Sweet Potatoes & Apples

Five ingredients is all it takes for this layered sweet potato and apple bake. Sliced boiled sweet potatoes and peeled apples get stacked in a buttered dish, sprinkled with brown sugar and salt, dotted with butter, then repeated for a second layer.

Baking covered traps the steam, which softens the apples while the brown sugar and butter melt down into a syrupy glaze that coats every slice. The sweet potatoes are already cooked, so the oven time is really about melding flavors and getting everything tender and caramelized together.

Slice the potatoes and apples the same thickness so they cook at the same rate. If your apples are thicker, they’ll still be firm when the sweet potatoes are falling apart.

Chef Tips

• Use a firm baking apple like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Soft varieties like McIntosh turn to mush.
• Boil the sweet potatoes just until fork-tender, not mushy. They’ll continue softening in the oven.
• Uncover for the last 10 minutes if you want the top layer to brown and caramelize a bit.

Variations

• Add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg between the layers for warm spice.
• Drizzle maple syrup over the top layer before baking for deeper sweetness.
• Scatter chopped pecans on top during the last 10 minutes for crunch.