Pumpkin Casserole
Submitted by may
Savory pumpkin casserole gratin with farmer’s cheese, eggs, and onion. Fresh pumpkin slices baked under a golden custard topping. A side dish for roast pork.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
50 minREADY
60 minPumpkin doesn’t have to be sweet. This savory gratin treats fresh pumpkin slices like potatoes, layered with chopped onion and butter, baked until tender, then topped with a golden cheese custard made from eggs, milk, and farmer’s cheese or ricotta.
Slicing the pumpkin thin (about ¼ inch) is important. Thick slices won’t cook through in the 30 minutes of covered baking, and you’ll end up pouring the custard over raw pumpkin. A vegetable peeler handles the skin easily on most pie pumpkins.
The custard goes on after the pumpkin has already softened. This two-stage bake means the pumpkin gets tender first, then the cheese-egg mixture sets on top into a bubbly, golden brown gratin.
Pro Tips
- Use a sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin, not a carving pumpkin. Carving pumpkins are watery and stringy with almost no flavor.
- Cover tightly with foil for the first 30 minutes. The trapped steam softens the pumpkin slices evenly.
- Beat the custard until smooth. Lumps of cheese on top won’t melt evenly and look unfinished.
- Pair this with roast pork. The savory pumpkin and creamy cheese are a natural match for pork’s richness.
Variations
- Use butternut squash in place of pumpkin for a sweeter, silkier version.
- Add a grating of nutmeg or a pinch of sage to the custard for extra autumn warmth.
- For a showstopper presentation, hollow out a small pumpkin and serve the casserole inside the shell.
Ingredients
Directions
Pumpkin dishes don’t have to be sweet.
This one is perfect with roast pork.
Hollow out a small pumpkin to serve this in for a special presentation.
PREHEAT OVEN TO 375℉ (190℃).
Using a paring knife or vegetable peeler, peel and discard outer skin of the pumpkin.
Slice the pumpkin into ¼ inch slices and place in a mixing bowl.
Add the onion, salt, pepper and butter and toss well.
Pour contents of the bowl into a 9-inch round or square greased baking dish , cover with foil and place in the oven.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat eggs, milk and cheese together until smooth.
Remove the baking dish from the oven, remove the cover and pour the cheese mixture over the top.
Replace in oven, uncovered, another 20 minutes.
The gratin is done when it turns golden brown.
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