Three gratins for your Thanksgiving table
Butternut squash and Gruyere, caramelized leek and potato, and a delicata squash gratin. Plus a practical guide of everything you need to host Thanksgiving
Recently, my dad raised the question of whether or not to even include mashed potatoes in our Thanksgiving spread. (Gasp.) The reason? He had recently made a potato and celeriac gratin and was apparently so shook by his own handiwork that he thought maybe mashed potatoes could take a back seat this year. Fair. Gratins really are more impressive than their humble mashed counterparts. I speak in defense of mashed potatoes as a staple on Thanksgiving whether it feels like too many carbs or not. That’s sort of the point, after all.
However, I do think that gratins make a delicious and delightful addition to the spread. They’re a dish that can be made ahead of time (huge)—either assembled and baked the day of or fully baked and reheated just before the meal. They don’t need to be piping hot to be delicious. And they are indeed delicious. Below I’ve are my 3 personal favorites: The first is a butternut squash gratin—almost a custard-y mash with sage, thyme, and Gruyere. There’s a more classic potato and caramelized leek gratin, and finally a delicata squash gratin with slices of roasted squash layered with a white wine cream sauce. All are cozy and decadent in exactly the right way. I highly suggest you make at least one this year.
Everything you need to host Thanksgiving this year:
Ok so this isn’t everything you’ll need. But, I think these are items that you may not have thought of that will make your life so much easier!
For cooking:
Deli containers for storing prepped ingredients and leftovers. These are inexpensive and stack easily in the fridge.
Extra kitchen towels. I love these ones for taking hot things out of the oven and drying dishes because they’re nice and thick.
Multiple sheet trays! Don’t be stuck rotating out the same 2 sheet trays all day
A fitted sheet tray lid for storing leftovers and for storing anything that you’re making ahead of time.
A couple of big mixing bowls. These restaurant-style metal mixing bowls are great for tossing salads, mixing stuffing and just handling larger quantities. And, as you may know by now, I love this set of glass nesting bowls for tasks of all sizes.
An extra casserole dish. I love this one and I think it’s a great price.
A small pot for gravy. I think that this can be easily overlooked! In my opinion, this is the best all around choice because the curved edges make it particularly nice for whisking.
For hosting:
Aluminum containers to send your guests home with leftovers
At least a couple big platters. I love these ones from Target. I have so many of them because I use them for catering but I love them equally at home.
Towels for drying glassware. All towels are not created equally and a thick towel is not what you want for glassware. These flour sack
Having a case of extra glasses is helpful. This is a good thing to collect from the thrift store, but if you haven’t thought that far ahead, I think that these Duralex glasses are perfect. They’re cute enough for daily use but they’re perfect for a party stash because they’re sturdy, come in oversize, and are affordable. This brand has been making the same style for years and years so you know that if you ever want to replace a few, you can simply purchase the same exact style in the future. The small size also works equally well for water as for cocktails or wine.
Serving tongs! This is something that’s easy to forget because you don’t need them in your day to day, but suddenly you’re hosting and have nothing to serve anything with! These are perfect. They’re elegant and inexpensive.
Butternut Squash Gratin
This is a somewhat low maintenance approach to a gratin because it doesn’t involve slicing and layering your squash and cooking them in cream. Instead, you roast and mash your squash and mix it into a base of milk, eggs, shredded gruyere, and sautéed onions and garlic. The result is a super comforting side for Thanksgiving or your Sunday roast. If you’re thinking of making this for Thanksgiving, this is a great recipe to assemble ahead of time and bake off the day of. You could even take it a step further by fully baking a day or two ahead and then reheating right before the big meal. It’s the sort of thing that’s not going to dry out because it has moisture from the squash, milk, cheese and eggs.
Serves 4-6 people
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pound butternut squash
3-4 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp fresh sage
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
6 oz Gruyere cheese, grated
Parmesan cheese, microplanes, to top
salt and pepper to taste
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Coat with olive oil and season with salt. Place cut-side down on a lined baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until completely tender. Allow to sit at room temp until cool enough to touch.
Step 2:
Once cooled, scoop out the seeds. You can do this before baking, but it’s easier to do once the squash is cooked and the flesh is soft. Scoop out the rest of the flesh into a medium sized bowl. Mash with a fork and set aside.
