Squash and Potato Gratin with Bacon (and lots of cheese!).
Sometimes side dishes completely steal the show, and this is one of those times!
Thin slices of potato, butternut squash and onion, piled up with garlicky, creamy-cheese sauce and finished off with even more cheese and crispy bacon. Sooo good!
But is it actually a gratin? Or is it a dauphinoise?
I think it’s actually a dauphinoise – since it’s cooked in cream with a hint of garlic. Although some sources say gratin has a breadcrumb or cheese topping.
Maybe dauphinoise is a type of gratin?
I’m so confused ????
Who cares, it tastes bloomin lovely whatever it’s called!
We enjoyed it as a main dish with a big, crispy-green salad and we ate the lot (after fighting over those bacon bits on top).
Eeek I’ve just realised this is my second-to-last post before C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S!! ????????????????????????
How can that be? I’m so not ready! I mean, I’ve bought all my pressies, decided on the Christmas day menu, ordered the food and decorated the tree……
….but I don’t feel ready!! Are you ready?
My next couple of recipes will be turkey leftover-based recipes, so look out for them. I’ll post one on Saturday, and then I’ll be sure to get the next one out early on boxing day. Both yummy double-tested turkey recipes (I’ve cooked a lot of turkey over this last couple of months!).
If I get time, I might try to post a dessert recipe too. Winter spiced pecan cheesecake? It would be wrong not to!
Right, time to go back to list-making and Christmas panic.
If you liked this recipe then why not take a look at my other gratin recipes such as my Cheesy Butternut Gratin or Potato and Ham Gratin.
The Squash and Potato Gratin with Bacon Recipe:
Squash and Potato Gratin with Bacon
Ingredients
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) whole (full-fat) milk
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) double (heavy) cream
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 600 g (21.2 oz) floury potatoes such as Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 small onion peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 rashers/slices cooked streaky bacon chopped
- 100 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) mature cheddar cheese grated
- 75 g (3/4 cup) Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 300 g (10.6 oz) approx 1 medium butternut squash peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced (seeds discarded)
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F (fan).
- Heat the milk, cream, and garlic in a small pan until it's almost boiling (don't boil though). Turn off the heat.300 ml (1 1/4 cups) whole (full-fat) milk, 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) double (heavy) cream, 2 cloves garlic
- Take an oven-proof dish approx. 20cmx25cm, layer a third of the potatoes and onion on the bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle on a quarter of the bacon, a quarter of the cheese, and a pinch each of the salt, pepper, and thyme. Pour over a quarter of the hot cream.600 g (21.2 oz) floury potatoes, 1 small onion, 6 rashers/slices cooked streaky bacon, 100 g (1 cup minus 1 tbsp) mature cheddar cheese, 75 g (3/4 cup) Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, ½ tsp dried thyme
- Repeat with another layer of everything, this time including half of the butternut squash.
- Repeat with a final layer of the potatoes, onion, and butternut squash, but this time, don’t sprinkle on the bacon (it will overcook if sprinkled on top at this point). Pour the remaining cream around the sides of the squash/potatoes (the cream should have filled up the dish and be just about touching the bottom of your top layer of squash). Sprinkle the rest of the cheese, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper over the top.300 g (10.6 oz) approx 1 medium butternut squash
- Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned. Sprinkle on the remaining bacon for the last 5 minutes of cooking to heat through.
- Sprinkle on the parsley before serving.1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Absolutely gorgeous. Will be making this lots more times – especially on cold, miserable days.
Very tasty was a lot better than I expected, creamy and cheesy, great for a vegetarian without the bacon, we had it with sweetheart cabbage.
Hey Nicky! Do you think yellow squash or zucchini would work instead of butternut? Or would it be too watery?
Thanks!
Anything with bacon is always a winner, looks delicious:)
This looks great, always pleased to have a new recipe to use up some of my large stock of butternuts harvested from my garden!! Just to help with your confusion, a gratin is simply a dish of veg cooked in cream in the oven, not normally with cheese or breadcrumbs but can be. Dauphinoise is a dish from the Savoie region of France, a gratin made with potatoes and cream and garlic, sometimes but not authentically with some cheese. So your dish is a gratin!!