Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

SCALLOPED SWEET POTATOES WITH BACON AND GRUYERE ARE THE BEST SWEET POTATO ANYTHING!

Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!


 

Why you’ll love THIS Scalloped Sweet Potatoes RECIPE

These Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Gruyere are about to become your new favorite sweet potato casserole.  They’re made with herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of sweet potatoes, bacon, onions and Gruyere cheese then baked to tender, golden, bubbly perfection.  These Scalloped Sweet Potatoes are perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!
Do you say po-a-to or po-tah-to? Well, all that really matters is what you love to eat the with them.  Am I right?  Scalloped potatoes are a favorite dish.  Cheese and potatoes are a timeless couple.  Using sliced sweet potatoes, perfectly adorning herbs and bacon take this wining combo to the next level in this Scalloped Sweet Potato recipe.
Creamy Gruyere cheese and the gratin crispy topping are what every potato dreams are made of.  They might even be more dreamy than my Company Mashed PotatoesRoasted Hasselback Sweet Potatoes or Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Parmesan.  At least my friend Melanie thought so (update – and now all her family thinks so!  These Scalloped Sweet Potatoes are a new Thanksgiving MUST that all the siblings and in-laws make on repeat).
I took these Herb Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Gruyere to my friend, Melanie’s house for a Thanksgiving shoot complete with a spread of Carlsbad Cravings recipes and her amazing Thanksgiving Chalkboard Prints.
The cheesy, bacon, herb aroma was torturous as we exercised all our self control to not dive face first into the Scalloped Sweet Potatoes before the photo shoot was done.
The second the last photo was snapped, we all grabbed our forks and both Melanie and her husband emphatically agreed these were the “best potatoes [they’ve] ever eaten.”  I agree Melanie and Dan, I agree.

caravan1
Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!
Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!
Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!

Potato Options

With 4 color varieties of sweet potatoes you can mix and match colors!  I have also prepared this Scalloped Sweet Potato recipe with half sweet potato and half Yukon.  You can always make in a few smaller dishes with different potatoes.  Reference my Potatoes and Bacon Au Gratin recipe for white potato options.

Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!

How to Make Scalloped Sweet Potatoes

Let’s take a closer look at how to make this recipe with step-by-step photos (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

  1. To make Scalloped Sweet Potatoes, start by simmering your herbs, onions and cream together to create luscious, flavor infused cream while you peel and slice your potatoes.
  2. You then bathe your sliced sweet potatoes in the herbed cream then simply layer some cream, sweet potatoes and onions, bacon and Gruyere a few times and then bake until tender.  Once tender, smother with the last of the cheese and broil to golden delicious bubbly perfection.
  3. And in less than 60 minutes you have the best sweet potatoes or scalloped potatoes you have ever tasted!
Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!

Scalloped Sweet Potato Recipe Tips

  • Simmer your “Spiced Cream” while you slice your sweet potatoes for maximum efficiency.
  • For this particular recipe, I actually prefer dried herbs in the Spiced Cream as I think they hold up better to the heat but fresh is till good.
  • Use a slotted spoon when scooping out the potatoes/onions that have been coated in cream.  The slotted spoon will allow you to leave most of the cream in the bowl so you can pour it over the potatoes later.
  • You are welcome to substitute ham for the bacon to make a hearty meal-in-one.
  • We wait to cover our potatoes with cheese until the last 10 minutes or else it will brown to quickly.  For ultimate decadence, add more cheese.
  • Test the potatoes in the CENTER to make sure they are tender. Cooking times will vary depending on multiple factors (specifically the thickness of your potatoes) so if your potatoes aren’t tender then just keep cooking.
  • When potatoes are done, broil until golden brown to develop that gorgeous crusty cheese layer.
    Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!
        Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!

        Herb Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Gruyere.  Taste the magic. 

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          Looking for the BEST scalloped sweet potatoes ever EVER?! Fresh herbs simmered in cream poured over layers of potatoes, bacon and onions topped with Gruyere cheese. Perfect for Thanksgiving, company or every day!

          Herb Scalloped Sweet Potatoes and Bacon Au Gratin

          Servings: 8
          Total Time: 1 hour
          Prep Time: 20 minutes
          Cook Time: 40 minutes

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          Ingredients

          • 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3-4 medium potatoes)
          • 8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
          • 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces)
          • 1 tablespoon butter, cut into 8 cubes

