Roasted butternut squash layered with cream and toasted sesame, finished with a maple glaze — a Canadian autumn harvest bake.
This gratin leans on two ingredients Canada does especially well: maple syrup and autumn squash. Butternut squash is roasted first to concentrate its natural sweetness before being layered with cream and baked into a soft, custardy gratin, while toasted sesame seeds — a nod to the country's growing Asian-Canadian culinary influence, especially strong in cities like Toronto and Vancouver — add nutty crunch against the silky squash. A final drizzle of dark maple syrup right before serving ties the dish together, playing off the squash's natural sweetness rather than fighting it. The technique of pre-roasting the squash rather than boiling it is what keeps the gratin from turning watery, since roasted squash has already released much of its moisture and caramelized instead. It's a harvest-season side dish that shows up on Canadian Thanksgiving and holiday tables as an alternative to plain mashed squash, giving the same comforting flavor with more textural interest.
Serves 6
Toss squash slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes until edges caramelize.
Roasting first, rather than layering raw squash, is what keeps the gratin from turning watery.
Warm cream with garlic and nutmeg in a small saucepan until just simmering.
Arrange roasted squash slices in a baking dish, pour the warm cream mixture over, and scatter gruyère on top.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden on top.
Scatter toasted sesame seeds over the top and drizzle with maple syrup just before serving.
Use dark, robust maple syrup (grade A dark or B) rather than a light amber for a bolder finish.
Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until golden and fragrant before scattering — raw sesame seeds taste flat.
Slice the squash uniformly with a mandoline for even roasting and a neater final presentation.
Use acorn or kabocha squash instead of butternut for a different texture and sweetness level.
Add crumbled cooked bacon between layers for a smokier, heartier version.
Swap gruyère for a sharp aged cheddar for a more everyday, budget-friendly version.
Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat covered in a 160°C oven until warmed through; add fresh maple syrup and sesame after reheating since they lose their impact in the fridge.
Maple syrup production has been central to Canadian food culture since Indigenous peoples first taught early settlers how to tap maple trees, and Quebec today produces roughly 70 percent of the world's maple syrup supply. This gratin reflects the modern Canadian pantry, blending that maple tradition with sesame and Asian-influenced technique that has become increasingly common in contemporary Canadian home cooking.
Yes, bagged pre-cut butternut squash works fine — just make sure the pieces are sliced thin and roasted the same way for proper caramelization.
This usually means the squash wasn't roasted long enough beforehand to release its moisture — make sure it has visible caramelized edges before layering it with the cream.
Yes — assemble it fully a day ahead, refrigerate unbaked, then bake straight from the fridge adding about 10 extra minutes to the covered baking time.
Per serving (250g / 8.8 oz) · 6 servings total
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