Copper Penny Warmth Dish (Printable View)

Layered sweet potatoes, carrots, dried apricots, pecans, and aged cheddar baked in copper ramekins for warmth.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
02 - 2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - ½ teaspoon sea salt
06 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Fruits & Nuts

07 - ½ cup dried apricots, sliced
08 - ½ cup pecan halves, lightly toasted

→ Cheese

09 - 1 cup aged cheddar cheese, coarsely grated

→ Garnish

10 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped (optional)

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large bowl, toss sweet potato and carrot slices with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange sweet potato and carrot slices in overlapping layers inside four copper ramekins, alternating with dried apricot slices and a sprinkle of toasted pecans.
04 - Cover ramekins loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove foil, top each ramekin with grated aged cheddar, and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese melts and turns golden.
06 - Let cool slightly, garnish with chopped fresh chives if desired, and serve warm in the ramekins.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It feels fancy enough to serve to guests, but comes together in under an hour with minimal fuss—your secret ingredient is just patience and good layering.
  • The combination of sweet potato, tart apricot, nutty pecan, and sharp cheddar creates this beautiful tension on your palate that keeps you reaching for just one more bite.
  • Those copper ramekins make it feel like each person is getting their own precious gift, served warm and golden right at the table.
02 -
  • Don't skip the thin slicing of your vegetables—I learned this the hard way when I made this with thicker cuts and had to extend the cooking time. Uneven cooking ruins the elegance of this dish.
  • The foil covering is crucial. Without it, your top layers dry out before the bottom vegetables soften. This is the lesson that took me three tries to learn, but now it's second nature.
03 -
  • Toast your pecans yourself rather than buying pre-toasted—the difference in flavor is remarkable, and it takes just five minutes in a dry pan on the stove.
  • Use the sharpest aged cheddar you can find; the bite of the cheese is what balances the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and apricots and keeps the dish from being cloying.
Return