          Herb Cream

          Instructions

          • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
          • Add the "Herb Cream" ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 5-10 minutes while you grease a 9×13 casserole dish and peel and slice potatoes into ⅛ inch slices. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl. Discard bay leaves.
          • Spoon just enough of the herb cream that has been simmering to cover the bottom of the casserole dish. Pour the remaining cream over the potatoes and gently toss to coat.
          • Using a slotted spoon, layer the bottom of the casserole dish with ⅓ of the potato/onion slices (the slotted spoon will allow you to leave most of the cream in the bowl). Layer 1 cup of the cheese, ⅓ of the bacon then top with ⅓ of remaining cream. Repeat layers.
          • Top the casserole with remaining potato/onion slices and pour over remaining cream. Dot the potatoes with cubed butter (reserving remaining cheese and bacon for the end).
          • Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender (will depend on how thin your potato slices are). Remove from the oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese then broil until cheese is golden. Remove and sprinkle with remaining bacon. Let potatoes rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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          60 Comments

          1. Dorothy Dunton says

            Hi Jen! I love sweet potatoes and these look heavenly! My husband will eat them, but would never ask for them, but he loves squash ?? 🙂

          2. Lawrence says

            Hey Jen, Thanks you for sharing with us a great recipe. Looks so delicious. I just printed the recipe and have to try it next week!

            • Jen says

              You are so welcome Lawrence! I am excited you are going to try it next week – YAY! Enjoy!!

              • Diane says

                I wonder about substituting butternut squash for the sweet potatoes? To much moisture? Please let me know what you think it if you’ve tried!

                • Jen says

                  Hi Diane, I think that could work but having never tried it, I can’t guarantee the outcome. You would want to cook for much less time.

                  • Diane says

                    No need to add flour or cook the potatoes in the cream? With sweet potatoes having far less starch than white want to be sure it binds well and isn’t a runny dish? Thanks!

                  • Jen says

                    Nope, it won’t be runny! The cream reduces somewhat while it simmers and then the potatoes absorb the rest. Enjoy!

          3. Jessica says

            These look amazing! Curious what you usually serve as a main dish with these?

            • Jen says

              Hi Jessica! They go beautifully with my Chicken Cordon Bleu on my site or any other main meat/steak dish and of course they go fabulous with turkey on Thanksgiving! Enjoy!

          4. Susie says

            these sound wonderful and I am going to make them to take to our Thanksgiving Potluck Feast. Do you think they would hold to make ahead? It would be easier for me to cook at home than try to cook them in the RV oven!!

            • Jen says

              I think you could definitely make these ahead of time! They keep very well and reheat well too. Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

          5. beata says

            Hello , I just want to make sure : it says ” 1 tablespoon butter , cut into 8 cubes ” – or should that be 1 stick of butter ?
            Please , let me know ! I’m ready to try it tomorrow ! Thank you !

            • Jen says

              Hi Beata, is indeed just 1 tablespoon. Enjoy!

              • beata says

                Thank you Jane ! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving !

          6. Sarah says

            Hi Jen!
            I just wanted to stop by and let you know that I made this for my family & friends on Thanksgiving and everyone LOVED it! Most people weren’t too interested when they found out it had sweet potatoes, but by the end of the night it was the clear favorite with everyone going back for seconds. Thank you so much for sharing and I hope you and your family had a great thanksgiving!

            • Jen says

              YAY! I am thrilled everyone loved them enough for seconds – even if they are sweet potatoes 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know and making my day Sarah! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well! PS Just checked out your blog – simply stunning!

          7. beata says

            I meant to say… JEN ! All the best !

          8. Michelle says

            I made these sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving and they were definitely the favorite dish of the day with everyone asking me for the recipe! I will never make another potato recipe again! Thank you!

            • Jen says

              Wow, thanks for the awesome compliment Michelle, you made my day! I am thrilled everyone loved the so much! Happy belated Thanksgiving!

          9. Lydia says

            Hi Jen

            I really like the flavours in this gratin. My husband and kids gave this dish the thumbs up. Woohoo… It’s amazing how you managed to transform sweet potatoes into such a fantastic dish. Thanks for creating great recipes like this. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.

            • Jen says

              Hi Lydia, welcome to my site! I am thrilled to hear that even the kids gave this dish a thumbs up – wahoo! I hope you have fun exploring and finding new favorites! Thanks for commenting!!

          10. Danielle Stewart says

            I quadrupled this recipe to serve to our brothers and sisters on the streets. I love to make really good food for them and this was such a huge hit.

            • Jen says

              Danielle, you are such an angel! I am so happy this was such a hit! God bless you!

          11. Michelle says

            This sounds amazing but I was wondering if there is anything that can be subbed for the heavy cream? Certain dairy items can be a problem for me, so if I can make this a little more dairy free I’d love to give it a try! Any suggestions?

            • Jen says

              Hi Michelle, I would try full fat coconut milk instead. It will have a little bit of a coconut flavor but not too strong and I think it will be delicious!

