Recipe Background
Say goodbye to boring vegetable sides, both at Thanksgiving and every meal after! Butternut Squash Gratin transforms and elevates a traditional holiday side into the creamiest, melt-in-your-mouth casserole ever! The sweet nuttiness of the butternut squash plays with the onion flavors of sautéed leeks and garlic and the rich saltiness of Gruyère cheese. With toasted walnuts and crispy sage on top for a wonderful crunch and a burst of garden flavors, this vegetable dish offers a hearty, rustic feast of the senses... perfect for your holiday feast!
Say goodbye to boring vegetable sides, both at Thanksgiving and every meal after! Butternut Squash Gratin transforms and elevates a traditional holiday side into the creamiest, melt-in-your-mouth casserole ever! The sweet nuttiness of the butternut squash plays with the onion flavors of sautéed leeks and garlic and the rich saltiness of Gruyère cheese. With toasted walnuts and crispy sage on top for a wonderful crunch and a burst of garden flavors, this vegetable dish offers a hearty, rustic feast of the senses... perfect for your holiday feast!
Ingredients
For the gratin:
- 1 (2-pound) butternut squash peeled and deseeded, sliced to 1/8-inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 2 medium leeks rinsed and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 15 sage leaves chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus mire, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder optional
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 ounces Gruyère cheese
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts chopped
For the crispy sage garnish:
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- 8 sage leaves
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Set aside 12-15 of the most visually appealing butternut squash slices to use for topping the gratin. Any less appealing slices can go in the middle layer.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the leeks and sauté, covering the skillet halfway through cooking to help soften them, for 8-10 minutes.
- Add 15 of the sage leaves, the garlic, and the extra salt, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the heavy cream, the pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining salt, the onion powder, and the nutmeg. Set it aside.
- Grease a large 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- After greasing the pan, pour in the water.
- Layer the bottom of the pan with the butternut squash slices, slightly overlapping each other.
- Top with 1/2 of the sautéed leeks.
- Pour in about 1/3 of the cream mixture.
- Sprinkle 1 ounce of the grated Gruyère cheese on top.
- Repeat the layering twice, in that order.
- Lightly sprinkle the top with the walnuts.
- Gently shake the pan, pressing down on the center to ensure that the center will not form a dome.
- Cover, using parchment paper first, then place foil over the top. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes.
- Bake for 45 minutes, then carefully uncover the casserole and check if the butternut squash is tender using the tip of a knife. If it is not tender, cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Increase the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees F and bake for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered, until golden-brown.
- Meanwhile, in a pan over medium heat, add the butter and allow it to melt.
- Add the remaining sage leaves, frying each side until crisp, about 30 seconds each side.
- Set the fried sage leaves onto a paper towel, allowing them to cool.
- Once the gratin is finished cooking, remove it from the oven and arrange the crispy sage leaf garnish over the top.
- Serve warm!
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