Clafoutis, have you ever tried it? The most popular clafoutis is cherry and it's delicious if I do say so myself. The dessert has a similar texture to flan and is usually served warm. I only had a sweet clafoutis but I wondered, how would a savory one taste? Swap out the fruit for winter squash, add a touch of bacon and cheese and you have a very special brunch. Cheesy butternut squash bacon clafoutis, the ideal winter breakfast dish!
Cheesy Butternut Squash Bacon Clafoutis
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 ½ cups shredded fontina
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan plus extra for serving
- 5 slices bacon chopped
- 4 shallots thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon minced rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Roast butternut squash just until fork-tender. Remove from the oven. When squash is cool enough to handle, peel, cut in half and discard seeds. Slice squash into ¼-inch thick slices and set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Whisk together milk, eggs, flour, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg until well combined. Add fontina and parmesan, stirring to combine.
- Heat a 12-inch cast iron pan over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until browned and crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- In the same pan, add sliced shallots and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add rosemary and saute for 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and pour milk egg mixture. Arrange sliced butternut squash in egg mixture and sprinkle bacon in an even layer. Bake clafoutis in oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and set. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Sprinkle extra parmesan on top, chopped chives, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
I always enjoy a breakfast casserole dish, especially during the winter. It's so homey and incredibly satisfying. This cheesy butternut squash bacon clafoutis definitely fits into that category, making mornings a bit brighter.
To make this a proper Christmas brunch, it only seemed fitting to incorporate butternut squash. Roast the squash in the oven just until tender. You don't want the squash to be too soft or it'll lose its shape. You can also steam the squash if you prefer.
When it's cool enough to handle, peel the squash, discard the seeds, and slice it into ¼-inch thick slices. Feel free to prepare the vegetable the day before.
Set aside the squash and prepare the batter. It's a fairly simple batter with just eggs, milk, flour, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, pepper, and cheese. Fontina is a great choice but you can also use mozzarella, Monterey jack, or cheddar.
Next, heat a cast iron or oven-safe pan and cook bacon until crispy and browned. Remove the bacon and use the fat drippings to saute the shallots.
Take the pan off the stove and pour the egg batter. Arrange the squash and sprinkle the bacon evenly on top. You can arrange the squash first and then pour the batter into the pan but the squash might move around.
Transfer the cheesy butternut squash and bacon clafoutis to the oven and continue baking until golden brown and puffed.
Remove the clafoutis from the oven and let it sit for 15 minutes. Finish with a sprinkle of grated parmesan, chopped chives, and freshly cracked black pepper.
I can honestly say that this cheesy butternut squash bacon clafoutis warmed me up from heat and toe. My favorite part? The slightly charred crispy cheesy edges. I might have to find a way to enjoy this year-round!
For more butternut squash dish inspiration check out this n'duja butternut squash mac and cheese recipe!
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