Winter Squash Gratin

This winter squash gratin is a wonderful side dish for your holiday dinner. It is also great as a main dish, served with a salad, for a light lunch or dinner. 

With a base of honeynut squash mixed with rice, Parmesan cheese, and eggs, and a topping of herby and garlicky breadcrumbs, this winter squash gratin is super savory and totally flavorful. It's a tasty break from the usual sweeter winter squash side dishes. 

I've been experimenting with different recipes for the coming holidays, both for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This gratin will definitely be on side dish rotation. Everyone who tried it loved it. 

Ingredients in this Holiday Side Dish:

Honeynut Squash: Honeynut squash is similar in flavor to pumpkin, butternut squash, and sweet potato, but a little less sweet. It's easier to peel than a butternut squash, and smaller in size. It's a nutritious vegetable high in vitamins. It can be prepared in both sweet and savory dishes. 

For sweets and desserts, you can make butternut squash cheesecake or butternut squash and apple muffins. It is also wonderful in soups and stews such as chicken, butternut squash, and onion soup and Argentina-style beef stew with honeynut squash. 

Another great side dish is cheesy butternut squash pasta. 

I used two honeynut squash from Melissa's Produce, which added up to about 2 1/2 pounds before peeling and removing the seeds. You can read more about this newer winter squash at Melissa's. 

Arborio Rice: The rice often used in risotto. It's combined with the squash to absorb any excess moisture. 

Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated. 

Eggs, Olive Oil, Salt, and Nutmeg. 

For the Topping: Bread crumbs, flat leaf parsley, rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. 

To Make This Gratin:

First, peel and slice the squash and then sauté it in olive oil with a little salt. While the squash is cooking, boil the rice in salted water for about ten minutes and then drain it. 

After that, combine the squash with the rice and then stir in the grated Parmesan plus some salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Once the squash has cooled, stir in the eggs and pour the mixture into an oiled baking dish. Top with the bread crumb mixture. 

To Make the Bread Crumb Mixture:

Combine the ingredients, except the olive oil, in the bowl of a food processor. Then, add the olive oil and salt and pepper and process until the mixture is a lovely green color. You can make this in advance and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. 

You can use all of the bread crumbs or, if you have extra, save it in the freezer to use for topping other dishes such as veggies or fish. 

Equipment You May Need:

To prepare the bread crumbs, you will need a food processor. I used a mini food processor and it worked perfectly, so I didn't have to drag out the full-sized food processor. 

To bake the gratin, you will need a baking dish that is about 1 1/2 to 2 quarts in capacity. A deep dish pie dish works well. I used a Le Creuset stoneware gratin dish. 

Recipe Substitution and Leftovers:

Most winter squash would work with this recipe. Good substitutions include butternut squash, acorn squash, kabocha squash, and sugar pumpkin. You could even use sweet potatoes. 

You can reheat leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F. 

Holiday Side Dish Week:

Welcome to Holiday Side Dish Week 2025. This year we have lots of side dishes to help you plan your holiday meals.

Monday Holiday Side Dish Recipes:

• Thanksgiving Roasted Vegetables by Hezzi-D's Recipe Box
• Squash, Apple, and Cranberry Casserole by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Honeynut Squash Gratin by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Black Pepper and Rosemary Angel Biscuits by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Taiwanese Pork Chops by Sneha's Recipe
• Cranberry Salsa by Art of Natural Living
• Homemade Mushroom Chestnut Stuffing by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Cranberry masal puri by Magical Ingredients

Winter Squash Gratin

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 H & 25 M

This butternut squash gratin is a wonderful side dish for your holiday dinner. It is also great as a main dish, served with a salad, for a light lunch or dinner. 

Ingredients

For the Bread Crumb Topping

• 1 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 large handful of flat leaf parsley leaves
• Leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For the Casserole

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds honeynut or butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/3 cup arborio rice or other short grain starchy rice
• 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

To Prepare the Breadcrumbs

1. Add the breadcrumbs, parsley, rosemary, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until everything is thoroughly blended. Add the olive oil and blend until the mixture is green. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

To Prepare the Gratin

1. Prepare a 1 1/2 to 2 quart baking dish by rubbing it with olive oil. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Peel and slice the squash, removing the seeds. You should have about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds left. Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sprinkle the squash with salt. Sauté the squash in the pan with the lid on for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring it occasionally.
3. At the same time, in a small saucepan, add salted water and bring it to a simmer. Add the rice and cook it for 10 minutes. Drain the rice and place it in a large bowl.
4. When the squash is ready, add it to the same bowl and combine it with the rice. Stir in the Parmesan cheese along with a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Let the mixture cool and then stir in the eggs. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and smooth the top. Top with the breadcrumb mixture and drizzle it with a little olive oil.
5. Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

326

Fat (grams)

13 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3 g

Carbs (grams)

46 g

Fiber (grams)

5 g

Net carbs

41 g

Sugar (grams)

5 g

Protein (grams)

10 g

Cholesterol (grams)

70 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2025/11/butternut-squash-gratin.html

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Adapted from The Kitchn