November 16, 2015

Butternut Squash, Leek and Goat Cheese Gratin

dani@slyrooster.com Sides butternut squash, goat cheese, gratin, leeks, make-ahead, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving sides 1 Comment

After hosting approximately 15 Thanksgiving meals, I am teetering somewhere midway between novice and pro. There’s been enough time and repetition for certain traditions to take root but still plenty of wiggle room for new ideas, recipes and guests to come to the table. Since our families generally don’t like to travel over the holidays–and sadly, do not live locally–more often than not our Thanksgiving is about friends. Friends who feel like family. We are extremely lucky to have a number of these special friends and our holidays are always filled with plenty of love and laughter.

This year, I’ve asked our guests to bring their traditional Thanksgiving side dishes to share. Some will be brought fully prepared while others will have us bumping into each other at the sink and jockeying for position on the stove. We will have football on the TV, music playing and cocktails pouring. The kids will likely be running around outside with various balls and sticks in hand. I anticipate nibbling too much throughout the day and needing a brief reprieve (aka, brisk walk) before sitting down to the big meal. And now I am laughing to myself as I have just described my perfect day. If even one aspect of the day looks like this I will be happy.

I will be making some of our traditional dishes that I’ve shared in the past: Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Red Onion and maybe even the Rutabaga Casserole. Although I always like to try at least one new dish, I just may not be able resist serving the Butternut Squash, Leek and Goat Cheese Gratin that has appeared on at least half of my Thanksgiving tables. This dish hits all the marks: can be made a day ahead, is decadent without being over the top, and needs minimal time on a shallow oven rack for baking. Oh, and it’s delicious. The original recipe came from the November 2007 issue of Bon Appetit but over time I’ve made so many adjustments that I’ve come to think of it as my own. If you are looking for a new dish to throw into your Thanksgiving mix, give this one a try. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.