Butternut and Poblano Gratin – where have you been all of my life? This year we harvested a total of fourteen large butternut squash from only two plants. The plants sprawled out of the raised bed into the paths, and over and under the fence across the pittio (our name for the gravel seating area next to the garden, named so to distinguish it from the patio behind the house). After havesting the squash, we brought them inside and piled them on the hearth of the wood stove. We learned years ago that it’s better to peel, deseed, cube, and freeze the squash, lest we not manage to eat them before it’s too late. So we do have a reliable way to store an abundance of butternuts, but even so, we’ve been foisting butternuts on anyone who visits. Now I must foist this recipe, because it’s not to be missed!
This is the first year that I’ve grown poblanos, and although they didn’t produce in the quantities I had hoped, I did want to do something special with this first harvest. Butternut and Poblano Gratin was just what I needed. The butternut squash is roasted first to bring out the nuttiness and sweetness, and to crisp the edges for a bit of smokiness. And poblanos love smokiness – the poblanos bring just enough heat for the smoldering to begin in your mouth, without ever sparking a fire. Add a garlicky cream sauce scented with smoky thyme and earthy oregano topped with creamy, melted pepper jack cheese, and you have something quite special. And you’re not dreaming – how did we get so lucky? Enjoy!
Butternut and Poblano Gratin
Equipment
- 9X13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- 6 poblano peppers
- ½ large onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- olive oil (for roasting the squash, and sautéing the veg)
- 1 t dried thyme
- ½ t dried oregano
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and prep the veg – Preheat the oven to 425℉, convection roast setting. Peel, deseed, and cube the butternut squash into 1-inch cubes. Destem, deseed, and slice the poblanos into wide strips. about 2 inches long. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic.
- Roast the squash – Spread the squash cubes out on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the squash is softened and browed on the edges.
- Make the sauce – Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the sliced onion, garlic, thyme, and oregano and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to soften. Add the poblanos and 1/4 cup of water, and cook, covered, until the poblanos are softened, another 15 minutes or so. Add the heavy cream. When it begins to thicken, remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream.
- Assemble and bake – Spread half of the sauce on the bottom of your baking dish, top with half of the butternut squash, then half of the cheese. Repeat. Bake, uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until bubbly and browned. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
If you’d like to be notified when new posts are added to this site, please subscribe below, and be sure to click through on the email you receive to confirm your subscription. If you don’t receive a confirmation email, please check your spam folder.