November 16, 2016

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

Preparing this scalloped sweet potato pie isn’t as hard as you would imagine, tedious as it may be.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

But it IS the Thanksgiving stunner of your tablescape dreams.

Concentric circles are a guaranteed wow-factor, particularly when crowned with gorgonzola and honey.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

This side dish is as challenging as you want it to be, so it’s easy to fit into your T-day agenda. As written I’ve prepared a homemade crust (the same dough featured in this galette and this pie), but you could easily buy something pre-made should you need this on the quick. Obviously I espouse cooking from scratch, but on a day like Thanksgiving shortcuts are a necessary reality, so do your thang. If you do make the crust it doesn’t take long (about 5 mins to come together, another 5 to roll out) but regardless, things don’t get much harder from there.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

Like any potato recipe the peeling is BY FAR the worst part, so once that’s over this is a total breeze. Slice the potatoes with your food processor into medallions, then artfully arrange inside a barely baked crust. The arranging part can be a bit frustrating, but take. your. time!! The effort will be SO worth it in the end, trust. And once that’s finished, simply shower the potatoes with a sauce of butter, heavy cream, brown sugar, and spice, then slowly bake.

There’s some attention to detail needed, but overall it’s much easier than you’d think.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

What’s great about this recipe is that it’s unusual (like me!), adventurous (me!), and fun (me: saturday’s only). If you like to take a risk with your T-day menu this is the food to do it with, and in my experience it surprises even the most skeptical palates.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

I’ve made this dish for three years now, and every year someone who claims they only like “plain” “normal mashed” sweet potatoes can’t help but grab seconds. Here’s why: for a recipe so rich in complex flavors, the overwhelming taste is still sweet potato — The honey and gorgonzola are merely compliments, not dominating factors. Plus they’re unexpected, which is why I’ve seen countless family members shocked when they absolutely love it.

And obviously you’ll be loving ALL of it, too.

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

A few notes:

Prior to the oven it might seem like there’s not enough sauce to cook the potatoes — There is! Once covered with aluminum foil the convection heat will bring the cream sauce to a rolling boil. That, in turn, will poach the potatoes.

DON’T add extra cream even if it looks a bit sparse. Too much liquid will make this a soggy mess, so follow the recipe as written.

Throughout various stages of cooking the pie may appear a bit foamy, but that’s okay! Foam bubbles from the piping hot sauce is normal, and will recede once the pie is cooked and settled.

Unlike most Thanksgiving recipes (which you serve within minutes) this pie can rest for 15 – 20 minutes before serving.

This is a sweet and savory masterpiece, so prepare for applause. xo

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

Scalloped Sweet Potato Pie w/ Gorgonzola & Drizzled Honey

Yield: 8 - 10 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: about 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

  • CRUST:
  • 1/2 cup Salted Butter
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1/3 cup cold water (approx.)
  • FILLING:
  • 2 lbs sweet potatoes
  • 2 1/2 tbsps salted butter
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbsps dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • a pinch of salt
  • 2 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (you’ll need about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 -2 tbsps honey
  • Crisco to grease

Directions:

  1. Begin by preparing the dough. Using a handheld cheese grater grate the butter into a small bowl, then freeze for 10 minutes. While the butter freezes, combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
  2. When ready, whisk the cold grated butter into the flour mixture until a mealy texture takes hold, then slowly begin adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough takes shape. Next, gather the dough in a ball and transfer to a lightly floured work surface before shaping into a flattened round. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 45 minutes until the dough is firm and cold.
  3. Meanwhile, thoroughly peel sweet potatoes before slicing in food processor.
  4. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Amply grease 10″ pie dish with Crisco.
  5. When ready, with a floured rolling-pin roll out the chilled dough into a 1/8″ thick sheet, then transfer to pie dish — Use a scissor to cut off any excess, then mold the dough to the dish as tightly as possible. Pierce crust with a fork several times on the bottom and along the sides of the dough, then line with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or dry beans, then bake for 10 minutes until just beginning to brown. Remove from oven — Keep oven heated.
  6. After the crust has gently cooled, layer sweet potatoes in a circular design until the cavity is about 75% filled. Next, in a small saucepan melt the butter over a medium flame, then add in the heavy cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, whisking occasionally for 5 minutes until well combined. Evenly pour mixture over sweet potatoes, then cover pie dish with aluminum foil.
  7. Bake on oven middle rack for 35 – 45 minutes until the potatoes are nearly cooked*, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes until the crust has begun to brown. Lastly, remove the pie one final time to top with gorgonzola cheese and a few drizzles of honey, then return to oven and cook for another 8 – 10 minutes until bubbly and browned. Allow the pie to settle (up to 20 minutes), then eat!

* Because every food processor is different some will produce larger slices than others, so the initial cook time can vary by up to ten minutes. The thicker the slices, the closer to 45 minutes it will take.

>> throughout Step 7 the pie will be bubbling and perhaps even a bit foamy — that’s okay! it will settle once fully cooked.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in November 2014. It has been updated with new photos and a slightly modified recipe.

posted by Christine in: Thanksgiving & Christmas
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