Butternut Squash Casserole (Gratin)

Butternut squash gratin is everything you’d want in a cozy casserole dish. Cheesy, creamy, flavoured with thyme and garlic and extremely delicious!

This delicious casserole works beautifully as a side dish to your Thanksgiving  or Christmas feast. 

Let’s talk about everything that is warm, cozy and comfy because our life demands it right now. Apart from all the uncertainty that defines our world at the moment, the winter is also coming.

A bit of warming up is in order and this is what my new recipe is all about.

Baked Butternut Squash Recipe

This creamy butternut squash casserole ticks all the boxes. The inspiration came to me via my favourite potatoes au gratin recipe or potatoes dauphinoise as they are known in France and the UK. 

The dish comes from the Dauphine region of France, and is made from sliced and layered potatoes cooked in butter, heavy creamy and garlic. I decided to lighted up the recipe by using butternut squash instead of potatoes.

We loved this version even more than the traditional one. The sweetness of butternut squash complimented by nutmeg and countered by the garlic was no match for plain potatoes. The flavour was far richer and more complex.

It paired beautifully with a pork roast and tenderstem broccoli, that I served last night. I also made my first ever loaf of bread, and was so beautiful I wanted to cry. Just kidding I was actually grinning from ear to ear but more on that later.

How to Make It

The method for making this gorgeous dish is very straightforward. Mix cream with nutmeg, crushed garlic clove, thyme sprigs and bay leaves and bring it to a boil. Take off the heat and let infuse for 10-15 minutes. Peel, deseed and slice butternut squash and layer in a buttered dish.

Pour the herb and garlic infused cream over the squash, cover with a tin foil and bake at 350F/ 180C for 30 min. Uncover and sprinkle with any type of sharp cheese. I used mature white cheddar. Bake for 3o minutes longer uncovered.

I recommend using a large and shallow baking dish for this recipe. A rectangular 9 inch X 13 inch works well.

Butternut squash tends to release too much liquid during the baking and is not nearly as starchy as potatoes. So if it is stacked high, the liquid doesn’t evaporate, which throws off the creamy consistency. I would avoid deep dishes for this recipe. 

You can make this casserole a day ahead and reheat it shortly before you are ready to sit down to dinner. Cover it with aluminum foil and heat for 10 minutes at 400F/200C, then uncover heat for 10 minutes longer. 

Butternut Squash Recipe Serving Suggestions

It’s not difficult to guess this baked butternut squash goes with almost anything but let me highlight my favourite pairings. This spatchcock roast chicken with potatoes will go wonderfully with a creamy dish like this butternut squash. 

This one pan rosemary chicken and potato dish will also compliment my creamy squash bake. 

How to Store Butternut Squash Casserole 

The leftovers will keep fresh in the fridge up to 5 days. 

More favourite vegetable side dishes:

• Savoury Sweet Potato Casserole
• Fresh Green Bean Casserole
• Crispy Brussels Sprouts with Honey and Bacon
• Braised Savoy Cabbage with Bacon and Mushrooms

This recipe was originally published in 05/2014. Updated with new photos and text and republished in 11/2020.