratin recipe my wife found in Sunset Magazine back in December of 2006. Give it a try to warm up an early spring evening.

Ingredients:
4 large Sweet potatoes peeled and cut into medallions a little less than ¼”thick
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
½ onion, sautéed
1 ½ cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ tablespoons butter

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees, butter a 9 by 13 baking dish. Spread a layer of the potato slices and sprinkle with a little of each type of cheese and half the saute'ed onion. Add two more layers of potatoes and cheese.
2) Combine milk, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Pour the mixture over potatos and cheese. Dot potatoes with butter (about 1 tablespoon) and cover the baking dish with foil.
3) Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes - until potatoes are soft and cheese is golden brown.