RECIPE: Healthy gratin tastes like a holiday meal
Give me the carbs. Give me the dairy. Stretchy pants season is here, and I am embracing every festive bite.
Recently I found myself elbow-deep in a sweet potato gratin made from heart-stopping amounts of full-fat cheese and heavy cream. It was so delicious that I craved it again before I finished eating it. That made me wonder whether I could tame this unapologetically indulgent recipe into a reasonably nutritious, regular rotation dish.
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and B vitamins. They get to stay in our new and improved recipe. However, the 16 ounces of buttery Gruyere and cheddar cheese in the original recipe deserved a critical eye. I substituted a single cup of grated Parmesan. The naturally lower-fat Parmesan delivers rich, savory notes that pair perfectly with sweet potatoes.
What substitution magic could replace the heavy whipping cream, without sacrificing flavor or texture? Not whole milk, skim milk or plant milk. They were all at best bland and at worst, watery. Onion cream, which is a puree made from roasted onions, offered the thick texture I wanted, but its strong onion flavor overwhelmed the sweet potatoes. I needed to keep the heavy whipping cream, but I reduced its volume by half. And I made up the difference with … whipped tofu.
Friends, I was surprised too. But I shouldn’t have been. Tofu has a creamy texture without the saturated fat and cholesterol of heavy cream. It has no discernible flavor, which means you can add an entire package to the recipe and taste only the other ingredients. As a bonus, the tofu provides plenty of plant-based protein, which means you can enjoy this healthier gratin as a side dish or the main event, even when the resolutions of the new year appear.
Healthier Sweet Potato Gratin
- 1 12-ounce block soft silken tofu
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh or 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 to 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
- 1 tablespoon fresh or 2 teaspoons dried chopped chives
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Place tofu in the jar of a blender. Blend on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 15 seconds. Pour tofu into a medium bowl and add whipping cream, Parmesan, garlic, thyme, pepper and salt. Stir until well combined.
- Place half the sweet potato slices in the prepared baking dish. Top with half the tofu-cream mixture. Repeat. Sprinkle chives over the top.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until the exposed edges of the sweet potatoes brown. Let gratin rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving based on 8: 257 calories (percent of calories from fat, 52), 8 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 15 grams total fat (9 grams saturated), 42 milligrams cholesterol, 536 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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