Butternut Poblano Gratin

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A tasty Mexican inspired Autumn or Winter dish thats a little spicy, a little sweet, savory, cheesy and very satisfying. Make it as a side for your Thanksgiving or Christmas table or as a vegetarian dinner with tortillas or Mexican red rice.

Butternut Poblano Gratin Serves 6

Ingredients

• 4 large poblanos (about 1 pound) 
• 1 large butternut squash (about 1.5 pounds, peeled, halved, seeded and sliced into ½ inch) 
• 3 tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon chopped thyme 
• 1 medium onion (finely chopped) 
• 4 large garlic cloves (thinly sliced) 
• 1 teaspoon chopped oregano or 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• ½ cup heavy cream or coconut cream
• ½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream)
• 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese (shredded) 
• Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• Toasted pumpkin seeds and pomegranate arils for garnish

 Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Roast the poblanos under the broiler, turning, until they are charred all over. Transfer the chiles to a bowl, cover and let them cool. Peel the stem deseed, then slice them into thin strips.
• Brush the butternut squash with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and spread it on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the thyme and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast for about 25-35 minutes, until the squash is tender.
• Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet, add the sliced onion, garlic, oregano and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened about 8 minutes. Add the poblano strips and cook until they are very tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the heavy cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the crème fraîche and season the poblano mixture with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the poblano mixture into a large baking dish and neatly layer with the butternut squash and Monterey Jack. (if your baking dish is small you can make two layers of each)
• Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until the gratin is golden and bubbling. Let the gratin rest for 10 minutes. Garnish with the pumpkin seeds, pomegranate arils and serve.