Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Sage Cream Sauce
These scalloped sweet potatoes are actually a mix of russet potatoes and yams smothered in sage cream sauce and baked with Gruyère cheese. This twist on a classic holiday side dish is guaranteed to steal the spotlight at your next holiday dinner or special gathering!
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A few years ago at Thanksgiving, my husband and I came up with the idea to put a spin on traditional scalloped potatoes by mixing regular russet potatoes with yams and flavouring with fresh sage from our garden.
The final product was so delicious that it quickly became a crowd pleaser and a favourite dish at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
We would make it year-round if it weren’t so decadent! But keeping it a special dish for holiday meals makes it all the more special (and keeps our buttons from busting off our pants).
How it all began…
Scalloped potatoes have always been one of my favourite holiday dishes. I’m not generally a huge fan of potatoes as I find them too heavy and starchy most of the time. But thinly-sliced potatoes in a creamy sauce with melted cheese??? Um, yes please.
Still, I wanted to mix it up a bit, so when we found out we’d be hosting Thanksgiving dinner a few years ago, we decided to make a scalloped potato dish with a bit of a twist.
We opted to do a 50/50 mix of regular potatoes and yams, and used fresh sage from our garden to make an herb-infused creamy sauce that we just knew would compliment this twist on a classic holiday side dish.
I was inspired by a recipe I’d once tried that consisted of pumpkin-stuffed pasta shells with sage cream sauce. I remembered the sauce being out-of-this-world delicious and wanted to recreate it.
I also figured that since sage went so well with pumpkin, it would also go well with yams. I’m not really sure why I equated yams with pumpkins, other than the fact they’re both orange-coloured vegetables that are best enjoyed in the fall and winter months. But for whatever reason, I just knew that since pumpkin and sage went together so well, yams and sage would too.
Related: Spaghetti Squash With Brown Butter & Sage
So we assembled our dish, row by row, covered it in sage cream sauce and, of course, topped it with melted cheese.
The best melty cheese for scalloped sweet potatoes
I think we used Swiss cheese the first time we made this, and it was really yummy. But as we made this dish more and more, the recipe began to evolve a bit and we upgraded to Gruyère cheese instead.
Gruyère is a type of Swiss cheese, but it’s richer and more flavourful than the standard Emmental-style Swiss Cheese (the kind with the holes in it) that we’re used to. You can, however, use either for this dish. But if you can afford the extra few bucks to splurge on Gruyère, I highly recommend it. It is hands down the best “melting” cheese on Earth. In my humble opinion, of course:)
The first time we made these scalloped sweet potatoes, they were a hit all around. We demolished the whole baking dish in no time and we and our family members raved about how good it was.
Naturally, we’ve kept this in our arsenal and have continued to make it at just about every holiday dinner throughout the year, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, which we now tend to host every year. Coincidence?
The evolution of a much anticipated holiday side dish
We’ve now made this at least a half dozen times (probably more), and each time the dish seems to evolve just a little. I think we’ve finally perfected it. Oh, and every time we make it now, we make a double batch so we have one whole pan left over for ourselves. Because there is rarely, if ever, leftovers from just one pan full after a family meal! And we like to, um, indulge over the holiday season;)
We haven’t changed much from our original recipe (except the aforementioned cheese upgrade), but I think we’ve finally got all of the portions just right. Oh ya, and we now add a layer of sage cream sauce in between each layer of potatoes rather than just pouring it over top, making this dish the creamiest, most flavourful and decadent side dish to grace our table each holiday season.
This is not for the dieter, the vegan, or the faint of heart. But if you’re in search of a dish your guests will be raving about all the way until your next holiday dinner, look no further my friend. This is it.
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Sage Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- One medium to large yam or sweet potato (yams add a beautiful bright orange colour to this dish), sliced thin
- 2-3 large russet potatoes, sliced thin
- 1/2 a large onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup butter, plus extra for greasing baking dish
- 2 cups whipping cream (or substitute heavy cream)
- 3 cups (about 300g) of Gruyère cheese, shredded (if you can’t find Gruyère you can substitute Swiss or Emmental)
- One bunch of fresh sage or 1/4 cup of dried sage, chopped fine
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all of your ingredients so they’re ready to be assembled. For best results, slice potatoes very thin; About 1/8 or even 1/16 of an inch thick is best. Place sliced potatoes in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning and strain them well before assembling dish. Make sure to strain out as much liquid as possible (we strain our potatoes and then pat them dry on paper towels to help absorb any extra liquid). Yams do not need to be placed in water as they will not discolour.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Melt butter and sauté onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Add cream and stir to mix well. Bring to a simmer and add sage, salt and pepper. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly to help infuse the flavour of the sage into the cream sauce.
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Begin by assembling the first layer. Start with a single layer of yams. Then add a single layer of potatoes on top of the yams. Sprinkle a light layer of cheese over both layers of potatoes and cover with a light layer of sage cream sauce. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper to taste. Repeat 3 more times until you have 4 layers of yams, potatoes, cheese and sauce. Pour any extra sauce over the top layer and top with any remaining cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
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For many, wood heat and wood burning stoves conjure up nostalgia and cozy feelings. But more importantly, wood heat is reliable, affordable and gives us the ability to heat our homes without relying on the grid or on other types of energy, which are currently in short supply.
While we typically think of wood stoves and traditional fireplaces when we think of wood heat, there is an even MORE efficient and sustainable way to heat our homes with wood…
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Due to their highly efficient design, rocket mass heaters emit more heat for longer than conventional wood burning stoves and fireplaces, and are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than other types of wood heat.
