Cooked squash is layered with sharp and flavorful Gruyere cheese, toasted baguette slices and a leek-white wine mixture in this scrumptious Butternut Squash Gratin. I especially love preparing it on a fall evening when the air turns crisp and cool.
It’s almost fall, which means we’re coming into butternut squash season. Yay! I love butternut squash. It screams fall – with its orange-y color as well as its pumpkin-y taste. Mild, sweet and a bit creamy, I love cooking with it. Two of my favorite butternut squash recipes are my Roasted Chicken Sausage and Butternut Squash and this one – Butternut Squash Gratin.
Hunks of cooked squash are layered, in a shallow gratin or baking dish, with sharp and flavorful Gruyere cheese, toasted baguette slices and a leek-white wine mixture. It’s then topped off with Parmesan cheese . . .
. . . and baked until the top is browned and bubbly – a requisite for being a gratin. Oh, so cheesy, pretty and delicious! Add a tossed green salad and you have complete vegetarian meal.
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Butternut Squash Gratin
Cooked squash is layered with sharp and flavorful Gruyere cheese, baguette slices and a leek-white wine mixture in this scrumptious Butternut Squash Gratin. Easy to prepare, and vegetarian, too!
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 pounds butternut squash
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 small French baguette (or half of a large)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped leek
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 can (12 ounce) evaporated regular or skim milk
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 6 to 8-cup shallow gratin or baking dish.
- Cut squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and place, cut side up, in a rimmed baking pan. Season with salt and pepper, cover with aluminum foil and bake until tender but not mushy, around 1 hour. Set aside and let cool enough to handle. Leave the oven on.
- While the squash is cooking, slice baguette into 1/4 to 1/2-inch pieces and toast slices until light brown. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped leek and 2 teaspoons water; cover and cook over medium-low heat until leek is soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in wine. Increase heat to medium-high and boil, uncovered, for 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in chicken broth, milk and sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the squash is cool enough to handle, reheat the leek mixture.
- Scoop the flesh from 1/2 of the squash into large pieces and place in the prepared baking dish, covering the bottom. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Place approximately 1/2 of the baguette slices over the squash to cover, with space in between the slices. Cover with 1/2 of the leek mixture and 1/2 of the Gruyere cheese.
- Repeat layers.
- Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is brown and bubbly
- Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve.
Notes
Make ahead: Gratin can be assembled but not baked earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Category: Vegetarian main dish, gratin
- Method: sauté, bake
- Cuisine: French