Thanksgiving Archive: 'Brûléed' Delicata Squash

Happy Thursday!

A slow start to my day due to hosting my book club last night. I made Braised White Bean Cassoulet with chicken sausage, one of my favorite comfort food recipes. Much vino was drunk and gossip was exchanged. The night crept later than anticipated, but time with girlfriends is priceless.

Meanwhile, my husband is off in NYC on business. So the Adorable Monster and I have the house to ourselves. We're taking it easy on this cloudy day. Well, he always takes it easy, but I'm joining him this time.

With only two weeks to go until Thanksgiving, here's another one of my favorite holiday recipes. This one combines delicata squash, which is braised in the oven, with pepitos, basil, and goat cheese. The special touch is that I brûlée the squash with brown sugar under the broiler to finish it off.

The resulting dish is sweet and creamy and everything in between, making it perfect for your Thanksgiving feast.

'Brûléed' Delicata Squash 
Serves 6-8 people
Cooking time: about 50 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 delicata squash, halved and seeded
• 2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons basil, cut into long, thin strips (chiffonade)
• 1/4 cup pepitos (pumpkin seeds), roasted and salted
• 1/4 cup chevre (goat cheese)
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. To make the squash, cut the halves into slices (they'll be semi-circles) and place in a single layer on a oven proof dish. Brush the squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  
3. Fill the dishes with about 1/4 inch of water (shouldn't cover the squash). Place in the oven and roast for about 30-40 minutes, or until the squash are tender.
4. To brûlée them, remove the squash from the oven and set the oven to broil. Sprinkle the tops of the squash slices with the brown sugar.  
5. Place the squash under the broiler until the sugar melts and caramelizes.
6. To plate, layer the squash in a serving dish and top with the pepitos. Then, crumble the goat cheese on top (hint: place in the freezer for a few minutes first for easy crumbling). Finish the dish with the basil and some freshly ground pepper. Enjoy!