Cheesy Butternut Squash Potatoes au Gratin

5 from 2 votes
(Click the stars to vote)
A red circle with the letters GFA green circle with the letters VG

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Au gratin is a French term for a baked dish that is covered in bread crumbs, cheese, or both. Cheesy Butternut Squash Potatoes au Gratin is a gluten free casserole recipe, with creamy cheddar cheese sauce and Parmesan cheese baked over sliced butternut squash and potatoes.

#SundaySupper has you “covered” this week. Covered in chocolate, covered in frosting, covered dishes. I chose to cover one of my old dishes, turning it into something new; a dish covered in cheese! This is perfect for when you are going to a potluck and need a covered dish. Who knew all of this creamy cheesiness could be packed with veggie goodness? It’s Cheesy Butternut Squash Potatoes au Gratin.

Cheesy Butternut Squash Potatoes au Gratin is a gluten free side dish, with creamy cheddar cheese sauce and Parmesan cheese baked over sliced butternut squash and potatoes. | cupcakesandkalechips.com

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, meaning that if you click and make a purchase, the cost to you is the same, but I will receive a few pennies. I use the money to help maintain this website and to bring you new recipes!

We just returned from a week long Thanksgiving visit to see my aunt and cousins in Kentucky. If you plug her address into our GPS it tells you that it is about a ten hour and fifteen minute drive. That’s without stops. I have two kids – a baby that still eats five or six times a day, and an extremely active three year old that has no interest in any activity that can be done while sitting down, except watching TV. This was clearly going to take longer than ten hours.

So I’m a minivan mom. I hate the thing, but given that any family visit requires a minimum of a two hour drive, and often a several day stay, the birth of the second child pretty much made this a necessity. We bought the van in April, and somehow managed to hide the fact that it is equipped with a television and DVD player. Yeah, until this trip. We got through the first afternoon/evening four hour leg without leg of the journey without revealing this amazing feature, but when we were fifteen minutes into day two and knew we likely wouldn’t be pulling into our hotel until about eight or nine hours later, and he was already kicking the seat and whining and telling us he wanted to go to his cousins’ house NOW, it was time.

We brought a small selection of movies, but you want to guess what evoked this reaction? (this is the still photo – click the link to get the full effect. Trust me!)

 

Nope, not the latest Pixar movie or a favorite show from Disney Junior or Nick Jr. It was classic Looney Tunes! Pure, uncomplicated, utterly nonsensical, silly and cheesy! Nothing like introducing children of this high tech generation to the wonders of Bugs Bunny, Tweety and Wile E. Coyote!

Now I’ll just have to figure out how to explain that the TV doesn’t work for the five minute drive to preschool to my kid who is just wayyy to observant for his own good. This should be easy.

Speaking of easy and cheesy, these au gratin potatoes…

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes au Gratin - so creamy and cheesy you won't believe it's filled with veggies | cupcakesandkalechips.com | #sidedish #vegetarian #glutenfree

Umm, yeah, seriously, you want these babies.

I make my recipe for Butternut Squash Macaroni & Cheese often, and we always love it. The butternut squash turns a rich, heavy cheese sauce that typically starts with a flour and butter roux into a gluten free, lighter, but still just as creamy and flavorful dish. So instead of pasta, use potatoes to make a cheddar au gratin.

It took a couple of tries and some recipe tweaks to get it to turn out right, but these cheesy au gratin potatoes are sure to become a staple, just like the macaroni predecessor. It is hearty and comforting, but I can still feel good about letting The Bug have a big helping, confident he is also getting his veggies in. Heck, I was happy to dig into seconds myself. It makes a huge dish, so you can certainly bring this to a potluck, or maybe even add it to your Christmas menu to go alongside that ham. Or just make it for your family, and reheat the leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week.

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes au Gratin - so creamy and cheesy you won't believe it's filled with veggies | cupcakesandkalechips.com | #sidedish #vegetarian #glutenfree

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Plus make sure you check out all of the other “covered” #SundaySupper dishes at the bottom of this post.

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes au Gratin - so creamy and cheesy you won't believe it's filled with veggies | cupcakesandkalechips.com | #sidedish #vegetarian #glutenfree

What is your favorite cartoon? 

