Potato And Sweet Potato Bake is a simple and easy recipe. Combining the best of both potato worlds by using white potatoes and sweet potatoes we make this creamy cheesy potato bake. Oven baked to perfection this sweet potato and potato bake is a great side dish that works for multiple occasions.
Recipes like the Creamy Garlic Potatoes, Skin on Roast Potatoes, Potato And Onion Bake and the Quick Potato Bake are all about potatoes.
The Crumbed Mushrooms, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and the Roasted Capsicums are all about non potato vegetable sides.
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๐ค Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE โค) about the roasted sliced sweet potatoes and potato bake in the points below:
- What's good: potatoes. What is even better? A combination of both white potatoes and oven baked sweet potatoes creating a cozy side dish you will make again and again.
- Easy recipe: on some level I have to stop at saying this recipe is quick and easy as there is a bit of cooking time involved. However, it is simple and straightforward. Once the potatoes are in the oven it is a matter of letting them cook and checking in with them a few times.
- Versatile: this potato side dish is one of those great recipes that is versatile and lends itself to being served in a wide variety of scenarios. Think Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinners, family dinners, the Sunday supper or for a special occasion.
- Vegetarian: it can be great when feeding a crowd to have a variety of options up your sleeve that work for many types of people. This vegetarian side dish will appeal to a wide range of people.
- Simple ingredients: you will be able to purchase everything you need to make the recipe from your local grocery store. They are all year round available ingredients that will be easy to get your hands on.
๐ฅ Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make this sweet potato side dish. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Salt and pepper: we use salt and a small amount of black pepper in the sauce to ensure that the potatoes are seasoned.
- Garlic powder: this is an excellent pantry staple to have in the cupboard. It can dry out if it is in the spice draw but not used regularly (even with the lid tightly closed). So check the bottle before you do your shopping.
- Onion powder: as above and a pair that go hand in hand. This ingredient saves us time and tears and makes things simple and convenient.
- Chives: fresh herbs are a great way to compliment the potato bake. Chives finely chopped with kitchen scissors will work best. These add both pops of colour and a little flavor from the onion family.
- Potatoes: we use 4 large regular potatoes. The type being used for this recipe and shown in the photos throughout the post are called creme gold potatoes. They have pale yellow skin and creamy white flesh.
- Sweet potatoes: these beautiful deep orange flesh coloured potatoes soften and practically melt in your mouth when cooked. They offer a sweet flavor and delightful contrast to the white flesh of the wash potatoes.
- Sour cream: this helps to give the potato bake a little tangy savory flavor. Not an everyday food but a great ingredient to use for this purpose.
- Cream: this is heavy cream. It helps us to create the creamy texture for the potato bake.
- Cheese: we use 2 different types of cheese for the recipe. This 1st one is to bring a boldish cheese flavor. I use colby when making this recipe. Freshly grated using a hand held or box grater.
- Mozzarella: this is the 2nd type of cheese we need for the recipe. It is soft, stringy and positively melt worthy. Again, we want to finely grate it using a box grater or hand held version.
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making the recipe. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next ๐๐.
๐ณ Instructions
Here are the step-by-step recipe instructions. We start by preparing the potatoes. You will need a cutting board ๐๐.
- Peel the sweet potatoes (Photo 1)
- Peel the washed potatoes (Photo 2)
- Slice the sweet potatoes (Photo 3)
- Then slice the washed potatoes (Photo 4)
๐ฉโ๐ณ How to Make Potato And Sweet Potato Bake
To make the combined potato and sweet potato bake, we start by preparing the potatoes. You can also use this time to preheat the oven and grease a large baking dish with olive oil.
Use a vegetable peeler and chopping board to initially peel the sweet potatoes. Then repeat this process using a 2nd chopping board (swinging room) to peel the washed potatoes.
Next use a mandolin or food processor (with potato blade) to thinly slice the sweet potatoes as you see in the photo above.
Once done, repeat this process to thinly slice the washed potatoes in the same manner.
- Gather the sauce ingredients (Photo 5)
- Whisk to combine (Photo 6)
- Mix the potatoes together (Photo 7)
- Begin layering the potatoes (Photo 8)
Next gather the ingredients to make the cream sauce for the potatoes. Then add the heavy cream, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and chives to a medium bowl and use a fork to whisk together.
