Need a dairy and gluten-free side dish to serve on Thanksgiving? Check out this Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Gratin. Creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside, with homemade bread crumbs!
Side dishes are often the heroes of the Thanksgiving table, especially for those of us who don't care for the turkey. If you're invited out somewhere, chances are, you'll have to rely on them to fill up!
If you're not familiar with the term "gratin" (or, "au gratin" to be more accurate), it simply applies to a French culinary technique in which the main ingredients of the dish (usually, potatoes, vegetables, or pasta) are topped with bread crumbs or cheese, and browned in the oven. The main ingredients are usually mixed with a creamy white bechamel sauce, traditionally made with flour browned in butter, milk, and cheese.
To make our butternut squash and cauliflower gratin dairy and gluten-free, we made the following substitutions:
- We used coconut oil instead of butter
- We used corn starch instead of flour (although you could use any gluten-free flour here)
- We used a combination of canned coconut milk and non-dairy milk instead of cow's milk
- We used vegan cheese instead of dairy cheese
- And the best part, we made our own bread crumbs for the topping!
To prepare the bread crumbs, we lightly toasted a few slices of Canyon Bakehouse Heritage Style bread. A non-GMO, whole grain, and "clean" gluten-free bread, that is baked in big loaves, for large, one of a kind, slices.
We broke the toasted slices into pieces and processed them in the food processor until they turned into crumbs. We then added nutritional yeast (to as some cheesy flavor), salt, and pepper. After being baked on top of the butternut squash and cauliflower gratin, the bread crumbs turn golden brown and crispy.
If you're going to prepare this dish, we recommend toasting a few extra slices of bread and making extra bread crumbs to use in other recipes. Store them in the freezer and they'll be ready to use in no time!
Butternut Squash & Cauliflower Gratin
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 8
Description
Need a dairy and gluten free side dish to serve on Thanksgiving? Check out this Butternut Squash & Cauliflower Gratin. Creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside!
Ingredients
- 4 slices Canyon Bakehouse Heritage Style Honey White bread or any other sandwich bread of your choice
- 1 ½ lbs cauliflower, cut into florets
- ½ butternut squash, diced medium (about 3 cups diced)
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 2 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- For the Bechamel Sauce:
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 ¼ cup canned coconut milk
- ½ cup unsweetened plain non-dairy milk or regular milk if you want to make it dairy
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup vegan cheese or regular cheese
- Topping:
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese if using dairy
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon coconut oil, melted
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
While you prepare the vegetables, place the bread slices in the oven for 10 minutes, flipping them over half way through, until they start to toast slightly (keep an eye on them so they don't burn). Remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool
Combine the cauliflower florets and the diced squash in a large bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons of melted coconut oil, dry thyme and salt and toss well, using your hands, until well coated. Transfer to the lined baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until fork tender, but not mushy
In the meantime, prepare the bechamel sauce. Melt the coconut oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add the corn starch and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour the canned coconut milk and non dairy milk, whisking constantly until well incorporated. Add the salt and pepper and cook for another minute until it thickens
Turn off the heat, add the cheese and whisk until its completely melted. Set aside
Break the bread into pieces and place it the food processor. Process until it turns into bread crumbs.
To prepare the topping, place 1 cup of the bread crumbs (you can store rest in the freezer for future use) in a medium bowl. Add the nutritional yeast and salt and mix well
Coat a 9x6 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about half of the bechamel sauce at the bottom. Place the roasted cauliflower and squash on top, and pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle the bread crumb topping evenly and drizzle the melted coconut oil over it. Bake at 375F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top starts to brown. Serve warm
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup, loosely packed
- Calories: 289
- Sugar: 4.8
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 16
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.4
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 24.6
- Fiber: 4.2
- Protein: 4.4
- Cholesterol: 3.8
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