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Butternut Squash and Sage Gratin

This Butternut Squash and Sage Gratin is a side dish, but could be a meal in itself. Sweet and creamy butternut squash is baked in  a fontina & Parmesan cheese sauce then gets a crunchy panko breadcrumb topping.
Butternut squash and sage gratin ready to be served from a cast iron skillet
I recently purchased some small cast iron skillets because they’re just so cute, you can cook in them and serve the food right in the pan. I had a couple of butternut squash’s leftover over from making roasted butternut squash bruschetta and I wanted to make a rich creamy dish, a gratin came to mind. If you don’t have cast iron skillets, the recipe can also be made in an 8 x 8 inch square or oval baking dish.
A cutting board with sliced butternut squash and cheeses

 

This recipe comes with a little warning, bake the gratin on a baking sheet because the cheese can ooze and make a mess of your oven and you want to catch all that crispy cheese as a snack for the chef, so it actually serves 2 purposes.

2 cast iron skillets on a baking sheet ready to be baked

 

A Really Good Cheese Sauce

For the sauce, I took inspiration from the baked gnocchi with sage and cheese I made last year. The cheese sauce was so good it had to be repeated, but this time I used milk instead of chicken stock because the butternut squash can hold up to the heavy sauce.

 

The Cheeses

I always recommend the cook can use whatever good melting cheese they want when it comes to a cheese sauce. I can’t always find fontina in my store, so gruyere is a delicious alternative, sharp white cheddar or havarti are all lovely melting cheeses. It was recently recommended by a reader to try a mild gorgonzola.  The Parmesan is the best cheese to mix with the panko topping.

A cast iron skillet showing a spoonful of gratin taken out

 

There is something just so flavorful with this sauce I wanted to eat the entire pan, but I was able to practice restraint, barely. Covered in a creamy, cheesy sage sauce and topped with sage panko breadcrumbs, how can that not make you drool?

The Perfect Holiday Side Dish

This butternut squash gratin is also the perfect holiday side dish. If you’re feeding a crowd, double the recipe and prepare in a larger 9 x 13 dish. It was such a hit for Thanksgiving, I made it again for Christmas because it was requested.

2 skillets on a baking sheet fresh out of the oven

 

If you’ve tried this Butternut Squash and Sage Gratin or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love to hear from my readers! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see daily recipe updates.

Yield: 4

Butternut Squash and Sage Gratin

Butternut Squash and Sage Gratin

Sweet and creamy butternut squash, fontina & parmesan cheese sauce with fresh sage. 

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 whole butternut squash peeled and sliced, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup fontina cheese, grated
  • 2 cups parmesan cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
  2. Butter an 8 x 8-inch (20 x 20-cm) baking dish or mini cast iron skillets.
  3. Melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until it absorbs the butter. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes to cook out the flour taste, it will start to turn darker when ready.
  4. Whisk in the milk, in small batches until thickened. Stir in the fontina and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese until completely melted and sauce is smooth.
  5. Stir in the sage, nutmeg and pepper. Taste the sauce and add more salt. This will depend on how salty your cheese is and your salt palette.
  6. Arrange the butternut squash slices in a single layer on bottom of dish.
  7. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the first layer of butternut squash. Arrange another single layer of butternut squash and top with 1/3 of the sauce. Arrange the last layer of butternut squash and top with the remaining sauce.
  8. Mix the other cup of Parmesan cheese with the panko and mix well. Top the gratin with an even layer.
  9. Place the dishes onto a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes until the top is golden and the butternut squash is tender when a fork is inserted. 
  10. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 696 Saturated Fat: 24g Cholesterol: 114mg Sodium: 1237mg Carbohydrates: 51g Protein: 35g
This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.
© Janette
Cuisine: French / Category: Side dishes

Comments

    • Laurel says

      Thank you! I’m making it this Saturday as a side dish for a “goodbye summer, hello fall” dinner party. 3 day Beef Bourginon main course. Saw this recipe and it looks so delicious, had to include it! I think the creaminess will be good with the “wineyness” of the beef and will also be good for my non-beef eater. Also a nice green salad and pear sorbet with maple sugar cookies for dessert. Will let you know how it turns out!

      Reply

      • Janette says

        Laurel that is a fantastic menu and I think this is the perfect creamy side dish to offset the richness of the Bourginon. Please do come back and let me know how it went. I’d love to see a picture 🙂

  6. Debi Wayland says

    I’m getting hungry for lunch, and now this! Now I’m starving and I want this for lunch! Yum!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

  9. Tara Noland says

    Pretty much in love with everything that goes in this dish and the outcome is divine. Love that they are served in cast iron pans.

    Reply

  12. Maggie Zhu says

    Gratin is my all time favorite and I can’t help to order one when I saw them at any restaurant! Now I want to get my own cast iron skillets to make those creamy dishes!

    Reply

  13. Healing Tomato says

    I love all your recipes that have sage in them. This one is particularly delicious. Would work great as a side dish for Thanksgiving.

    Reply

  14. Helen says

    Janette, I am not at all hungry right now but my mouth is watering like crazy at this post. This would be a wonderfully luxurious side dish for a special meal, but I also love the little skillets. How lovely to be served one of those for yourself! Love this!

    Reply

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