Sweet Potato & Red Pepper Gratin

By franny-2

The burnished orange colour of this gratin brightens the plate while the combination of roasted sweet potatoes and peppers brightens the palate. Baking the potatoes keeps them dry and adds a nicer flavour than boiling.
The nutty cheese lends an extra-special flavour.

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes, about 4 lbs (2 kg)
• 2 sweet red peppers, cut lengthwise into quarters
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, cut into pieces
• 2 cups (500 mL) shredded Oka or other nutty-flavoured cheese
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

2 Scrub sweet potatoes and pierce all over with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 to 1¼ hours or until almost tender. Add red peppers to sheet and bake for about 25 minutes longer or until potatoes and peppers are tender. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover. Let peppers and potatoes cool until cool enough to handle.

3 Peel skins from potatoes and peppers (don’t worry if small pieces of pepper skins stick). Transfer to a food processor. Add butter and purée until fairly smooth (or mash potatoes with a masher and finely chop peppers). Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1½ cups (375 mL) of the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread into a buttered 8-cup (2-L) baking dish. (Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day, keeping remaining cheese wrapped separately.)

4 To serve, preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

5 Bake gratin, uncovered, for 1 to 1¼ hours or until hot in the centre.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese and broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted.