Make Ahead

Squash Puff

by:
October 25, 2010
4.5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 8 - 10 as a side dish
Author Notes

A light, souffle-like version of a seasonal squash casserole, it's delicate sweetness will wow guests, and as it can be cooked the day before, it's a good recipe to have tucked in your back pocket. Notes: a medium-sized butternut squash will yield sufficient flesh for the recipe, I usually halve the squash, and cook it in the microwave until tender. Once cooled, the flesh can be removed from the skin, and mashed using a potato masher, ricer, or an immersion blender. —JoannaF

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Ingredients
  • 2.5 pounds mashed butternut squash (or 3 cups)
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/4 cup finely minced white onion
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 6-cup casserole dish.
  2. Prepare buttered breadcrumbs. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add unseasoned bread crumbs and stir until butter is absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into a clean frying pan, and saute the minced onion until translucent.
  4. Stiffly whip the egg whites. Set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the pureed butternut squash with the sauteed onions. Add the egg yolks, milk, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper, stirring to combine.
  6. Quickly fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the butternut squash batter.
  7. Pour batter into the greased casserole pan, smoothing top. Sprinkle with the buttered bread crumbs.
  8. Bake for 25 minutes. When cooked, the edges will be golden brown and pulling away from the dish. The center will have puffed up.
  9. This recipe can be prepared the day before and reheated, covered, in a 200 F oven until warm. It won't maintain the puffed appearance but will be just as tasty.
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3 Reviews

cheese1227 October 26, 2010
Love the name and the concept. I need a visual.
monkeymom October 26, 2010
This is such an interesting recipe! What do you usually serve it with?
JoannaF October 26, 2010
It's a holiday recipe for my family, so it mostly gets served with turkey. We don't usually dress it up with anything; it's delicate flavour would get lost under a condiment.