          12. Alma @ Freelance Content Writer says

            Hello Jen! I enjoy wonderful potatoes and also these appearance heavenly! I simply intended to visit and allow you understand that I made this for my household & close friends on Thanksgiving and also everybody loved it! Many people just weren’t also interested when they figured out it had wonderful potatoes, yet by the end of the night it was the clear favored with everyone going back for secs. Thanks a lot for sharing and also I hope you and also your household had a terrific thanksgiving!

            • Jen says

              Hi Alma, I am thrilled this was such a hit and so flattered it was a favorite – yay! I have to admit I was a bit confused when I first read your comment but then I realized you must be in Canada and had already had Thanksgiving 🙂 – I hope it was absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and make my day!

          13. Beth says

            Hi, do you think I could make this 4or 5 days early and freeze? It looks too good to pass up but I won’t have the time on thanksgiving or the day before. How do you usually reheat? Thank you!

            • Jen says

              Hi Beth! I have never frozen scalloped potatoes before so I cannot speak for the outcome but there are several articles on the internet suggesting that they freeze just fine BUT the important thing is to undercook the potatoes or they will become mushy when defrosted. You want to cook them until they are almost done but not completely cooked, so you will want to monitor them closely. Once baked, immediately place in the refrigerator to cool. You can either bake frozen and increase baking time or defrost before baking – either should work fine. Happy early Thanksgiving!

          14. Regan says

            This recipe was delicious. My husband and brother-in-law, who are both not fans of sweet potatoes, loved it. MMMmmm, thinking of getting another helping.

            • Jen says

              YAY! I’m so happy it was such a hit – even with the non sweet potato people! Thank you so much Regan!

          15. Marie says

            I cant wait to try these, my mouth has been watering for days just thinking about them! Could I prep them and bake them the next day? Or do you suggest to do it all the same day for maximum freshness and flavor?

            • Jen says

              I think the same day is always the bests but these would still be delicious prepped in advance 🙂

          16. Debra Cappelli says

            Hi Jen – was looking for something different to do with sweet potatoes this Thanksgiving and this looks awesome. Just one question – the bay leaves – do you pull those out when you are putting the casserole together? Most of the other herbs are finely cut up so they should be fine, but the bay leaves appear to be left whole. Thanks a bunch!!

            • Jen says

              Great question! Yes, you remove the bay leaves, I will clarify in the recipe, thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!

          17. ALECIA says

            This recipe sounDs perfect for what i wanted to make this year! Would it still work if I used cubed sweet potatoes instead of the sliced scallop style? TIA!

            • Jen says

              Hi Alecia! I think cubed potatoes should work but they definitely take longer to cook than scalloped sweet potatoes so you will either need to increase the baking time or you could microwave your cubed potatoes in the microwave with a little bit of water (then drain the water) for a few minutes to give them a headstart. Enjoy!

          18. Letha Bouse says

            I made this recipe for the first time this Thanksgiving and my son insists that it’s on the menu for all our holiday get together meals. I’m taking to the office Christmas party and sure to be a hit there as well.

            • Jen says

              Awesome Letha, I’m so happy everyone loved these sweet potatoes – especially your son – that’s so cute! Merry Christmas!

          19. Amy says

            Jen- I have come to trust and respect your awesome recipes time and time again! I had so many recipes of yours pinned and not sure what took me so long, but finally followed your profile, and love all your recipes. I love all the flavors in too many of your recipes to list here. I’ll try to get to the point in this post, LOL, I’ve made these wonderful scalloped sweet potatoes and can tell you I’m not a sweet potato fan; I served them twice at holidays and they were loved by all; including myself. I’d rather have roasted sweet potatoes or these scalloped sweet potatoes only when eating them:) So, my question, I needed to double the amount of servings, it shows me the adjustments but would I also cook in larger casserole dish? Is this something you can easily double measurements and still get same results as original size? Also, I’m not sure what happened before, sometimes they seem to become greasy on top and don’t cook together?. When not sure what’s for dinner…..ask….what would Carlsbad Cravings serve?!!! LOL!!!

            • Jen says

              Hi Amy, thank you so so much for your kind words! I thrilled and honored you are loving my recipes! As far as doubling the recipe, it would be best to simply make 2 9×13 casserole dishes. If you do need to use one pan, then yes, definitely use a large pan and the only thing you would have to adjust is the cooking time – can’t tell you exactly how much longer you would need to cook them, that will depend on the size of the pan. As far as the grease on top, it is likely the butter fat separating from the cream so my best suggestion is to slice your potatoes thinner so they bake for less time and the fats are less likely to separate. I hope that helps!

              • Amy says

                Thanks so much Jen for the suggestions and will follow the best I can. I plan on making tomorrow for Easter dinner and will just try the one 9×13 and see how that goes. So excited! Happy Easter to you and yours!

