Individual “stacks” of scalloped sweet potatoes make it easy for guests to serve themselves at a holiday buffet and look elegant as part of a plated presentation at a more formal party. A muffin pan makes assembling and baking just about foolproof in this recipe adapted from Southern Living magazine.

Special equipment: A mandoline will give you uniformly thin slices of sweet potato.

What to buy: Look for small sweet potatoes with a diameter roughly equivalent to the wells in your muffin tin—it’ll make assembly much easier. Mix different sweet potato varieties (garnet, jewel, etc.) in varying shades for a cool look.

Photos by Chris Rochelle, styling by Caitlin M. O’Shaughnessy

  • Yields: 12 servings
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: 1 hr 5 mins
  • Active: 30 mins

Ingredients (7)

  • 1 1/2 pounds small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced on a mandoline or vegetable slicer
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, plus leaves for garnishing
  • 4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (about 1 cup)
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • 1 medium garlic clove, minced
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
  2. Layer half the sweet potato slices in the muffin wells. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the thyme and half the mozzarella. Top with the remaining sweet potatoes (they should rise slightly above the rim of each cup).
  3. In a small saucepan, heat the cream, garlic, salt, and remaining thyme until it just comes to the boil. Carefully distribute the hot cream among the muffin cups, about 1 tablespoon for each.
  4. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and distribute the remaining cheese among the sweet potato stacks. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and starting to brown, about 5 minutes.
  5. Remove to a cooling rack and let stand for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the rim of each cup, and use a spoon or thin spatula to carefully lift the potato stacks from the cups and onto a warmed serving platter. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and serve.