Cheese and carbs. Carbs and cheese. No matter how you dice it, it’s always a winning combo. And while regular potatoes and cheese might seem like the natural choice, we’ve switched things up a little bit for this quick baked dish. We’ve used sweet potatoes! And purple skinned ones at that.

While any type of potato, sweet potato, or yam will work for this recipe, these Japanese sweet potatoes have a unique nutty flavor and starchier texture than other varieties. That, and their beautiful color, makes for a fun twist on the traditional cheesy bake. And it’s always nice to try something different, right?

We like slicing the sweet potatoes into thick rounds to give the dish a substantial bite. Their subtle sweetness against the creamy cheese sauce is really delicious. And the whole thing is really simple to throw together, so it’s perfect for any weeknight. All you do is: start by boiling the potatoes, and while they cook you make the cheese sauce. Then you toss it all together and pop it in the oven for a quick bake so it can get all nice and bubbly. And just like that it’s ready for the table!