Gnocchi are demanding. These dumplings are not.
One of the great things about serving a roast for Sunday supper is that it tends to cook itself. Slip it into the oven, and you're free to do just about anything else — including focusing on the vegetables and other so-called “sides.”
This recipe is for a side dish that deserves star billing. It's a variation on the Italian potato dumplings known as gnocchi, which are often made with russets combined with flour, then rolled, shaped and boiled. They're great, but a lot of work.
However, when you opt for sweet potatoes instead, as I have here, and don't have to worry about the shaping, the dumplings get considerably easier. Just scoop up spoonfuls of dough and drop them in boiling water. This really cuts down on how long it takes to prepare them.
In fact, you can make the dumplings several days ahead of time. Then, about 40 minutes before sitting down to dinner, you pull the dumplings out of the refrigerator, saute the spinach and combine everything with the liquids and cheese. Pop it all into a gratin dish and bake for about 20 minutes.
And talk about flexibility. You're welcome to swap out the spinach in favor of chard or other greens.
Likewise, you can kiss off the Gruyere and replace it with cheddar, blue cheese or feta. Want to transform this recipe into a vegetarian dish? Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Bingo.
Ultimately, you might consider moving this dish from the side of the plate to the center. None of the carnivores at the table will go hungry, I promise.
• Sara Moulton is the host of “Sara's Weeknight Meals,” a public television show now in its sixth season. She writes a weekly column for The Associated Press and is the author of four cookbooks, including, most recently, “Sara Moulton's Home Cooking 101: How to Make Everything Taste Better.”