Side Dish

Harvest Apple, Potato, and Squash Gratin

Posted by Juliana on

 

I submitted this recipe to a holiday recipe contest in our local newspaper. I have yet to hear the results. It was a runner up to my apple muffin recipe but it just wasn’t ready at the time of the Harvest Festival. Before, it was only potatoes and apples. Then my dad brought me a whole bunch of butternut squash from his garden and they seemed like a nice fall trio.
 I was so excited for fall this year. I really thought that the creativity was going to flow and I would just be brimming with ideas. I pictured myself mixing up mind-blowingly creative sugary Halloween delights and at least fifty original, modern, savory pumpkin recipes! And I did try, and fail at, a few. But then we all got colds and the stomach flu.  And so, so far, this is it!  Now, don’t get me wrong, this side dish is good. But it is just one measly little old side dish! But, fall is far from over.  I will get back on my horse and ride it back into the kitchen!
And side dishes, you rule in many ways!  You are really just one pound of animal protein away from becoming an entrée.  In fact, I get many one dish dinner ideas from adding a little meat to a great side dish.
Things are really looking up!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Harvest Apple, Potato, & Squash Gratin

(A delightful side dish to compliment any Holiday table.)

Ingredients:

-3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and thinly sliced)

-2 medium Granny Smith apples (thinly sliced)

– ½ of a medium Butternut Squash (peeled and thinly sliced)

-1 c. heavy cream

-One 16 oz. Bag of shredded mixed Italian cheese

– 4 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

– ½ lb. bacon (cooked on paper towels in the microwave until crisp, then chopped or crumbled)

– 1/3 to ½ c. pecans (chopped and toasted)

-2 tsp. each S & P

-1 c. panko bread crumbs

-2 Tbsp. butter

-cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Coat a 9″ X 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.

Layer ingredients in this order: one layer potatoes, drizzle ¼ c. of cream over potatoes, sprinkle ½ tsp. each S & P, and sprinkle on 1 oz. Gorgonzola, over that sprinkle on ½ c. Italian cheese, over that sprinkle 1/3 of the pecans and 1/3 of the bacon.
Next put down a layer of the sliced apples. Over the apples layer all of the ingredients just like over the potatoes.

Next put down a layer of the squash. Over the squash layer all of the ingredients just like over the apples.

Put down one more layer of potatoes. Over this last layer drizzle the last ¼ c. of cream, sprinkle the last ½ tsp. each S & P, sprinkle the last 1 oz. of the gorgonzola, and sprinkle the last ½ c. of the Italian cheese(you should have already used all of your bacon and pecans at this point).

Next, melt butter in a medium bowl (microwave safe) in the microwave (about 20 to 30 seconds on high heat). Add the panko to the butter and stir to coat. Sprinkle panko over top of casserole.

Cover casserole with foil. Place casserole on middle rack of oven. Bake for 2 hours. For last 15 minutes remove the foil and turn the oven up to 400° F. to brown bread crumbs. Remove from oven. Let rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Then slice and EAT!

P.S. I know 2 hours seems like a long time, but I have tried it for less time and the squash and potatoes just don’t quite cook all the way in a shorter time. But watch for over browning because different oven temperatures vary.