Cookbooks On Repeat

Butternut Squash Gratin| Vegetarian Side

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butternut squash gratin in baking dish
GBD: golden brown and delicious!

What do you enjoy the most about Thanksgiving dinner? For me, it’s all about the sides. Sure, I love turkey too (dark meat please) but I really love all the vegetables that accompany the bird. This butternut squash gratin is not here to replace your mashed potatoes. It’s here in ADDITION to your potatoes. Because every Thanksgiving table should have an orange vegetable (right?) and what’s better than butternut squash cooked in cream with onions and garlic? The best part is the golden, crunchy top made with gruyere cheese and breadcrumbs.

This butternut squash gratin is a great addition to the Thanksgiving table.

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Butternut Squash slices next to mandolin on chopping board.
My favorite easy to use mandoline.

I love pomme dauphinoise or potatoes au gratin. My favorite recipe is from Rachel Khoo’s My Little Paris Kitchen. Think of this gratin as a semi-healthier cousin. Butternut squash, a favorite fall vegetable, is thinly sliced and used instead of potatoes. Since we’re using a much less starchy vegetable, less cream is needed. To prep in advance, the gratin could be prepared and assembled in the morning, unbaked. Store it in the fridge and bake it later as the turkey is resting. It only needs 30-35 minutes in the oven. Perfect for a potluck too since you can also just reheat it gently in the oven. The recipe serves 5-6 as a side but you could easily double it and assemble in a 9″ x 13″ pan to serve more.

Prepped and unbaked butternut squash gratin.
Do ahead: make it up to this point and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Not only great for Thanksgiving, this butternut squash gratin would be delicious for fall and winter meals too. I’d love this with some roasted chicken legs or a whole chicken. Maybe some grilled steak or pork chops? Or maybe even serving it with some peppery, arugula salad dressed with a lemon vinaigrette? A gratin, by itself, can be very satisfying on a cold, winter’s night. I love the contrast of the soft, creamy layers of squash with the crunchy, cheesy, golden brown crust. You’ll fight over who gets more golden, crispy edges off the top.

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Golden brown gratin in baking dish.
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Butternut Squash Gratin

A creamy butternut squash gratin made with onions, garlic and cream. Gruyere cheese and panko breadcrumbs create a crispy topping that becomes golden brown and delicious.
Course Side Dish
Keyword butternut squash, gratin
Servings 6 as a side

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup (90 g) onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • ⅛ tsp pepper (or to taste)
  • large pinch nutmeg (4-5 swipes from a whole nutmeg)
  • 1 ¾ pounds (785 g) butternut squash, thinly sliced (⅛" thick) (6 cups slices)
  • 2 sprigs thyme, divided
  • ¼ cup (30 g) parmesan, grated (divided)
  • ½ cup (55 g) gruyere cheese, grated
  • ¼ cup (15 g) panko breadcrumbs

Method

  • Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Butter a 1 ¾ quart or 9" x 9" baking dish. Set aside.
  • Heat a medium pot on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then add the onion. Saute' the onions until they become soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream. Stir in the bay leaf, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
  • Bring to a boil. Add the sliced butternut squash and stir to combine. Reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cover pot with a lid and cook for 12-15 minutes or until squash is just starting to become tender, occasionally stirring gently (to ensure cream or squash is not catching on the bottom of the pan).
  • Once tender, spoon half of the mixture into the prepared baking dish (remove bay leaf when you find it). Sprinkle with half the parmesan and thyme leaves. Add the remaining squash and cream on top. Cover with remaining parmesan and thyme. Top with gruyere and panko breadcrumbs.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

-small, whole sage leaves are also very good on top of this gratin, if you like crispy sage leaves. Place on top of all the cheese and breadcrumbs.
-the actual size of your baking dish is not that important. For more of the crunchy top layer, use a larger baking dish that creates a thinner layer of squash, therefore more surface area. You might need a little more panko and cheese to cover the top. For a thicker layer of soft squash, a smaller baking dish can be used. Alter the cooking time as needed by watching for when the top browns. 
-for a less wet gratin, leave off 1/4 cup of the cream after simmering squash and filling baking dish with squash mixture.
-any kind of breadcrumb will work here if you don’t have panko. I just think panko gives the crunchiest results.
 

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Butternut squash gratin

Let me know if you made this recipe in the comments below! I’d love to hear what you think. Happy cooking!

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