The very first time I ever made butternut squash (last year) I made this dish which I found on allrecipes.com (by Merritt) and ever since then every butternut squash gets made into this dish… I am sure the bulb-y squash would be great in a variety of ways, but I can’t get myself to make anything other than this cheesy gratin with it…and you will see why!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (2 1/2 pound) butternut squash – peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (do ahead this is a chunk of work)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (I used Edamer and Mexican cheese, which ever cheese you have grated is fine!)
- 8 ounces shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs (I used Italian breadcrumbs and omitted the fresh herbs below)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until the onions soften and turn golden brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the butternut squash and brown sugar. Continue cooking and stirring until the butternut squash begins to brown on the edges, but is still somewhat firm in the center, about 10 minutes more.
4. Scrape the squash into the prepared baking dish, and pour in the chicken broth. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven until the liquid has been absorbed and the squash is tender, 45 to 50 minutes.
5. Toss together the Gruyere cheese, Cheddar cheese, bread crumbs, thyme, and rosemary in a bowl until evenly combined. Remove the foil from the baking dish, and sprinkle the squash evenly with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Return to the oven, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more until the topping is lightly crunchy and brown.
Serve as a side dish with chicken an potatoes or consider it as a Thanksgiving side dish!
[…] think I could pull it off, but I did! I made something with butternut squash other than my gratin. And, of all things, I made it into something sweet! I have been seeing zucchini making a friendly […]