Butternut Squash Rosti with Fried Eggs

Elevate your brunch experience with butternut squash rosti with fried eggs. This easy-to-make dish features a crispy butternut squash rosti, sauteed leeks, gruyere, perfectly fried eggs, and a dollop of zesty dill creme fraiche.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Leek: A vegetable with a mild onion-like flavor that adds flavor to the rosti. You can also use shallots instead.
• Butternut squash: Adds natural sweetness and moisture.
• Gruyere: Adds a distinct nutty and sweet flavor to the rosti.
• Creme fraiche: A thick and tangy cultured cream with a velvety texture. If you can't find creme fraiche, use sour cream instead.
• Dill: The aromatic herb adds a unique flavor to the creme fraiche. If you're not a fan of dill, use parsley instead or omit it for a mustard creme fraiche variation.
• Red chili flakes: Add a bit of heat to the rosti, but can be omitted for a mild version.

Substitutions and variations

• Cheese: Other options include Emmental, Gouda, Parmesan, or cheddar cheese.
• Vegetables: You can also experiment with other winter squash, such as kabocha squash, honey nut squash, or even sweet potatoes.

Recipe

Print Recipe

Butternut Squash Rosti with Fried Eggs

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: vegetarian

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Butternut squash rosti

• 1 leek green ends trimmed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups butternut squash grated
• 1 cup gruyere grated
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Dill creme fraiche

• ½ cup creme fraiche
• 1 teaspoon fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• salt and pepper

Remaining ingredients

• 4 eggs fried
• red chili flakes
• fresh dill

Instructions

• Trim the green end of the leek and discard. Cut the leek in half lengthwise and wash in between the layers. Slice the leek. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saute pan over medium heat and saute the sliced leeks until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Let cool slightly.
• Combine the leeks with grated butternut squash, gruyere, egg, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same saute pan over medium heat. Scoop ⅓ cup of the butternut squash mixture and place it on the pan to form a round "pancake." Repeat with the remaining mixture. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until browned. Remove from heat and cook the rest of the butternut squash.
• Meanwhile, make the dill creme fraiche. Beat together creme fraiche with fresh chopped fill and dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
• Fry 4 eggs until the desired degree of doneness.
• Arrange the butternut squash rosti on a platter. Place a dollop of the dill creme fraiche on top followed by a fried egg. Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top and garnish with fresh dill. Serve immediately.

Notes

For a simpler side dish, you can omit the fried eggs and enjoy the butternut squash rosti with just the dill creme fraiche.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make rosti mixture

So at this point, you may be wondering, what is a rosti? It's basically a hash brown where shredded potatoes (or, in this case, butternut squash) are cooked in a pan.

Rosti is usually one big cake, but I turned it into individual cakes to make it easier.

Let's start making the butternut squash rosti mixture. First, we're going to saute some leeks in butter until they are softened and tender.

Leeks add another flavor element to the dish, adding a bit of savory to the sweet squash.

While the leeks are cooking, grate the butternut squash. I used a food processor with the grater attachment, but you can grate the squash by hand. You'll need about 1 small butternut squash to get 4 cups worth.

Step 2: Pan-fry rosti

Mix the butternut squash with gruyère, leeks, egg, salt, and pepper. The rosti mixture is a fairly loose mixture, but the egg does help bind it.

Pan-fry the rosti, scooping ⅓ cup portions into the hot pan. I like to use a measuring cup to help shape the rosti into a cake, flattening the mixture in the pan to get it nice and crispy.

While the cakes are cooking, whip up the dill mustard creme fraiche and fry some eggs. I found that 1 egg was enough for 2 rosti cakes, but you do you.

Top the butternut squash rosti with the fried eggs, dill mustard creme fraiche, red chili flakes, and extra dill.

I was very pleased with this vegetarian meal, not only because it was delicious in every way but also because my husband ate his entire plate and thoroughly enjoyed it! Serve this as a main course or prepare just the rosti as a great side dish.

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: You can prepare the butternut squash rosti mixture in advance and refrigerate it. Cook the rosti just before serving for the best texture.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 4 days. Store the sauce on the side in a separate container.

Frequently asked questions

More butternut squash recipes

Looking for more dishes featuring butternut squash? Try these: