Delicata Squash Gruyère Gratin
November 21, 2022
Delicata Squash Gruyère Gratin… three of my favorite things. This gratin is an indulgence. The sweet, creamy delicata squash melts into the creamy, nutty backdrop of Gruyère cheese punctuated by hints of fresh thyme. A delicious, satisfying, comforting side dish that would be a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving table. The best part? This gratin is low carb and keto-friendly and provides a significant amount of Vitamin A per serving, which is an immune-boosting nutrient. Okay, four of my favorite things!
VEGETARIAN ✓ LOW CARB ✓ KETO ✓ GLUTEN-FREE ✓
Table of contents
Recipe Notes
For me, anything gratinéed, and anything with Delicata squash. If you have been here at all, you know I love cheese… read on to see why Delicata Squash is one of my favorites. I adapted this recipe from a classic, foolproof potato gratin on Bon Appetit. Just in time for Thanksgiving comes the ultimate comfort food indulgence with a healthy dose of immune boosting Vitamin A. So while this rich and creamy gratin may seem like a treat, it is actually a low-carb and keto-friendly side dish which should earn a spot at the Thanksgiving table.
The Ingredients
The star of this recipe is the delicata squash. It is my favorite of the winter squashes, and is one of the winter squashes with the lowest carb count. Thank goodness.
Delicata Squash are a significant source of Vitamin A, which supports a healthy immune system, is good for eyesight and bone density, and may lower your risk of certain cancers. This squash is also a good source of fiber, which helps to offset the carbs, making it a low-carb, keto-friendly winter squash.
Fiber is an essential component for a healthy diet. It feeds the good bacteria in your gut. As we are growing increasingly aware, your gut health is one of the most important factors in your overall health and well being. A healthy gut not only feeds your cells, but contributes to your immunity, warding off viruses and bacteria. It also communicates with your brain through your nerves and hormones, playing a large part in your general health, mood, and sense of well being.
Gruyère cheese is an alpine style of cheese originating in Switzerland. It is sweet, slightly salty, and has a creamy, nutty taste. It is excellent paired with fall flavors.
The supporting roles in this dish, the ones that bring it all together, are cream, butter, and parmesan cheese… shallots and garlic… and fresh thyme, fresh sage, and nutmeg.
How To Make Delicata Squash Gratin
Preheat oven to 325°. Cut 1 garlic clove in half and rub the inside of a shallow baking dish with the cut sides. Smear butter all over the inside of dish.
Next, prepare the squash. Wash the Delicata squash, cut them into 1/2 inch rounds, and remove the seeds. Slice these in half, so you have half circles (like Delicata rainbows).
In a small saucepan, bring the shallots, cream, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, sage, nutmeg, and remaining garlic cloves to a slow simmer over low heat; cook the mixture until the shallots and garlic are very soft, about 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
Now it’s time to assemble the gratin. I used an oval baking dish and tightly bunched the Delicata squash slices in bundles upright to expose the rind for visual appeal, but they can be laid down and overlapped, or layered, whichever you prefer. Put them in as tightly as possible as they will fall slightly when they are cooked. I placed them in a crisscross pattern for visual appeal. Once the squash is in the dish, pour the cream mixture over the the top, leaving some squash exposed. Make sure to not fill to the rim, as the gratin will bubble and boil over in the oven if you do. Cover with foil and bake until the squash has softened and is creamy – about 60 minutes.
Heat the broiler in your oven. Remove the foil and top the gratin with the cheeses. Place the dish on the top rack of the oven and broil until the top of the gratin has turned a golden brown – about 5-10 minutes. Keep your eye on it so that it does not burn.
Bring the dish directly to the table, bubbling and cheesy. Gratins are best served hot.
You can bake this dish a day ahead, and do the final broil just before serving. To do so, after baking, let cool, cover, and refrigerate. To finish, bring to room temperature again, cover with cheese, and broil before serving.
FAQs
Any winter squash will work well for this recipe, just make sure that you peel and seed the squash, and slice it in a similar thickness to this recipe for the baking times to match up. For thicker slices you will need to bake for longer – and be careful not to
Absolutely!
More Recipes To Try
Roasted Grape & Brie Appetizer Bites
Baked Brie With Roasted Grapes
Asparagus, Brie & Smoked Salmon Frittata
Get The Recipe:
Delicata Squash Gruyère Gratin
Ingredients
- 2 Large Delicata Squash Cut Into Half Rings
- 2 1/2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 4-5 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Shallots Quartered Lengthwise
- 1 Tbsp. Butter
- 1/2 Cup Gruyere Cheese Grated
- 2 Handfulls Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 Tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 2-3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 4-6 Leaves Fresh Sage Slivered
- 1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
- 1 Tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Cut 1 garlic clove in half and rub the inside of a shallow baking dish with the cut sides. Smear butter all over inside of dish. Set aside.
- Prepare the delicata squash. Wash the delicata squash, cut them into 1/2 inch rounds, and remove the seeds. Slice these in half, so you have half circles (like Delicata rainbows).
- Prepare the cream sauce for the gratin. In a small saucepan, bring the shallots, cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, fresh thyme, sage, and remaining garlic cloves to a slow simmer over low heat; cook the mixture until the shallots and garlic are very soft, 15–20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Assemble the gratin and bake. I used an oval baking dish and tightly bunched the delicata squash slices in bundles upright to expose the rind for visual appeal, but they can be laid down and overlapped, or layered, whichever you prefer. Put them in as tightly as possible as they will fall slightly when they are cooked. I placed them in a crisscross pattern for visual appeal. Once the squash is in the dish, tuck in the sage leaves and pour the cream mixture over the the top, leaving some squash exposed. Make sure to not fill to the rim, as the gratin will bubble and boil over in the oven if you do. Cover with foil and bake until the squash has softened and is creamy – about 60 minutes.
- Top with cheese and broil. Heat the broiler in your oven. Remove the foil and top the gratin with the cheeses. Place the dish on the top rack of the oven and broil until the top of the gratin has turned a golden brown. Keep your eye on it so that it does not burn.
- Remove from the oven and serve. Bring the dish directly to the table, bubbling and cheesy. Gratins are best served hot.
Notes
If you make this Delicata Squash Gruyere Gratin be sure to leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you. And if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see!
Reviews
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6 Comments
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Joanna Revers
Thank you, Suzanne! It is definitely a favorite – Delicata squash is my favorite winter squash and pairing it with Gruyère, sage, and cream – so good. Thank you for letting me know! Joanna
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Carrie
Yummmmy! I made this as specified, but cut the squash in half length wise, scooped out the seeds, and then cut (so into rainbows) because I didn’t want to scoop seeds out if each slice I made. I also cut the recipe in half to serve my smaller family which was simple to do. The only thing I found to be confusing is that the recipe says to have the sage in the sauce simmer, but then also to tuck into the casserole? I just threw them in the sauce and they got pureed with everything else – and skipped tucking any in the casserole itself. I’m not sure it needed extra! My husband was cruising around the corners looking for the cheese that had gotten a bit on the brown side. *grin* This will for sure be a repeat in our household!-
Joanna Revers
Hi Carrie, The browned bits are always the best part! Thank you so much for sharing this, it means a lot to know that you all enjoyed it. The extra sage is as much for visual appeal as it is for flavor, you can definitely leave it out. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving! Joanna
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Kelly Newbold Boudreau
Delicious!! We didn’t have some of the ingredients so I altered it a bit but was still amazing. It does not say in the recipe when to add the nutmeg so I added it with the rest of the herbs. I used an 8×8 glass dish and it all fit in. Wish the recipe was easier to print!
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Joanna Revers
Hi Kelly, I’m so glad you liked it! It pairs two of my favorites – delicata squash and cheese! Thanks for pointing out the nutmeg (let me fix that) and I really appreciate you letting me know about the printing. I want to make this as easy and helpful as possible. Have a great day! Joanna
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This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!