With kisses of crispy bacon and cheese, this Butternut Squash Parmesan Gratin is truly outstanding and a must on every holiday table!
So get this… Mr. Fantabulous hates zucchini, yellow, and spaghetti squash (well okay hate is a strong word. Let’s just say he greatly dislikes it but will eat it if I force him to. But here’s the kicker he loves butternut and acorn squash. Now to me, a squash is a squash is a squash. Okay, maybe the spaghetti squash is the exception here as its texture is unlike the others but to me they are all pretty much equal.
Anyway the other day on our way home from the doctor I told him we needed a few things from the store. Me, being me said “Just park and I’ll run in real quick” thinking he’d forget my whole being under quarantine. He’s been taking his ginko crap or whatever you take to help improve your memory because I got the look (you know the look you get when you try to be sly and someone catches you) and he just huffed and said “Make me a list and I’ll get it while you stay in the car”.
Now if you’re like Mr. Fantabulous you’ve probably never personally bought butternut squash. There are a few things you need to look for when buying it to ensure you’re buying an amazing one.
When selecting a butternut squash, keep these tips in mind:
→ smooth skin
→ heavy for its size
→ un-dented
→ still has the stem
After I explained this all to him he kissed me on the forehead, got out of the car, AND… wait, are you ready for this???
HE SET THE ALARM ON THE CAR!!! No, seriously the man locked me in the car and set the damn alarm. He knew I was mad as I was just going to call him when I heard my phone ring. Seeing it was him I said “WTH??? You set the alarm?” He said “Baby, you’re stubborn and I don’t want you sneaking in the store. Now be good and maybe I’ll buy you a treat!” LOL What am I 5??? I could have beaten that man but then after a slight pause, I said “… what kind of treat?” haha I guess I am 5.
Once we got home and unloaded everything I saw the butternut squash he bought. *mental note: specify size not equal to gargantuan!!!* Yeah let’s just say he bought the gunther-sized butternut squash. LOL But he did buy the right one, even though he locked me in the damn car.
This dish comes together really fast and is awesome as a side dish or as the main dish. For me, I loved the addition of the bacon as it just made the dish. It married beautifully with the parmesan cheese and the creamy buttery squash. And plus HELLO it’s bacon! #baconislove
For me this was my dinner but for Mr. Fantabulous, this was a side dish to his roasted chicken. Now it’s funny as I set his plate down in front of him he looked at the gratin, looked at me and pointed with his fork asking “What is this???” When I told him what it was and how I used the butternut squash he gave me a very dissatisfied ‘Oh…” comment. I said “What? You like butternut squash honey.”
To which he said that phrase no married man should ever EVER say to their spouse…
The man, yes I’m referring to him as THE MAN said and I quote:
“This is NOT how my mother makes it”
Whoa… Come again, cowboy??? I gave him the look which is a bajillion times worse than his look. He stopped breathing at that point and looked at me trying to backpedal by saying “I mean she makes them whole and stuffs them with cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar honey… baby… my gorgeous wife… the love of my life… have I told you how sexy you are lately???”
However, all was forgotten as soon as we both took our first bites of this gratin. The breadcrumbs were buttery, crusty, and cheesy, the butternut squash was creamy and the bacon, well… bacon just makes everything more awesome. What honestly shined through the most for me was the sautéed garlic – it wasn’t overpowering but it elevated the flavor of the dish tenfold. This savory gratin needs to be a relevant dish in your household and not just for the holidays. I’m telling you folks, we could not get enough of this!
As I was plating dessert I stopped mid-movement and locked eyes with him. “What hon?” he asked. I put my hands on my hips and said “My treat, you said if I stayed in the car that you’d buy me a treat. What is it? Can I have it now?”
His eyes got huge and a grin formed on his beautiful face. he chuckled saying I am a 5-year-old. But I was persistent. I wanted my damn treat! LOL He then stood up, reached into his pocket, and proceeded to pull “something” out. He fumbled with it all the while covering it up.
Finally, I saw him put his hands up to his lips and act like he was ‘fitting’ something over his lips. He then pulled his hands away and had a big ol’ puckered lips waiting for me. He leaned in and gave me a huge kiss on the forehead. He then said, “I blew that kiss to you when I was walking into the store but hurried up and grabbed it out of the air, put it in my pocket, and saved it for you for later.” ♥
The man… *sigh*…. the man, so love him! ♥♥♥
PrintButternut Squash Parmesan Gratin
With kisses of crispy bacon and cheese, this Butternut Squash Parmesan Gratin is truly outstanding and a must on every holiday table!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: side dishes, comfort foods, gratin, cheesy foods, casserole, thanksgiving side
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: side dishes, comfort foods, gratin, cheesy foods, casserole, thanksgiving side
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large butternut squash (about 3 lbs), peeled, cut in half and seeded
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon parsley, divided
- 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs or Gluten Free Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup shaved fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 6 slices bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F, rack in the middle. Lightly spray a glass casserole dish or a 9×13” baking dish. In a skillet cook the bacon until crispy, ~8-10 minutes. Remove the bacon and crumble. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease. Set aside
- Place one half of the butternut squash cut side down and slice into 1/4” thick slices. Repeat with the other half. Layer the squash in the pan slightly overlapping.
- Return the skillet with the 1 tablespoon of bacon grease to medium heat. Add in the butter to melt. When the butter begins to foam add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or just until the garlic has softened.
- In a bowl add the bread crumbs, grated cheese, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the butter mixture. Mix just to moisten the crumbs. Evenly spoon the butter-garlic mixture over top of the squash slices. Top with moistened bread crumbs. Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes or until the squash is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven top with the shaved parmesan cheese and bacon crumbles and bake for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is slightly melted.
Notes
For vegetarian omit the bacon entirely.
Looking for more Squash recipes?
This Apple Streusel Stuffed Acorn Squash is so good. It’s perfect for breakfast, dessert or as a side dish. Want to make it a main dish? Add cooked crumbled breakfast sausage to the mix!
Double the squash is that you get in this awesome Squash the Noodles Lasagna!
For me one of the oddest shaped squashes but man this is such a good recipe for Chicken & Quinoa Stuffed Patty Pan Squash!
This Butternut Squash Chicken Pasta Bake is one hearty and delicious meal! It’s cheesy and all kinds of yummies!
This is one of my favorite vegetarian dishes! You so need to make this Spaghetti Squash in a vegetable mornay sauce!
And we can’t forget about my 17 Zucchini Recipes!
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