Butternut Squash Gratin

If I had a mandoline, I would certainly use it.

But I don’t have one, so I tend to avoid cooking things that require uniformly thin slices. Like potato chips, for example. I wish I made potato chips. I just don’t have the patience to run my knife through gnarly russets, being painfully careful to avoid overly-thick slices and accidental half-moons. I suppose certain cheffy types will roll their eyes at this (cheffy types love intricate knife work), but I’ve always been more of a cooky type myself.

So the recipe here isn’t really a gratin – not by the strictest standards, anyways. A gratin is traditionally comprised of, as I imagine you know, thin slices of potato layered with cheese and and drenched in a garlicky cream sauce. At least that’s how I learned to make it in culinary school.

What I created wasn’t so much cheating as it was rethinking a classic (Can we call it “deconstructed gratin?” That sounds like something a cheffy type would do.) See, I roasted a winter squash until it was tender and then blended it with cream and shredded Gouda cheese. When you think about things in terms of ingredients, I really just tucked them all in closer together: instead of separate layers, I had one homogeneous, very cheesy, very delicious dish. Who wants separate, messy layers when you can mash it all together? In fact, the more I think about it, the more I’m convinced this is the American way. Mandoline-shmandoline.

The squash, which has a bit of a candy sweetness, begs for salt and fat. The Gruyere steps in nicely here, and the cream tags along because, well, why not? Diet food this ain’t, but with a name like “gratin,” would you really expect anything otherwise?

 

Butternut Squash Gratin
Serves 4-6

  • 1 medium butternut squash (to equal about 2 1/2 cups of cooked squash)
  • 2 teaspoons butter, divided
  • 1 cup heavy cream or whole milk
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1/3 cup grated Gruyere cheese, plus two tablespoons
  • Salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place each half on a baking sheet, cut-side up. Add half a teaspoon of butter to the hollow of both. Season well with salt and pepper and roast for 30-35 minutes until fork tender.

Remove the squash from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Scrape out the flesh into a food processor (discard the skin) and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor with a spatula once or twice.

Meanwhile, add the milk or cream, rosemary and garlic to a saucepot. Slowly bring to a robust simmer, then strain out the solids.

Pour the flavored milk or cream into the food processor with the squash and mix together. Add the 1/3 cup of cheese and pulse a few more times to combine. Season again with salt and pepper.

Bump the oven temperature up to 425.

Coat the insides of a small casserole dish (hell, you could even use a glass pie pan) with the remaining butter and spread the squash mixture evenly into it. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a golden-brown crust has formed. Serve warm.

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