Once the sauce is combined, transfer the potato slices and sweet potato slices to a large mixing bowl. Then use clean hands to toss these to mix them together and unstick any stacked potato slices.
Once the potatoes are tossed, start to layer them into the greased baking dish as you see in the photo above.
- Pour sauce over the potato layer (Photo 9)
- Sprinkle cheese over the sauce (Photo 10)
- Top with cheese (Photo 11)
- Cover and bake (Photo 12)
Next pour the creamy sauce over the potato layer. Then sprinkle some of the cheese over the top. Once done repeat this process to fill the rest of the baking dish with potato layers with the cream and cheese layers in the midst.
Once done, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the potatoes.
Place the baking dish into the hot oven on the middle oven rack and let the potatoes bake and cheese melt for 20-25 minutes. Once the time is up, use oven mitts to remove the baking dish, place it on a heat proof surface and gently (hot edges) pull a layer of aluminium foil over the top. Then return the potato bake to the oven and let it bake for a further 60 minutes.
Once the cook time is up again use the oven mits to remove the baking dish from the oven, place it onto a heatproof surface and discard the foil.
Then use a skewer and insert it vertically through the creamy center of the dish. It should go straight down with no resistance. If it hits potatoes that feel a little firm still, return the potatoes (uncovered) to the oven and let them cook a little longer before repeating this test to ensure that the potatoes are soft and cooked through.
Once done, you can get your garnish by sprinkling finely chopped chives over the top ๐๐!
๐ฝ Serving Suggestions
Once the potato bake is cooked, it is best to let it sit for 10 minutes before serving. It will still be warm to eat, but letting it rest ensures that the texture of the potatoes has a chance to settle and not be too wet once removed from the oven.
You can pair it with Roast Chicken, Lamb Ribs, Beef Ribs, Pork Ribs and more!
They have crispy edges, a seriously irresistible flavor combination, are very accommodating and work with just about anything and everything!
๐ How to Guide
How to Store
Store leftover (ha, I don't reckon you will have any ๐ !!) potato bake in the baking dish with cling film tightly pulled over the top. Or in a sealed, airtight container. They can be kept for 3 days and are best reheated before being consumed.
How to Freeze
I don't recommend freezing potato bake. Cream and cheese sauces can provide mixed results when frozen and cooked or reheated. So heat and eat or reheat the leftovers in the next few days.
How to Reheat
If you have any leftovers, you can place them onto a plate and pull plastic wrap over the top. Then microwave on high for 1-3 minutes until warmed through. Before you sit down, check that the potato is hot in the middle also and not simply the edges.
๐ Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- Yukon gold potatoes are a good choice for the recipe, however, as they are not readily available in Australia other options (for Aussies) are Dutch cream potatoes or Desiree potatoes.
- You can use dried chives in place of the fresh chives if you wish too.
- Or you can use sliced green onion pieces if looking for an alternative to the chives.
- A good substitute for the sour cream is Greek yogurt (to the equivalent amount).
- When it comes to the non mozzarella cheese, colby, tasty cheese, and cheddar are all good options.
๐ก Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- When purchasing the potatoes, my top tip is to get the ones that are loose in the fruit and vegetable section, not sold in a plastic bag. This is because often if you turn the bag over and really look at the actual potatoes, sometimes there is moisture in the bag already. Then you take that bag home and don't use it for 2-3 days and once you go to open the bag you are disappointed as the potatoes are wet and slimy.
- Or regarding the point above, if you want to purchase a bag as it is on special, once you come home, I recommend removing the potatoes from the plastic packaging, using paper towel to dry them off and then storing them in your fruit bowl until ready to use.
- A mandolin is the best way to slice potatoes for potato bake. However, they are super sharp! The cut that happens when you accidently go too fast is acute and painful. So my advice is to take the slicing process slowly. Find a rhythm that works.
- Further on the point above. Cut the pointy end of the sweet potato off (not the end towards the blade, but the other end). This is so that the potato holder that you can use to keep your fingers away from the blade will hold the potato ๐๐.
- We do want to spray the baking dish with cooking oil to prevent sticking. Doing so also helps with the clean up process at the end of the meal.
๐ค Frequently Asked Questions
Do potatoes and sweet potatoes cook the same?
Generally potatoes take longer to cook than sweet potatoes. However, for a potato bake recipe that combines both types of potatoes they will both end up being softened and cooked. ie You can cook them both together if you wish to.
