Butternut Squash Gratin With Goat Cheese And Hazelnuts

Wow.. this was amazing. If you love butternut squash and you love goat cheese, you will absolutely love this recipe. I will be making this again!

Butternut Squash Gratin With Goat Cheese And Hazelnuts (Epicurious.com)

Ingredients:
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash (about 2 medium), peeled, seeded, cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (8 cups)

2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
3 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 1/ teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 5.5-ounce log soft fresh goat cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped (I could not find hazelnuts so I used chopped walnuts and lightly toasted them in a dry pan)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place butternut squash cubes and olive oil in large bowl; sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and ground pepper and toss to coat. Spread out squash cubes on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until just tender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced leeks and chopped sage; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender but not brown, about 15 minutes. Coat 11x7-inch baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spread half of leek mixture over bottom of prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of squash and half of cheese. Repeat layering with leeks, squash, and cheese. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Pour cream evenly over gratin. Sprinkle with toasted chopped hazelnuts. Bake uncovered until gratin is heated through and cream is bubbling, about 30 minutes (40 minutes if previously chilled).

Acorn Squash with Brown Rice and Turkey Sausage

This was quite good, but the texture of the squash with the rice can be a bit strange. Chris loved it :)


Acorn Squash with Brown Rice and Turkey Sausage (Adapted from Culinary in the Desert)

2 acorn squash, each cut crosswise in half and seeded
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
2 cups cooked brown rice

Spray a large microwave-safe plate with nonstick spray - place squash halves, cut side down, on the plate. Place in the microwave and cook on high until fork tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove and let sit until cool enough to work with.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break up the sausage, until browned. Remove the sausage and place in a large bowl. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and add the onions, red bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until tender and lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the mixture to the bowl with the sausage.

Scoop out squash, leaving a 1/4" thick shell. Add the squash to the bowl with sausage mixture - add the rice and parsley, mixing until well combined. Evenly divide the sausage mixture between the squash shells. Serve warm!

Makes 4 servings (maybe a bit more!)