Thursday, October 15, 2009

Thanksgiving Dinner - Again!

Tonight was my second Thanksgiving dinner of the week, as most of my family was away last weekend for our holiday last weekend. My SIL Shan had a 15lb turkey for 6 people so there were a ton of leftovers. As usual, this was a spectacular feast as only Shan can put on. On the menu:

  • turkey
  • stuffing
  • mashed potatoes
  • green beans & carrots sauteed in garlic, olive oil, and lemon
  • Brussels sprouts
  • spaghetti squash gratin, made by your favourite coyote
  • gravy, cranberry sauce, buns
  • no-bake pumpkin pie, also made by your favourite coyote

I did promise you recipes from this meal, did I not? Well, here is the spaghetti squash gratin recipe I used, that I totally made up on my own, using squash I grew in my garden this year. The squash were very, very small, fitting in the palm of my hand, but they tasted pretty good. I love spaghetti squash - it's the only squash I'll eat other than zucchini. Usually I just bake it and mix it with some butter, but I wanted to do something different with it (I have, actually, used spaghetti squash in place of pasta at times, and that's a great idea; it's a very versatile veggie). I got some very cheap ricotta cheese on my last cross-border shopping spree, and off I went!

Spaghetti Squash Gratin

  • 2 1/2 cups roasted spaghetti squash (this turned out to be three of my smallest squashes)
  • 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
  • salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2/3 cup fine bread crumbs
  • 3 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Combine squash, ricotta, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Place in a medium-sized, well-greased or parchment-lined casserole dish. Top with cheddar
2. In a skillet, melt butter until bubbly. Add breadcrumbs and garlic, and season with a little salt & pepper. Toast until the bread crumbs are toasty & golden.
3. Put breadcrumbs on top of casserole. Bake casserole at 375F until hot through & cheese has all melted.

This was a hit! It was great and everyone enjoyed it! I will definitely make this again!

Next post - the pumpkin pie. But let me rest a bit first, eh?

8 comments:

Palidor said...

You're definitely my favorite coyote. :-) The gratin looks wonderful! I've never cooked squash with cheese. Great idea!

Anonymous said...

WC, I love your Squash Gratin. I saw this at the market the other day, but felt a bit intimidated by the name of it. Your recipe is perfection though...I will pick one up today when doing the weekend list and give it a go over the weekend with maybe some baked pork chops. Its quite a spread WC.... also I am really really looking forward to the pumpkin pie, another first for me that I intend to make for Thanksgiving next month... Can't wait to see it !

Anonymous said...

I love Thanksgiving dinner leftovers. Boy you Canadians know how to celebrate! Thanks for the squash recipe. I bought a spaghetti squash yesterday and now know what I'm going to do with it.

Bob said...

Can't have enough Thanksgiving. I want leftovers! I never get much from the one my brother makes, he wants them all himself. Heh.

Cathy said...

Yay to more Thanksgiving dinners!! Looks delicious - love squash and cheese. Actually, love cheese with anything.

Unknown said...

Jeeezus! Yet another awesome Thanksgiving feast! I love spaghetti squash, too. Your recipe looks awesome!

Reeni said...

Everything looks really yummy!! Especially your gratin. I love spaghetti squash!

Chris said...

15lbs for 6 people? Damn, did anyone survive? ;) That is a hell of a lot of turkey!

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