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A Sweet Potato Pavé Recipe with Hot Honey and Rosemary
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There is something magical about a sweet potato pavé. Perhaps it is the clean lines. Perhaps it is the creamy center wrapped in crisp, golden-brown edges. Or maybe, it is simply the transformation that happens when humble sweet potatoes are sliced thin, layered with rosemary and garlic-infused cream, and given enough time to become something unforgettable.
Whatever the reason, this dish feels special from the very beginning. When you start with California sweet potatoes, the end result is even better.
A Word About Sweet Potatoes from California
Sweet potatoes may tantalize your taste buds, but how well do you understand them? There are some myths surrounding this root vegetable. First, it’s essential to note that a sweetpotato is NOT the same as a yam. It also differs from its standard potato counterparts, which are tubers. And get this: the word is actually sweetpotato. According to California Sweetpotatoes, “sweetpotato” is correct because their product is not, in fact, a sweet potato – it’s an entirely different vegetable.
Why California Sweetpotatoes Make All the Difference
California’s warm days, cool nights, and long growing season give sweetpotatoes time to fully develop flavor and texture. That means naturally sweet flesh, vibrant color, and a structure that holds together beautifully when baked into a sweet potato pave.
Because California growers can vine-cure sweet potatoes right in the soil, the process is naturally chemical-free and extends shelf life. Each sweetpotato is handled with care. They are selected, sorted, sized, and hand packed. Less machinery means fewer bruises and longer freshness.
All of that matters when you are making a dish where texture is the only thing that separates good from unforgettable. And this Sweet Potato Pavé is absolutely a texture story.
What “Pavé” Really Means
The word pavé is French for “paving stone.” In cooking, it refers to food shaped into neat rectangles or squares, almost like edible cobblestones.
A traditional French classic, potato pavé is known for its precise structure. Ultra-thin potato slices are layered tightly in a loaf pan, enriched with heavy cream, baked until tender, then chilled and pressed overnight. The next day, those compact potato layers are cut into clean blocks and cooked again until crisp on the outside and creamy inside.
It sounds complicated, but here is the truth. This recipe is about patience, not difficulty.
The Beauty of the Process
You begin with a thin slice. Then another. Then another. Each layer overlaps slightly, building structure and strength. Lining the pan with parchment paper makes lifting easy later, which is one of those small kitchen decisions that feels insignificant in the moment but changes everything at the finish.
After baking, the pavé rests at room temperature before being gently compressed. Some cooks use cans. Some use another pan. A simple piece of cardboard wrapped in foil can even help distribute weight evenly across the top of the potatoes.
Nothing fancy. Just thoughtful.
That slow press creates the signature clean edges and creamy interiors. Without it, you simply have scalloped potatoes. With it, you have pavé.
A California Twist to this Potato Pavé: Hot Honey and Rosemary
Classic potato pavé is rich and buttery. Delicious, yes – but also predictable.
Here, fragrant rosemary and a drizzle of hot honey shift the balance. The rosemary brings earthy depth. The gentle heat brings out even more of the sweet potatoes’ natural sweetness rather than covering it. Suddenly, the dish feels brighter, more alive, and unmistakably Californian.
Our Easy Hot Honey Recipe
Do you have a hankering for the hot stuff?! Our hot honey recipe is quite possibly the easiest recipe for hot honey you’ll come across on the internet. This small-batch recipe is completely customizable and only limited by your imagination.
California Honey: Sweet, Local, and Hard at Work
Here’s something wild to think about: most of the nation’s commercial bees come to California each spring. Why? California grows such a wide variety of fruits, nuts, and crops that depend on pollination. It’s a massive seasonal migration that helps feed the country and keeps farms thriving.
The California State Beekeepers Association supports not just commercial hives, but also home beekeepers and native pollinators. Their work helps protect the bees that make agriculture possible and, of course, produce the delicious honey we enjoy every day.
Whether you drizzle it, bake with it, or stir it into tea, California honey brings natural sweetness straight to your table from hardworking pollinators.
In a Potato Pavé Texture Is Everything
The goal is contrast. Edges that shatter slightly under a fork. Centers that stay soft and creamy. Layers that hold together but still melt.
Achieving that means finishing the cut pavé pieces at medium-high heat so the exterior caramelizes without drying the inside. When it works, and it will, the flavor concentrates, and the color deepens into that irresistible golden brown.
