Every time I make this gratin I get the same response: “This is so good!” Honestly, though, when you combine potatoes and squash with cream, sage, and cheese, how could it not be amazing? This gratin is especially well suited for dinner parties or any other time you need a hearty, make-ahead side dish. It scales up easily (just increase the ingredients and baking dishes accordingly), and it reheats wonderfully.
Recipe information
Yield
SERVES 4 TO 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until it softens and becomes translucent, about 30 seconds. Add the cream, thyme, 5 of the sage leaves, 2 teaspoons salt, and a few grinds of pepper and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the sage infuse in the cream for 10 minutes. Then remove and discard the sage leaves.
Step 3
Generously butter an 8 by 8-inch baking dish and arrange one-third of the potatoes and one-third of the squash across the bottom, overlapping them slightly to make a relatively even layer. Pour one-third of the cream mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle with one-third of the cheese. Build 2 more layers in the same way; on the last layer, add the remaining potatoes and cream, then arrange the remaining 7 sage leaves decoratively over the top. Finally, sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
Step 4
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden and a skewer goes into the potatoes with no resistance, about 30 minutes longer.
Step 5
Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