Step 3:
Reduce oven temp to 375 F and prepare your custard base. Crack eggs into a medium bowl and whisk in the milk. Add in half of the shredded Gruyere and season with salt and pepper. Stir the liquids into the squash puree until fully combined. Taste and adjust your seasonings before transferring to a casserole dish or a heavy duty skillet.
Step 4:
Spread the mixture evenly into your baking vessel and top with the rest of your shredded Gruyere and finely grated Parmesan cheese. Using a microplane for the Parm is preferred because it will melt and brown best. Parmesan adds a little extra saltiness and contributes to a more golden brown crust but it’s not totally necessary. If all you have is pre-shredded Parmesan, then I would omit it because it doesn’t melt well. But that’s just me. Do what you want with your gratin!
Step 5:
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and sizzling. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Caramelized Leek and Potato Gratin
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes (about 6-8 large), cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/4 cup unsalted butter (plus more for greasing your pan)
3 cups heavy cream
3-4 cloves garlic, skin removed
1/2 onion, skin and stem removed (optional)
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated Gruyere
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 leeks
3-4 Tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Step 1:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2:
Prepare the potatoes by peeling and cutting into 1/4 inch slices and set aside. (peeling is optional.) Cut the roots and tops off the leeks and slice in half lengthwise. Cut into thin slices and thoroughly rinse to remove any sand. Strain to dry and place in a preheated sauté pan with a few Tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until translucent, remove from heat, and allow to cool.
Step 3:
Prepare the dairy mixture by adding heavy cream, garlic, onion, nutmeg, and salt to a small pot. Gently heat over low heat. Taste for seasoning.
Step 4:
Meanwhile grease a 10-12-inch oven proof skillet generously with butter. Shingle the potatoes, working from the outside of the vessel in. Once you’ve layered in all of the potatoes, and the skillet is full, season them with salt and pepper. Top with grated Gruyere and Parmesan.
Step 5:
Ladle in the half and half, avoiding the garlic cloves. The liquid should come about 3/4 of the way to the top of the skillet. Dot with 3-4 Tbsp butter and the leeks. Cover with foil and place in the oven on the center rack. Allow to bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 6:
Remove the foil and increase the heat to 400 degrees. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Delicata Squash Gratin
Delicata Squash Gratin
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
4 lbs delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and cut into ¼” slices
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus 1 Tbsp for greasing the pan
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp thyme leaves
¼ cup white wine
2 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
2-3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
5 oz Gruyere, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 400°F and butter a 13x9” baking dish. Arrange the squash in an
even layer in the dish. You can do this as carefully or haphazardly as you like.
Step 2:
In a large saute, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the onions, season
with salt and allow to cook until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and continue
to cook until the onions are beginning to caramelize. Add the thyme and deglaze with
white wine. Once the wine has reduced, add the cream, Dijon, and salt. T aste andadjust the seasoning according to your taste. You want the cream mixture to be very
well seasoned because it will be used to flavor the squash as well.
Step 3:
Carefully pour the cream mixture over the squash, and use a couple of spoons or your
hands to carefully toss so that the onions are evenly distributed. T op with the Gruyere
and tightly cover with foil. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the
foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the squash is completely tender and the
cheese is deeply golden brown.
Step 4:
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Caramelized Hasselback Sweet Potatoes with Molasses Butter and thyme
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp fresh thyme or rosemary, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
*I didn’t but you could add garlic. If using, microplane 2 cloves and whisk into the butter mixture.
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare the sweet potatoes by placing them on a cutting board, one at a time. Make sure they are lying on their flattest side so they don’t roll. Place a wooden spoon or chopsticks on either side of the potato, arranged lengthwise, hugging it tightly. The goal is to avoid cutting all the way through the potatoes—the spoon or chopsticks will help prevent this. Use a serrated or very sharp knife to make 1/8-inch slices across the length of each potato.
Step 2:
Drizzle each potato with a tablespoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt, then rub to coat evenly. Place the potatoes on a parchment-lined sheet tray and roast in the oven on the center rack for about 30 minutes.
Step 3:
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the molasses, freshly chopped thyme, and the garlic (if using). Whisk until everything is thoroughly combined. The mixture should look almost frothy.
Step 4:
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Spoon or brush each potato generously with the butter mixture, making sure to reach all the nooks and crannies. Return the tray to the oven and continue to bake for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender and beginning to brown on top.
the butternut squash!!!!