Caribbean Sweet Potato Gratin. Excellent vegan side dish with tons of flavor. Of course! It's inspired by Moosewood Restaurant.
Caribbean Sweet Potato Gratin
Caribbean Sweet Potato Gratin
Hi. It's Lois in the kitchen. I love the Moosewood Restaurant cookbooks. This recipe originally came from Moosewood's New Classics cookbook (affiliate link) and I modified it a bit. The original recipe calls for a cornbread crumb topping, but I find this to be gritty (maybe because it doesn't have much oil in it). I changed the topping to a gluten-free Panko breadcrumb topping and used a little bit of olive oil in addition to the spray oil the original recipe calls for.
The casserole tends to be a bit soupy on the first day, but when I reheat it, I find it thickens up, probably from the breadcrumbs. I love this recipe!
WHAT YOU NEED
You will need a casserole dish, knives, cutting board, grater or zester, measuring cups and spoons. You also need already-cooked rice, or you'll need a pan to cook rice.
Caribbean Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1½ teaspoons freshly grated lime peel
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2½ cups coconut milk about 20 oz
- 4 cups peeled and thinly-sliced sweet potatoes 2 large
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1½ cups cooked black beans 15-oz can, drained & rinsed
- 1½ cups fresh spinach rinsed, stemmed and chopped (or any other green)
- ¾ cup Panko bread crumbs or cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Olive oil spray for top
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly spray 9x13 pan with oil.
- Parboil the sweet potatoes so they are tender crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain.
- Combine garlic, lime peel, lime juice, cilantro, thyme, salt, pepper and coconut milk in a measuring cup.
- Pour one-third of this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Layer half the sweet potatoes in the bottom, topped by half the rice, half the black beans and half the spinach.
- Pour another one-third of the coconut milk mixture and repeat the layers of sweet potatoes, rice, beans and spinach.
- Pour the remaining coconut milk mixture over all.
- In a small bowl, combine all the topping ingredients (cornmeal, vegetable oil, thyme, cumin, and salt) and sprinkle over the layered sweet potatoes/rice/beans. Spray with vegetable oil (lightly).
- Bake uncovered for about 60 minutes, rotating the pan in the oven after 30 minutes to ensure uniform baking. When the potatoes are tender and the topping is crisp and golden brown, remove from the oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes until the potatoes absorb any remaining liquid.
More Recipes To Try
- Squash Casserole
- Caribbean Rice Salad
- Parmesan Squash Casserole
- Savory Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Baked Acorn Squash
- Roasted Sweet Dumpling Squash
What is gratin?
Over the years, we have had a discussion about "gratin." I said it means "breadcrumb topping." Some people think the word means "cheese," but that's not the case. According to Wikipedia, this is the definition:
Gratin is a widely used culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or cooked under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish.
So it can have cheese, but it doesn't have to have cheese. It's so fun to be right!
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.