Christmas dinner is nearing and you may be thinking of your menu…if there is one thing you make this holiday season it should be this purple garlic sweet potato shingle. It is terrific and sure to be a new family favorite. Plus it looks so pretty yet is super easy requiring only a few ingredients most of which you likely already have on hand.

The recipe calls for Gorgonzola cheese but you can use any type you prefer - goat, blue, cheddar, etc. would all be delicious. It is just a matter of personal preference. The stronger cheeses like Gorgonzola and blue provide a good balance with the sweetness from the potato. Although purple sweet potatoes are much less sweet than the traditional orange. You could even leave the cheese off and make it a vegan dish. The many herbs and roasted garlic provide so much flavor that you won’t even miss the cheese.

Purple Garlic Sweet Potato Shingle

• 3 lbs of purple sweet potatoes

• 3 T Red wine vinegar

• 1/3 c + 2T EVOO

• 1 head of roasted garlic*

• 3 T pistachios

• 2 T sesame seeds

• 1 T fennel seeds

• Gorgonzola cheese

• Sea salt & cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Wash and slice purple sweet potatoes about 1/4” thick.

3. Extract the roasted garlic by squeezing it out of the casing, Mix together the roasted garlic, 1/3 c EVOO, 1 T red win vinegar, sea salt & pepper. Toss potatoes in mixture to evenly coat.

4. Arrange potatoes standing up next to each other in a circular pattern in an 8” glass baking dish. Pour any remaining garlic EVOO mixture over the top.

5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.

6. While the potatoes are baking, toast up the pistachios, sesame seeds, and fennel in a dry skillet until fragrant.

7. Finely chop the toasted pistachios, sesame seeds, and fennel seed. Whisk in 2 T EVOO and 2 T red win vinegar making a savory seasoned EVOO drizzle.

8. Top potatoes with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.

9. Remove potatoes from oven and drizzle the savory seasoned EVOO over top before serving. Top with fresh chopped parsley.

   * Roasted garlic is a delicious and simple way to add layers of flavor without pungent garlic overpowering. It balances the dish instead of overpowering it. Making roasted garlic is simple and will have your entire house smelling like an Italian Grandma’s kitchen. Simply cut the top 1/4 off of the garlic bulb exposing some of the garlic cloves. Place the bulb on a 6x6 sheet of parchment paper and drizzle with 1 T of EVOO. Wrap the parchment paper up to ensure no EVOO drips out. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.