Winter Squashes
By Cat, Sept 2007 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
My friend Jean H. shared this recipe with me, after inviting me to join her and her husband Phil for dinner, in which this dish was featured. Wonderful combo! I’m always looking for new ways to prepare squash, as simply baking it gets boring. Plus I love the combo of goat cheese and pecans, for a bit of extra protein in a side dish. Or a main course in a vegetarian meal.
My fav winter squash is buttercup which is more a fall squash, then acorn in winter. But Butternut would also be excellent for this.
See also: 1. Vegetarian & Bean Menu; 2. Casserole Menu; 3. Sides menu
Squash Casserole, with Goat Cheese and Pecans
She used buttercup squash, but the original recipe called for butternut. Also, the original recipe called for feta cheese, but she thought the milder flavor of goat cheese (such as Montrachet) would work better with the pecans.
Jean used canned milk as in the original recipe, but I would use light cream (or half cream, half milk).
Serves 4 – 6 as a main or side dish. Jean served with a raw salad of chopped cabbage, cut up snap peas (with pod), and sliced young carrots from her garden, and topped with a poppy seed dressing.
Ingredients & Equipment
- 2 pounds whole winter squash (Danish, acorn, buttercup, kabocha, etc.)
- 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt, divided (3 times)
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 onions, sliced thin
- 1 tsp Rapadura or brown cane sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup light cream
- 3½ oz goat cheese, preferably locally made, or Montrachet in a pinch
- ⅓ cup pecan halves
- Equipment
- large bowl
- baking dish
- cast iron skillet
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter or oil baking dish.
- Peel and seed squash. Cut meat into ¼” thick slices and place in a large bowl.. Sprinkle ½ Tbsp oil, ¾ tsp salt, pepper and nutmeg over and toss. Spread into baking dish, cover with foil (or lid) and bake about 25 minutes, until almost tender (they will bake more later).
- Meanwhile, slice onions. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet over medium heat; add onions with sugar, and ¼ tsp salt. Saute slowly, stirring, until caramelized, reducing heat if necessary to keep from drying out.
- Beat eggs, cream and remaining ¼ tsp salt. Remove foil/lid from squash, and pour egg mixture over. Scatter caramelized onions, crumbled goat cheese, and finally pecans over the top. Reduce oven heat to 375 F; bake another 20 minutes or so, until golden brown.
