Butternut Squash and Spinach Gratin

This week’s veggie box included lots of goodies, including new potatoes, butternut squash, collard greens, and spinach. I just love all these winter vegetables! Butternut squash has become one of my new favorites, which is good since we’ve been getting it in our veggie box every week for the last couple of weeks! I’ve made butternut squash soup several times recently, so I wanted to find something different to make tonight. I decided on a butternut squash and spinach gratin, adapted from this recipe.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Gratin

• 1 small butternut squash
• a large bunch of baby spinach
• about 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 4 tbsp. flour
• parmesan cheese
• Italian flavored bread crumbs
• 1 chicken bouillon cube

Peel the butternut squash, cut it in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and then slice it thinly. Put it into a pot of boiling water with a bouillon cube. (Note: to make this recipe completely vegetarian, either use a vegetable bouillon cube or omit the bouillon altogether.) Put the spinach in a separate pan and steam until just cooked. Drain the squash and the spinach.

To make the white sauce, melt butter over medium heat, stir in the flour, and then stir in the milk and cream and cook until it thickens, stirring frequently.

Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly rub the inside of a casserole dish with olive oil. Fill the casserole dish with layers of squash, spinach, white sauce, parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Bake for about 25 minutes.