Butternut Squash Gratin + Thanksgiving 2013

Another year, another giving of thanks, or as Sean has dubbed it, "National Food Instagram Day." It's true, and it's grand.

 My mother-in-law set her table with her brand new one-of-a-kind artist-made runner and red plates in what she called her "Fire & Ice" theme. I insisted on putting out my guinea feathers.

 Miss Margaret with the beautiful turkey!

 My sister in law Katie made the most amazing root vegetable salad, with chopped carrots, parsnips and red onions covered with an olive oil-rosemary dressing. So good!

And I was excited to try to recreate a dish I had recently at a restaurant: butternut squash au gratin! I used my mandolin slicer to cut the squash into disc-shaped slices, 1/16th thick (or thin). I buttered a dish and then, between my layers of butternut squash, I sprinkled grated parmigiano reggiano and shredded gruyere cheese.

On the stovetop, I heated 2 cups of heavy cream with minced garlic, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper (I eyeballed the amounts of each...not helpful, I know). I let the mixture bubble up and reduce a bit, then removed it from the heat and poured it on top of my layers of squash.

 I let the mixture settle and then did the fun part: smothered it in shredded gruyere!

 I finally put it into an oven preheated to 375 degrees and let it cook for a full hour...

Until the cheese was perfectly browned and burnt on the edges and scrumptious!!! 

Click below for the full recipe!

Butternut Squash Gratin
Ingredients

• Butternut Squash
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup Grated parmigiano reggiano
• 2-3 cups of shredded Gruyere
• Thyme
• Nutmeg
• Minced Garlic
• Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice a butternut squash (preferably with a mandolin slicer, but thin uniform slices are the goal if you have to use a knife).
3. Place the squash circles in a buttered baking dish, layered with parmigiano reggiano and gruyere.
4. Heat a mixture of minced garlic, cream, nutmeg, thyme, salt and pepper on the stovetop, letting it bubble up, thicken and reduce a little bit.
5. Pour the cream mixture over the squash and let sit a minute so the cream can settle into the layers.
6. Top the squash with gruyere.
7. Move into the oven and cook for an hour, removing when the cheese is completely melted, browned and a fork sinks into the tender layers easily. Let sit a few minutes before consuming its cheesy, cheesy goodness!