          20. Royal says

            This was a HUGE hit last year during the holidays. I’m making this again this thanksgiving. I made this once using some swiss because I didn’t have enough gruyere and it was so salty with swiss cheese. A friend said she has noticced that the saltiness of swiss stands out more when cooked. Gruyere is definitely the way to go. Just bought a big block at Bjs. I love sweet potatoes, and this is just decadently delicious.

            • Jen says

              Thanks so much Royal! I’m s pleased these Scalloped Sweet Potatoes were such a hit last year and I hope they were equally adored this Thanksgiving! Thanks also for the tip about Swiss Cheese – Gruyere will always shave my heart too!

          21. Beth says

            Seriously. Everything I make from your site is fantastic. I adore sweet potatoes (my family does not) so I made a smaller version to try on Thanksgiving. I thought it was fantastic!! I used half n half and left off the butter on the top. It was the first thing I pulled out of the fridge to reheat later :)!

            • Jen says

              Thank you so much Beth, that means so much to me that you are loving my recipes including these Scalloped Sweet Potatoes! and yay for leftovers 🙂

          22. Amy says

            These look so good! I really don’t like the taste of thyme, but I love rosemary with sweet potatoes. Can I sub rosemary and would I still add the nutmeg?

          23. Stevie says

            I made this for thanksgiving this year and WOW it was so good!! It was the total winner with my family out of all the dishes brought this year. I felt like a pro chef and it was so easy and SO GOOD! – I don’t even like sweet potatoes but LOVED this!! Thank you for the amazing recipe I can’t wait to try so many more recipes by you!

            • Jen says

              Yay! Thanks so much for your awesome comment Stevie, I’m thrilled the Scalloped Sweet Potatoes recipe was a huge hit! I hope you enjoy exploring my site!

          24. Sarwar says

            Hi Jen – I stumbled upon your website last year during early days of pandemic when I was searching for some recipes. Since then I have tried several of your recipes which have been hit among my family and friends alike. As I was searching your site for Thanksgiving side dishes (I’m cooking your thanksgiving turkey this year again), I found this recipe for sweet potatoes which based on comments, ingredients, and pictures looks amazing and I want to try this. Question for you…the ingredients list says use 2 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese but it also says about 8 ounces. Which one it is? 2.5 cups or 8 ounces. I’m thinking, it got to be 2.5 cups but wanted to confirm with you. Thanks in advance and keep up the good work.

            • Jen says

              Thanks you so much for your kind comment Sarwar! My apologies for the confusion, but 8 ounces Gruyere is roughly 2 1/2 cups. Google confirms: “How many cups of grated gruyère cheese in 8 ounces? https://www.howmany.wiki › How-many–cup–of–grat… 8 ounces of grated gruyère cheese is equivalent 2.3 ( ~ 2 1/4) US cups.

          25. Hillary says

            Help! 2 pounds of sweet potatoes I weighed and it’s only two potatoes, which would barely fill a 9 by 13 or feed my 8 people. I don’t understand how 2 pounds could be the correct amount for this dish. Is this correct and if so I would have to to double or triple it to fill my 9 by 13. That gets really expensive with the cheese. Can I double it in the same pan and have it cook fine?

            • Jen says

              Hi Hillary, 2 pounds should be correct, but you can increase to 3 pounds. 2 pounds comes out to many slices when sliced 1/8-inch.

          26. Sarriah says

            I’m honestly not sure where I went wrong with this recipe? But it did not turn out. I had to bake it even longer than the suggested time and it was very soupy. I’m very saddened to even be writing this,because I was very careful in reading the directions and excited to being this to an upcoming dinner

            • Jen says

              I’m so sorry Sarriah, that is so frustrating! I haven’t had anyone comment that this didn’t work out for them, so let’s try and troubleshoot:
              1. What kind of sweet potatoes did you use – garnet yams?
              2. Make sure they are sliced thin enough
              3. Use a strong enough simmer when simmering the heavy cream
              4. Use full fat heavy cream

          27. Meaghan says

            I gave this a try and omitted the bacon and used smoked Gouda instead of Gruyère because it was less expensive and easier to find. It turned out so good! I will definitely try it with the bacon next time. I have been looking for a different recipe since I have always made sweet potatoes and this was a winner.

            • Jen says

              Awesome Meaghan, I’m so please it was a hit! Smoked Gouda sounds divine!

          28. Kim says

            The flavour was delicious, but it seemed like the cream curdled in the dish?? Just wondering why that would’ve happened?!

            • Jen says

              That can be a common issue with scalloped potatoes! Simmering the cream before adding helps prevent curdling, but if that didn’t work you can lower your oven temperature and cook for a longer time. Hope this helps!