Shelly's Recipe

CREAMY WINTER SQUASH GRATIN

Category: Squash

8 cups cubed peeled kabocha squash (about 3 lbs)
Cooking spray
2 tsp butter
2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 2 large)
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper and ground nutmeg
2 (1-ounce) slices white bread
2 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange squash in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek and salt; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Combine milk and flour, stirring well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheese, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until cheese melts. Gently stir in squash. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/4 cups. Add parsley and garlic; pulse twice to combine. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over squash mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.