Why This Dish Feels So Impressive
Here is a secret most restaurant kitchens will not tell you. Precision looks harder than it is.
Because potato pavé is built from repetition rather than complicated technique, the real skill is simply slowing down. Careful layering. Even slicing. Letting time do its job overnight so the next day feels effortless.
That is why this sweet potato pavé earns so many compliments. Not because it is flashy. Because it is intentional. And intention always tastes better.
Serving Ideas That Let It Shine
Sweet potato pavé pairs beautifully with roasted vegetables, grilled meats, or even a bright citrus salad. The rosemary and hot honey already bring contrast, so the rest of the plate can stay simple.
Sweet Potato Pavé -A Dish Worth Slowing Down For
We rush through so many meals. Standing at the counter. Eating in the car. Half paying attention. Pavé asks you to do the opposite.
- Slice slowly
- Layer carefully
- Wait overnight
- Finish with intention
And in return, you get something quietly stunning. A dish that proves simple ingredients, grown well and treated with care, can feel extraordinary.
NEED A PLAYLIST TO LISTEN TO WHILE YOU WAIT FOR YOUR PAVE TO BAKE? CHECK OUT THIS CA GROWN SPOTIFY PLAYLIST:
Craving more delicious recipes? Check out our Pinterest for more CA GROWN recipes and ideas for innovative ways to use ingredients from the Golden State in your kitchen.
Do you have a favorite sweetpotato recipe that we should know about? Snap a pic and tag us with #CAGROWN—we’d love to see what you’re cooking up.
Sweet Potato Pavé Recipe with Hot Honey and Rosemary
Equipment
- mandoline
Ingredients
- 1 garlic head top cut off to expose cloves
- 1 TBSP olive oil plus more for greasing pan
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 TBSP hot honey store bought or homemade
- 2 TBSP fresh rosemary
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- 3 ¾ lbs sweet potatoes about 6 medium potatoes, peeled
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup hot honey for drizzling
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180℃). Drizzle garlic cloves with oil and wrap garlic head in aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven until cloves are very tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside.
- Lightly grease a 9- x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan with olive oil and line with parchment paper, allowing 2-inches (5 cm) of overhang on both long ends of the pan. Place kosher salt and 5 roasted garlic cloves in a large bowl; using the back of a spoon, smash into a paste. Whisk in cream, rosemary, and pepper. Set aside.
- Using a mandoline slicer, thinly slice potatoes lengthwise on the thinnest setting. Add the sweet potato slices to the cream mixture; toss gently to coat. Layer potato slices in the bottom of the prepared pan, slightly overlapping to create a shingled layer, trimming sweet potato slices if needed. Continue layering, pressing occasionally until potatoes are about 1/2 inch (1.27 cm) from the top of the pan. Discard any remaining cream and potatoes.
- Fold excess parchment over potatoes and cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350°F (180℃) until potatoes are tender, about 2 hours. Remove foil from pan, leaving parchment in place. Let cool 2 hours at room temperature. Place a second 9- x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan on top of the cooled pavé and weigh it down with unopened canned goods. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- Carefully remove the top pan and weights. Pour off any accumulated liquid around the pavé. Invert pavé onto a cutting board; remove and discard parchment paper. Cut pavé crosswise into 8 slices. Then slice those into four smaller squares. Place slices on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 500°F (260℃) with the rack in the upper third of the oven. Brush pavé slices generously with melted butter and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until the bottom edges are deeply browned on the bottom, 6 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and use a spatula to gently scrape underneath the pave pieces to release them from the pan. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with flaky salt, and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
More CA GROWN Ingredients Proudly Featured in this Recipe:
A Word About California Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
Want to be sure your olive oil is fresh, the highest quality, and the real deal? Look for the COOC seal on bottles of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make sure you’re getting delicious 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Certified California EVOO uses stricter standards than international requirements, requiring the oil to pass chemical testing and a sensory analysis by a group of experts, called an organoleptic panel evaluation.
Look for the Real California Milk seal!
Every product stamped with the Real California Milk Seal is made with wholesome dairy from the Golden State, where 99% of dairy farms are family-owned. Plus, California dairies are worldwide leaders in sustainability efforts, sharing best practices, innovations, and technologies such as methane digesters with other states and nations.
Got your Real CA Dairy in hand? Whip up Ricotta Toast with Warm Peaches + Blueberries or Frozen Yogurt Snack Bites.
