Sweet Potatoes With Pecans & Parmesan

3 Tbs olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
2 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 oz)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
pinch of cayenne pepper

1) Heat oven to 375F. Oil a shallow 2 1/2 - 3 quart baking dish.
2) In a large bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with the Parmesan, 2 Tbs of the oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper; transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the pecans, sugar, thyme, cayenne, the remaining Tbs of oil, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper.
4) Remove the foil from the baking dish, sprinkle the pecan mixture over the potatoes and continue to bake, uncovered, until the pecans are toasted, 10 to 12 minutes.

Review: This was tasty. This had a great, savory, gratin-like flavor. The sweetness of the potatoes was a great balance to the cheese. Unfortunately, I learned that the granulated brown sugar I've recently fallen in love with doesn't melt well as a topping. It was easy to pour and measure, but the top of this dish looked beady and I didn't like that presentation!

Adapted from:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/sweet-potatoes-pecans