Welcome to guest blogger Laura Lane! Laura and I had this dish at a new restaurant in Galesburg where the all items are made from local food. We both loved the squash, and when we complimented the chef, he told us enough about it (including that he found the base recipe online) that we could duplicate it at home. Laura did the research and offered to share the recipe—it's really good. Thanks, Laura!
Penny and I tasted this wonderful dish at En Season Cafe. With advice from Chef Bart and an online recipe, I experimented. This is easy to make; peeling the squash is easy with a sharp peeler! Great side dish, although Rich and I enjoyed it as a main dish, along with salad and bread. You could get by with 1 T. sage, but we like a little more. And 1/2 cup of blue cheese would be more subtle--we like the strong flavors so went with 2/3 cup. Worked beautifully. And I hope you like it as well as we did!
Butternut Squash Gratin with Blue Cheese and Sage
from Laura Lane, adapted from http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/butternut-squash-gratin-with-blue-cheese-sage-10000001860069/ via En Season Café
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (3/4-inch) (about 2 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1-1/2 T. chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
- Cooking spray
- 1 T butter (optional)
- 1/2-2/3 c. crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 c. Panko bread crumbs
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Steam butternut squash, covered, 10-12 minutes or until tender. [PSG: This took me about 20 minutes; maybe my steamer isn't the best. . .]
3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion 5 minutes or until tender. In a large bowl, mix onion, butternut squash, chopped sage, salt, and black pepper to bowl, and toss gently. Spoon into 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Dot with butter. Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese evenly over squash mixture, and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of cheese. Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and crumbs are golden brown.
