Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly
butter a 1 quart baking dish.
Prepare Topping: In a small bowl,
combine bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, and melted butter; set aside.
In a medium-size frying pan over medium-low
heat, add olive oil and saute sliced onions, salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon thyme until
onions are lightly browned, approximately 15 minutes. Stir in garlic and
cook another minute or so. Remove from heat. Spread onion mixture evenly
over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Set aside the frying pan for
later use.
In a large bowl, toss butternut squash
cubes with the flour, parmesan cheese, and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme (or to
taste) to evenly coat the squash
cubes. NOTE: I like to add some additional black
pepper at this point. Spread squash mixture evenly over the top of
the onions; set aside.
Place frying pan (that you cooked the
onions in) over low heat. Add chicken broth or white wine to deglaze,
scraping down brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pan, and let
simmer approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from head and pour over the top
of the squash mixture.
Spread prepared cheese topping over the top
of the gratin. Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes until the squash is
soft and the topping is lightly brown. NOTE: If you
find your topping is browning to fast, cover the dish with some aluminum
foil.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10
minutes before serving.
Makes 2 to 4 servings.