They burn at a higher temperature, emit practically no smoke at all, and charge the thermal mass around them, which continues to emit radiant heat long after the fire goes out. Not to mention, rocket mass heaters require much less fuel than conventional wood stoves or fireplaces. Some estimates even say rocket mass heaters can reduce fuel consumption by up to 90 per cent!
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“Not eating mushrooms is like not eating an entire food group… And a healthy one.”
Mushrooms have had a bit of a bad rap in the west for a long time. Depending on the type of mushroom in question, they’ve either been regarded as something to turn your nose up at or even something to be afraid of.
But in recent years mushrooms have started gaining momentum as both medicine and superfoods, and with more and more people looking for natural alternatives to conventional (and often harmful) prescription drugs, psychedelic mushrooms are even being legalized and used in small (micro) doses to treat mental health issues with promising results.
The story of mushrooms and the entire fungi kingdom is as complex and captivating as the mycelium networks they fruit from, and the potential health and wellness benefits of adding more mushrooms into our diets and lives are only just beginning to be understood.
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If becoming more self-sufficient and optimizing your overall health and wellness is part of your master plan for 2023, mushrooms should definitely be a part of your approach.
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Link in bio @anna.sakawsky or head to https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
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When I first started growing my own food at home, the gardening world seemed pretty black and white to me: plants grow in the dirt, outdoors, in the spring and summer. That’s what us city kids always learned in school anyway.
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Sprouts are considered to be a superfood because of how nutrient dense they are and when we eat them, we get the health benefits of all of those nutrients in our own bodies.
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Living a slow, simple life isn’t easy in this fast-paced world.
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We all know that our culture praises productivity and busy-ness, and most of us know it’s a scam that keeps us stressed, burnt out and focused on the wrong things in life. Ultimately many of us end up feeling unfulfilled even though we’re spinning our wheels every day working to keep up with the demands of the world and our never-ending to-do list. Most of us would rather be resting, relaxing, spending quality time with our loved ones and doing things that light us up rather than simply keep us busy. But it’s hard to break free from the societal pressure to do more, produce more, earn more, acquire more and ultimately BE more.
So while I still struggle with this daily, and I don’t have any easy answers for how to overcome this, I wanted to share that today I’m choosing slow; Today I’m choosing to be present in the here and now rather than worrying about yesterday or tomorrow; Today I’m choosing snuggles with my baby boy over emails and deadlines, and while I still feel that guilt rising up inside me, I’m making a conscious effort to remind myself that the world won’t end because I chose to slow down today, and at the end of my life I won’t regret taking this time with my son, but I might regret NOT slowing down to enjoy it.
I encourage you to apply the same thought process to your own life and give yourself permission to slow down and enjoy the gift of time you’ve been given today. After all, you never know when it might be your last day. And if it were your last, how would you wish you’d spent it?
In the dark, bitter cold days of midwinter when we’ve been deprived of quality time in the sunshine and the trees are all bare, it can be easy for almost anyone to feel depressed and to overlook the tiny miracles that are happening all around us.
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Connect with nature and enjoy the little things to help beat the winter blues. Go for a walk in the woods or the park and really pay attention to the natural world around you. Watch the songbirds flitting back and forth, gathering winter berries. Look for signs of greenery and new growth; Maybe even some snowdrops or crocuses have begun to emerge from the ground where you live.
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Spring is coming!
While most people run to the store every time they need something, you and I are not most people. Oh no friend… We are modern homesteaders.
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When it comes to citrus fruits, if you live in a place where you can grow them yourself, then you’ll probably have more than you can handle fresh when they’re in season. Knowing how to preserve them will help ensure nothing gets wasted.
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I’ve tried my hand at many skills and tackled my share of adventurous projects over the years. Along my homesteading and journey I’ve tried everything from candle-making to cheesemaking, sourdough bread to fermented vegetables, canning and dehydrating to rendering lard and more. When it comes to home medicine, I’ve learned how to make may useful concoctions, from herbal teas, tinctures and syrups to poultices, salves, ciders and more. But encapsulating my own placenta after the birth of our son was definitely a first, and by far my most adventurous “kitchen project” and foray into home medicine so far.
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Sweets & Treats
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Check out the full list at https://thehouseandhomestead.com/frugal-recipes-roundup/ or visit the link in my bio.
Eat well friends:)
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In our Winter Issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, my friend and fellow homesteader, Ashley Constance of @alittleselfreliant wrote "Breaking Your Cabin Fever" a list of ideas for staying productive over the winter months.
If you're feeling a bit restless and up to it, this list of ideas is a perfect way to get back into a daily routine.
From making and creating, to preparing, planning and organizing you'll be feeling ready for Spring in no time.
To see the full list, subscribe to Modern Homesteading Magazine here at https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/subscribe/ or visit the link in my bio.
Homesteading is a year-round lifestyle, and
for whatever reason, homesteading is most often thought of as a three-season “activity.”
1. 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨.
2. 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳.
3. 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭.
So much of homesteading centers around preparing for winter. But what happens when winter finally arrives?
Sure, we could just hunker down and relax, enjoy the fruits of our labour and rest until spring returns and the really busy seasons begin again. But the very nature of most homesteaders is that we tend to enjoy keeping busy. In other words, we tend to go a bit stir crazy sitting around on the couch for too long.
Now, let me just make this clear before we continue: I think it’s VERY important to take time to rest whenever possible so that you can feel rejuvenated and be more productive when you really need to be, but if you’re looking for some (mostly relaxing) homesteading activities that you can do throughout the winter months to help keep you occupied, I’ve got a few suggestions for you:)
My full list of winter homesteading activities can be found here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/winter-homesteading-activities/
Happy homesteading!
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