Is it better to boil sweet potatoes before baking?
No. It is not necessary to boil sweet potatoes before baking. Some people will indicate a trick in putting them in the microwave as a means to soften the potatoes and reduce the cook time. However, you will end up with the best results if you bake the potatoes from raw to roasted in the oven alone.
What temperature should I use to bake potatoes?
The best temperature to cook a potato bake is in a preheated oven at 180ยฐC / 350-375ยฐF / Gas Mark 4-5.
Should I cover a potato bake with foil?
Yes, covering a potato bake with foil will prevent the top cheesy layer from over browning.
What can I use in place of sour cream for potato bake?
Greek yogurt is a good substitute to use in place of sour cream when making a potato bake.
๐ More Easy Side Dishes
I admit that I have never heard someone say 'no potato bake for me! (I might have to practice this with Christmas coming ๐๐). It would however, be remiss of me to not offer you more than one side dish for your table. So here are some more ideas to try:
- Duck Fat Roast Potatoes
- Ciabatta Garlic Bread
- Basmati Fried Rice
- Garlic Butter Potatoes
- Air Fryer Onions
- Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
- Tortilla Garlic Bread
- Fried Cabbage and Bacon
- Garlic Ciabatta
It is time to get our potatoes on my friend! You can also find all of my roasted potatoes recipes or general side dishes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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๐ Recipe
Potato And Sweet Potato Bake
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes Note 1
- 4 large potatoes Note 2
- 500 ml/2 cups heavy cream
- 300 grams/ 10 oz sour cream Note 3
- 2 tablespoon chives finely chopped with kitchen scissors
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tbs chives finely chopped with kitchen scissors
- 1 cup colby cheese freshly grated using a hand held or box grater
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese freshly grated using a hand held or box grater
Garnish
- chives finely chopped with kitchen scissors
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 180ยฐC / 350-375ยฐF / Gas Mark 4-5.
- Baking dish: spray a large baking dish with cooking oil and then set aside.
- Sweet potatoes: use a vegetable peeler and chopping board to peel the sweet potatoes.
- Potatoes: use a vegetable peeler and chopping board to peel the white potatoes.
- Slice sweet potatoes: use a mandolin to slice the sweet potatoes into thin pieces.
- Slice washed potatoes: next use the mandolin to slice the washed potatoes.
- Cream sauce: add the cream, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and chives to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Note 3
- Combine potatoes: add both the sliced washed potatoes and sliced sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Use clean hands to toss to mix them together.
- Into dish: spread some of the combined potatoes out into a layer in the baking dish. Then pour some of the sauce over the top and sprinkle a little cheese over the sauce. Repeat this process of layering the combined potatoes and sauce till you get to the top.
- Oven bake: place the baking dish into the preheated oven on the middle shelf. Allow the potatoes to bake for 50 -60 minutes. Once the time is up, use oven mitts to remove the potato bake and place it onto a heatproof surface. Insert a skewer through the thickest parts of the dish. If there is any resistance, cook the potatoes for a little longer. Or top with both cheeses and then return to the oven for a further 5 - 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- To serve: once the potatoes are cooked, use oven mitts to remove the baking dish from the oven and let the potatoes rest for 10 minutes. Then sprinkle chopped chives over the top and serve.
Video
Notes
- Note 1: Sweet potatoes: if you have a look at the ingredients photo in the post, you will get an idea about the size of sweet potatoes used for the recipe.We want both these and the washed potatoes to be thinly sliced so that the potatoes cook through.ย
- Note 2: Washed potatoes:ย as above regarding the size of the white potatoes. Or you can use 6 smaller ones. The large ones tend to be easier to slice however, so something to keep in mind when looking at your options.ย
- Note 3: Cream sauce: when you are combining the ingredients for the cream sauce, you will notice that this is thick and creates lumps in the sauce. But if you use a fork and gently whisk gradually these lumps will soften and the sour cream thicken the sauce.ย
Danni Greenway says
We make this potato bake at least once a fortnight. It is a special treat with the roast dinner and always gets demolished!
Kelli Penfold says
Yum! Tried it and loved it. You can't go wrong with cheese on top of potatoes!
Adrianne says
Haha so try Kelli! ๐.
Lisa Holden says
Very good. We had this with roast pork for dinner. Nom nom.
Adrianne says
Thanks Lisa for your feedback ๐.