Vegan Squash Gratin

Vegan Squash Gratin

That hubbard squash went a long way. I had no clue when I bought it that I’d get three recipes out of it, but I did. I thought I might get four, but to be honest, I was ready to make the rest of it and have it vacate the bottom of my refrigerator in favor of other things. That said, I love how diverse the recipes have been with this single winter vegetable.

First I made a rich and creamy hubbard squash risotto, then I simmered a hearty winter squash and bean stew, and finally I’m ending with a hubbard squash gratin recipe. The squash is so tender and mildly sweet in this dish, and its topping is crunchy and flavorful with the addition of breadcrumbs and fresh herbs. Not to mention that I used Daiya vegan cheese and it works beautifully in this recipe.

Still looking for holiday side dishes? Consider a gratin if you have a decent vegan cheese in a store near you.

Vegan Squash Gratin
This is a revised version of Merritt’s Butternut Squash Gratin recipe on Allrecipes.com

• 3 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 pounds winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 8-ounce package shredded vegan cheese (I used Daiya’s mozzarella)
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.

Prepare your winter squash. If you are going to use a hubbard squash or one similar to it, please take care when cutting it open. It’s much tougher than a butternut, so it can be easier to injure oneself. Refer to my risotto post to see how I cut open this particular squash.

The rest of my hubbard squash - about 2 1/2 pounds of squash meat

Dice your onions and mince your garlic.

Chopped onion and garlic

Melt the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then stir in the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions soften and turn golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Cooking onions and garlic in vegan butter

Add the winter squash and brown sugar.

Brown sugar and hubbard squash

Continue cooking and stirring until the squash begins to brown on the edges, but is still somewhat firm in the center, about 10 minutes more.

Hubbard squash cooking with the onions and garlic

Scrape the squash into the prepared baking dish, and pour in the vegetable broth. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil, the place in the oven. Bake for about 45 or 50 minutes.

Preparing to bake the squash gratin

Chop up your fresh rosemary and thyme, then add to the dry breadcrumbs.

Fresh rosemary and thyme go into the breadcrumbs

I chose to use a package of Daiya cheese, but you can use whatever vegan cheese you like. I find that Daiya has a great flavor and the texture works really well.

Daiya mozzarella style shreds

Add the vegan cheese to the breadcrumbs and fresh herbs, then mix well together.

Topping for squash gratin

Remove the foil from the baking dish, then sprinkle the squash evenly with the vegan cheese mixture.

Adding the vegan cheese topping to the squash

Return to the oven, and bake uncovered for 15 minutes more until the topping is lightly crunchy and brown.

Vegan squash gratin fresh from the oven

This turned out really great. While the Daiya didn’t melt exactly like cheese, combined with the crunchy breadcrumbs, it still wound up being a really nice flavor and texture that complimented the tender squash.

If you’re not much of a winter squash fan, the topping alone is worth trying with other vegetables like potatoes or even turnips. You could also do a green gratin with chard or collard greens. And of course, it is a great topping for making vegan macaroni and cheese. There’s really no end to experimentation.

A serving of vegan squash gratin

Do you have a favorite gratin recipe?

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