Parmesan Sweet Potato Stacks Recipe

Yes, this sweet potato stacks recipe takes a solid 30 minutes of hands-on work and it requires nearly an hour in the oven, so it's a commitment. But that hands-on work? It's pretty easy stuff. If you can handle a bit of peeling and slicing, you can handle this recipe. And if you put in the time peeling and slicing (and melting, stirring, and stacking), you will end up with one amazingly tasty side dish or appetizer. Recipe developer Stephanie Rapone came up with this wonderful dish, and if you've gotten bored of making sweet potatoes, this creative recipe is sure to spice things up.

A delightful blend of sweet and savory, the former courtesy of sweet potatoes, the latter thanks to Parmesan cheese and thyme, these potato stacks pair perfectly with anything from grilled meats or seared fish to crisp greens or roasted veggies. "We love sweet potatoes," Rapone says, "but I was excited to come up with something that didn't have a bunch of brown sugar or maple syrup." Indeed, this recipe does take on a very savory approach, so if you prefer that over sweet, then you'll absolutely love these sweet potato stacks!

In many cases, it doesn't take many ingredients to make a great dish. And this is one of those cases. All told, all you need to make this dish is some medium to large sweet potatoes, a stick of unsalted butter, several sprigs of fresh thyme, some kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, some grated nutmeg, and some grated Parmesan. If possible, use fresh nutmeg, and by all means use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, not the dried stuff like you may find on the table at a pizza joint.

To start things off, go ahead and preheat the oven to 375 F. Next, peel and wash the sweet potatoes, then cut them into slices about ¹/₁₆-inch in thickness — so very thin! "I recommend using a mandolin or spiralizer with the 'chip' blade to help with this," says Rapone, adding: "They don't have to be perfect whole discs, but they do need to be a thin, consistent slice." Place the slices in a large bowl.

Now, remove the leaves from the stems of thyme, and chop them finely. Set half of the chopped leaves to the side and place the other half in a small-medium bowl, then add two tablespoons of Parmesan and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper to the same bowl, and then set it aside as well.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Then add the salt, the reserved thyme leaves, the remaining half teaspoon of black pepper, and the nutmeg. Turn the heat to low and let the butter, herbs, and spices simmer for three to four minutes, allowing the flavors to come together. Cut the heat if the butter starts to brown. Then, using a pastry brush, coat each cavity of a muffin tin with butter. Pour the rest of the butter mixture over the sliced potatoes and toss them to make sure they are coated evenly.

Carefully stack the potatoes in the muffin tins until each cup is about ⅓ full. Then, sprinkle half of the remaining Parmesan on the stacks. Next, add another layering of potatoes, filling the cups to about the ⅔ level, and then sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan. Now, add a final layer of potatoes. "You want each tin full, with a slight mound in the middle," says Rapone. Cover the muffin tin with foil, then roast the potatoes for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the potato tops with the reserved thyme, Parmesan, and black pepper, then continue to let the potatoes roast, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes more. You'll know they're done when a paring knife slides in and out of the center of the stack easily and the top is bubbly and brown.

"The bottoms can burn easily so make sure to take them out of then oven as soon as they are done," cautions Rapone, adding: "And bake them on the middle rack or towards the top of your oven." Then serve and enjoy! Wondering how best to pair them? The chef says: "These are delicious with pork chops or pork tenderloin." We hope you enjoy!