There’s a lot to do when you have to make a Thanksgiving feast. There’s the turkey, of course. But that’s not enough for a holiday feast. It’s hard to come up with dishes at the last moment, so it is better to decide your menu beforehand. One dish that should definitely go on your holiday feast menu is Paula Deen’s sweet potato gratin.

I mean, a lot of people make potatoes au gratin for Thanksgiving but it is good to stir things up once in a while. With Paula Deen’s sweet potato gratin, you stick to the traditional route, only diverging a little bit. The dish looks beautiful with a brown and crispy crust. Dig deeper and you’ll discover tender potatoes layered with a creamy and slightly hot sauce and delicious parmesan.

Paula Deen’s recipe for sweet potato gratin includes topping the potatoes with caramelized onions. The caramelized onions are also not your regular run-of-the-mill ones. They are caramelized with brown sugar that makes them sweeter and the dish smoother. But before you check it out, explore some other recipes from the celebrity chef, Paula Deen.

1. Paula Deen’s Roasted Turkey– Need a great yet simple turkey recipe for holidays? Try Paula Deen’s roasted turkey recipe. The turkey is stuffed with herbs and onions. Not only that, the gravy is made with pan juices from the turkey. So, you get two recipes in the guise of one.

2. Paula Deen’s Chicken And Dressing– Paula Deen’s chicken and dressing recipe is as delicious as it is healthy. It is made with chicken cooked in vegetables. It is then baked with cooked vegetables, cornbread, and biscuits. This delicious recipe makes for a delightful and fulfilling dinner.

3.  Paula Deen’s Cranberry Congealed Salad– Paula Deen cranberry congealed salad has a crunchy yet buttery base and a delicious layer of cheese on top. Although it’s a salad, but it tastes more like a dessert. Made the gelatinous cranberry base, top it with cheese and fresh cranberries.

4. Paula Deen’s Jello Salad– If you are a fan of jello, then you must try Paula Deen’s jello salad. The jello is made with cranberry and pineapple. It is then topped with cream cheese and walnuts. You can also add fresh fruits on top like pineapples, raspberries, and cranberries.

What Equipment Will You Need To Make Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Gratin?

• 13×9 inch Baking Dish- You need a baking dish to layer and bake the gratin.
• Large Skillet- Use the large skillet to caramelize the onions. 
• Small Saucepan- Make the sauce in the small saucepan.
• Non-Stick Cooking Spray- Grease the baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray before layering the potatoes and sauce in it.
• Oven- Turn the potatoes into ‘gratin’ by baking them in the oven.
• Aluminum Foil- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and then bake it.
• Slotted Spoon, Whisk, and Knife- When you need to take the onions out of the skillet, use a slotted spoon for that. Use the whisk for whisking the sauce and the knife for slicing. 

How Much Time Will You Need To Make Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Gratin?

What Ingredients Will You Need To Make Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Gratin?

• Sweet Potatoes- Your potatoes should be very thinly sliced for this gratin so that the layers come out tender and gooey.  
• All-Purpose Flour, Half-and-Half, and Butter- These three ingredients are the base for your sauce that you’ll layer the potatoes with. 
• Onions- Caramelize the onions and lay them on top of the potato layers.
• Parmesan Cheese- This is crucial and kind of important. There is never enough cheese, so I suggest you be generous with it. 
• Dijon Mustard- Add mustard to the sauce to give it more flavor. 
• Olive Oil- Use olive oil to fry and caramelize the onions.
• Dark Brown Sugar- Add the brown sugar to the onions to caramelize them and make them sweeter. 
• Cayenne Pepper and Smoked Paprika- This adds a dash of spice to the dish and increases the hotness factor just by a bit. 
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper- Season! Season! Season well!
• Fresh Parsley (chopped) optional- This is optional but makes the dish taste better and adds a herby freshness. 

Steps To Make Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Gratin

1. Get The Prep Done

Get the preparations done for the baking first. Preheat your oven to a temperature of 350℉. Also, prep the baking dish by greasing it with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Caramel Onions

Over medium heat, place a pan and heat oil in it, and add half of the sliced onions to it. Cook them for about 5 minutes and then reduce the heat to medium. 

You want to cook the onions slowly for about 15 minutes until they turn dark brown. Then, sprinkle half of the brown sugar and cayenne pepper on it. This gives the onions a sweet and hot flavor. Take the onions out of the skillet using a slotted spoon. Repeat the process with the remaining onions, sugar, and cayenne. 

3. Things Get Saucy

To make the sauce, melt butter in a small saucepan and add the flour to it. Stir continuously with a whisk for almost 2 minutes until they are combined. Make sure there are no lumps. Then, add half-and-half to the pan slowly and keep stirring. The stirring makes sure that there are no lumps in the sauce and it is smooth.

To add flavor to the sauce, add dijon mustard, smoked paprika, pepper, and salt to it. Cook it while stirring every now and then until it is thick. When the sauce reaches desired consistency, remove the pan from heat.

4. King Layer

Sorry for the Shakespearean pun, but now it’s time to layer. Take the baking dish you prepared earlier and layer half of the thinly sliced sweet potatoes at the bottom of it. Pour half of the sauce over the potatoes and sprinkle a cup of parmesan cheese over it. Repeat this to make a similar layer and top with the caramelized onions.

Cover this dish with aluminum foil and pop it in the oven. Bake them for 30 minutes. Then, uncover the dish and bake for 15 more minutes. When the top looks bubbly and brown, take the dish out of the oven. Don’t dig in immediately and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Lastly, garnish with chopped parsley and lay it on the dining table along with your other beautiful Thanksgiving dishes. 

Nutritional Value

How Will Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Gratin Look And Taste Like?

When you take the sweet potato gratin out of the oven, the top looks brown and crusty. You can see the melted and bubbly cheese. When you cut a slice of it, you can see the beautiful layers of tender sweet potatoes, creamy sauce, and melted cheese. You can taste the sweet and somewhat hot caramelized onions. The sauce tasted rich and heavenly with the butter and cream. The parmesan makes it better, like always. There is a slight hint of mustard in the sauce that you can sense. This sweet potato dish is delicious, leaning towards the creamy and cheesy side. 

Recipe Card

This is all you need to know about Paula Deen’s recipe for sweet potato gratin. I hope I helped you with whatever you were looking for. Leave a comment if you’d like to give any suggestions or just want to tell us how much you liked the recipe. Until next time, happy cooking!