Copper Penny Warmth Dish (Print Version)

A cozy layered dish featuring roasted veggies, dried apricots, aged cheddar, and toasted pecans.

# Components:

→ 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 ground 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)

# Directions:

01 - Set the oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for roasting.
02 - In a large bowl, combine sweet potato and carrot slices with olive oil, smoked paprika, sea salt, and black pepper; toss until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange sweet potato and carrot slices in overlapping layers into four copper ramekins, alternating with sliced dried apricots and a sprinkle of toasted pecans.
04 - Cover each ramekin loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
05 - Uncover ramekins, top with grated aged cheddar, and bake an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
06 - Remove from oven, let cool slightly, garnish with chopped chives if desired, and serve warm in the ramekins.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but comes together in under an hour—your secret weapon for impressing people without the stress.
  • The combination of sweet potatoes, tart apricots, and aged cheddar creates this unexpected flavor dance that keeps people reaching for just one more bite.
  • Serving it directly in copper ramekins makes everyone feel special, like you've plated restaurant-quality food in your home kitchen.
02 -
  • Slice your vegetables consistently thin—this is non-negotiable. Thin slices cook evenly and layer beautifully. Thick ones cook unevenly and the whole presentation falls apart.
  • Don't skip toasting the pecans yourself. It's three minutes that changes everything—it deepens their flavor and prevents them from tasting like dusty nuts.
  • The cheese needs to go on in that final five minutes, not at the beginning. If it bakes the whole time, it separates and gets grainy instead of melting into creamy pockets of richness.
03 -
  • If you're short on time, you can slice and season the vegetables the morning of and assemble them just before baking. The actual baking time is only 25 minutes, which means this works for weeknight dinners too.
  • Leftover apricots and pecans make incredible snacks, and extra aged cheddar belongs on a charcuterie board. Nothing about this dish is wasteful.
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