A couple of things you may need for the cheesy au gratin butternut squash and potatoes recipe:

[amazon_link asins=’B019FHD0FK,B017TZ9SME’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’cupkalchi-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’abdad618-c49b-11e7-be85-93fa2b289994′]

Cheesy Butternut Squash Potatoes au Gratin is a gluten free side dish, with creamy cheddar cheese sauce and Parmesan cheese baked over sliced butternut squash and potatoes. | cupcakesandkalechips.com
5 from 2 votes

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes au Gratin

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes au Gratin is a comforting side dish with a creamy, cheesy sauce that is filled with veggie goodness. Serve this butternut squash side dish with your favorite cold weather dinner recipes!
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium butternut squash about 3 pounds, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 2 ounces cream cheese I used light
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 cup sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese divided
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2-2½ pounds white potatoes peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

Instructions

  • Steam the butternut squash until it is soft and can be mashed easily with a fork.
  • Preheat your oven to 400°F, and spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray or oil.
  • Place the butternut squash, milk, broth, cream cheese, mustard, cheddar cheese, and 1/4 c Parmesan cheese in a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Layer half of the potatoes in the prepared pan and pour over half of the cheese sauce. Repeat with the remaining potatoes and sauce.
  • Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top, then bake uncovered for another 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes in the center are soft and the top is browned.

Notes

If you use a smaller, deeper pan, you will have to bake it longer in order for the potatoes to cook through.
Nutrition Facts
Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes au Gratin
Amount Per Serving
Calories 276 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 6g30%
Trans Fat 0.03g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 28mg9%
Sodium 350mg15%
Potassium 1001mg29%
Carbohydrates 38g13%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 11g22%
Vitamin A 10285IU206%
Vitamin C 48mg58%
Calcium 280mg28%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Categories:

Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes au Gratin - so creamy and cheesy you won't believe it's filled with veggies | cupcakesandkalechips.com | #sidedish #vegetarian #glutenfree

Want some more cheesy goodness?

Cheesy-Chipotle-Chicken-Sausage-Chowder-2-title.jpgCheesy-Zucchini-Hodge-Podge-2-title.jpgChicken-and-Broccoli-Grilled-Cheese-with-caption.jpg

Plus check out all types of “covered” dishes for #SundaySupper:

Covered Appetizers and Entreés

Covered Desserts

Not Sure What To Do? We’ve Got You Covered

Save

48 Comments
  1. I am officially deeming you the butternut squash gratin queen. The sage pesto one was amazing (I made it for Thanksgiving) and this one sounds just as good!

  2. Cheryl

    It looks so scrumptious, and a great, healthy twist on the standard mashed potatoes we’re always eating. HUGS!

  3. Brianne: I can’t wait to share this easy, cheesy recipe with our Facebook fans…I love everything about it! And I also love the Looney Tunes reaction. There’s almost no sound better int he world than a child’s belly laugh.

  4. Priceless photo of your son with the DVD reveal, Brianne…And very valuable recipe for getting kids to eat their butternut squash =)

    (My younger niece’s go-to protein was always cheese.)

  5. I love your posts about the kids… it brings back so many memories. I too was a minivan mom and hated every minute of it. Then I graduated to a suburban then another suburban… finally after 20 years, I am driving a car again that I love! So, there is light at the end of the tunnel. We would drive to NC every year and yes, that thing is a lifesaver!

  6. 5 stars
    As I am reading your post guess what I can hear in the background??? Yup, you got Looney Tunes!! My daughter and husband still love it and so do I!! Your butternut squash dish looks fabulous and I love the combo of squash and cheddar together!!!

  7. Katie

    Oh my gosh – I love that he is so tickled by watching Looney Tunes! Such a classic – this makes me happy!

    And those potatoes…oh my do I want to try a huge scoop!

  8. You have really started something now with that TV in the van. I can just see you explaining how it doesn’t work on the way to school.
    Nice way to make potatoes au gratin as I would have never thought to add butternut squash.

  9. What a great belly laugh, Brianne! I can’t even imagine how you managed to keep the video player a secret.

    Love your cheesy squash and potatoes. This would be a big winner at our house too!

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




I accept the Privacy Policy