Savory Squash Gratin Recipes

SUMMER SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Place buttery crackers and cornmeal in a plastic resealable bag; seal and pound into fine crumbs.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add yellow squash and zucchini. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Stir milk and butter into the skillet. Increase heat to medium-high; cook until butter is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in crumb mixture and Mexican cheese blend. Remove from heat.
• Spread yellow squash mixture evenly in an 8-inch square baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Increase heat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and continue baking until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

SAVORY SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place garlic in an ovenproof ramekin, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast until light brown and very soft, about 20 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle; peel garlic and cut into slivers; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• Peel squash, halve lengthwise, and seed. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; set aside.
• Place kale in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover, and steam until bright green and wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and chop roughly. Squeeze out as much water as possible; set kale aside.
• Butter a 2 1/2-quart gratin dish. Distribute half the sliced squash in the dish, reserving the prettiest slices for the top layer. In a small bowl, combine nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Distribute half the sliced garlic over squash, and sprinkle with one-third of seasoning mixture and 1 teaspoon thyme.
• Arrange kale over squash, and sprinkle with one-third of the seasoning. Arrange remaining squash over kale, and sprinkle with remaining seasoning and 1 teaspoon thyme. Distribute remaining garlic over squash, tucking it between slices.
• Pour cream over assembled gratin, and cover with a piece of parchment. Bake until squash is soft when pierced with the tip of a knife, 40 to 45 minutes; halfway through the baking time, remove parchment, press down on squash with a spatula to compress and distribute the liquid; cover and continue baking. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• After 35 to 45 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over squash; return to oven, and continue to bake, uncovered, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Garnish with remaining thyme.
• To reheat: Do not add final layer of breadcrumb mixture. Remove from the refrigerator, and let come to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes. Cover with parchment paper, and reheat in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes. Top with breadcrumb mixture, and bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Garnish with thyme.

SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Toss 4 thinly sliced summer squash or zucchini with 1 tablespoon kosher salt; let sit 20 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Chop 2 shallots, 1/4 cup each parsley and mint, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 seeded red jalapeno and 1 teaspoon lemon zest in a food processor; toss with the squash and 3/4 cup grated gruyere. Arrange evenly in a baking dish; top with 1/4 cup more cheese. Bake at 400 degrees F, 35 to 40 minutes.

BAKED SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Lightly butter an 8-inch baking dish and set aside. Fill a large pot with enough water to come 2 inches up the sides of the pot. Set a steamer rack in the pot, cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the squash and steam over medium heat until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the squash to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Season the squash to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon half of the squash evenly over the prepared baking dish. Dollop half of the pesto all over the squash in the dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the squash. Repeat layering with the remaining squash, pesto, and cheese. Using a skewer, swirl the pesto decoratively into the squash. Dot the top with butter and bake until the gratin is heated through and golden brown around the edges, about 40 minutes.

SIMPLE PROVENçAL WINTER SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 3-quart baking or gratin dish with olive oil. Toss together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Combine well and turn into the baking dish. Place in the oven and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until the squash is thoroughly tender and the top is lightly browned. Serve hot or warm.

SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Peel 2 1/4 pounds of winter squash and cut into cubes.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• In a large ovenproof pot, brown 2 slices of bacon 1/8 inch thick for 5 minutes, turning them over. Add the cubes of squash, 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled but crushed), 1 sprig of rosemary, and a little salt.
• Cover with parchment paper and put in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350°F, remove the parchment paper, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
• In the meantime, heat a dry skillet and toast a handful of dried pumpkin seeds. Cool on paper towels, then crush.
• When the squash is cooked, take the pot out of the oven and turn on the broiler.
• Throw away the rosemary and the peel of the garlic cloves.
• Remove the slices of bacon and cut into small lardons.
• Mash the squash and garlic with a fork and add the lardons. Stir and adjust the seasoning with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
• Sprinkle the top of the gratin with pumpkin seeds.
• With a vegetable peeler, shave 1 ounce of pecorino or Parmesan cheese into small flakes and sprinkle evenly over the gratin.
• Put under the broiler for about 2 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately.

SQUASH AU GRATIN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the squash, salt, pepper, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon oil; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish; pour cream over top., Cover and bake at 325° for 30 minutes. In a small bowl, toss apples in remaining oil. Spoon over squash. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until squash is tender. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Freeze option: Before adding cheese, cool baked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 325°. Reheat casserole, increasing time as necessary for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until melted.

MERRITT'S BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until the onions soften and turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the butternut squash and brown sugar. Continue cooking and stirring until the butternut squash begins to brown on the edges, but is still somewhat firm in the center, about 10 minutes more. Scrape the squash into the prepared baking dish, and pour in the chicken broth. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the liquid has been absorbed and the squash is tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Toss together the Gruyere cheese, Cheddar cheese, bread crumbs, thyme and rosemary in a bowl until evenly combined. Remove the foil from the baking dish, and sprinkle the squash evenly with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Return to the oven, and bake uncovered 15 minutes more until the topping is lightly cruchy and brown.

MERRITT'S BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic; cook until the onions soften and turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the butternut squash and brown sugar. Continue cooking and stirring until the butternut squash begins to brown on the edges, but is still somewhat firm in the center, about 10 minutes more. Scrape the squash into the prepared baking dish, and pour in the chicken broth. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the liquid has been absorbed and the squash is tender, 45 to 50 minutes. Toss together the Gruyere cheese, Cheddar cheese, bread crumbs, thyme, and rosemary in a bowl until evenly combined. Remove the foil from the baking dish, and sprinkle the squash evenly with the cheese mixture. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Return to the oven, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more until the topping is lightly crunchy and brown.

PROVENçAL TOMATO AND SQUASH GRATIN

Steps:

• Peel and seed half the tomatoes, and chop fine. Slice the rest and set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about 30 seconds, until it begins to smell fragrant, and stir in the squash. Cook, stirring often, until the squash is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and the thyme, season with salt and pepper, raise the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the rice or other grains and remove from the heat.
• Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Stir in the cooked vegetables, salt and pepper to taste, and the cheese and combine well. Scrape into the gratin dish.
• Slice the remaining tomatoes and cover the top of the gratin in one layer. Drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Bake 45 minutes, or until the top is browned and the gratin is sizzling. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the basil over the top. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.