Sliced potato and butternut gratin

[Guest guest]

Sliced potato and butternut gratin

 

Layers of potato and squash baked in a creamy sauce with parmesan

cheese and topeed with pecans and toasted bread crumbs.

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 medium white skinned potatoes, peeled (about 2 1/2 lbs)

2 small butternut squash (about 3 1/2 pounds)

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

1 cup finely chopped pecans

4 tablespoons butterSalt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350 deegrees. Grease a 9 x 12 inch glass or ceramic

baking dish. Cut squash in half lengthwise, scrape out seeds. Cut off

1/2 inch from tops and bottoms and discard. Slice potatoes and squash

very thin about 1/8 inch thick, use a mandoline if you have one. Line

bottom of baking dish with a layer of squash overlapping slightly,

season lightly with salt and pepper, parmesan cheese and drizzle

lightly with the cream. Layer potato slices, overlapping slightly,

season with salt and pepper, sprinkle cheese and drizzle with cream.

Repeat layering with squash and potatoes until dish is full, ending

with a layer of squash. Press down lightly to help distribute cream

and compact layers. You should end up with 5 thin layers. Season top

with salt and pepper and remaining cheese and cream. Finished dish

should be lightly covered in cream not floating in it. Cover the dish

with foil and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. While dish is

baking, melt butter and combine with bread crumbs. Add chopped pecans

and mix thoroughly together then and set aside. Afer about an hour of

baking, check tenderness of gratin by poking the middle with a thin

sharp knife. Continue baking if still firm. When vegetables are

tender, remove from oven, sprinkle dish with pecan breadcrumb

mixture. Bake uncovered about 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Remove from oven, and let dish sit for about 15-20 minutes so liquids

will set and gratin will firm up. Cut into 12 squares and serve.