Recipe: Crusty Squash Casserole

Recipe Source: Bayless, Rick.  Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen.  Scribner Press, New York, 1996 pp. 224-5. 

This dish says that it serves 8 people as a side dish, and I'm not going to argue.  Had things turned out the way that they were supposed to, I'm sure that 8 people would have been no problem for this dish.  However, I decided to try to remove the dish from the oven with one hand.  This was not my brightest moment.  More than half of the casserole fell onto the ground.  This is why it looks such a mess in the picture, and not at all like a casserole. 

There were some other changes I made.  Most of them were procedural.  For example, the squash was originally supposed to be steamed, not roasted.  Unfortunately our steamer had an unfortunate meeting with open flame, and was no longer serviceable.  (It did burn quite nicely though!)  I roasted the squash instead.  There were a couple more changes like that.  Finally, despite trying three or four different markets, I could not find chayote, the type of squash called for in the recipe.  I made do with golden acorn squash instead.  Please don't ask me what the difference between a golden acorn squash and a very tiny pumpkin is.  I suspect that it's in the little pointy bit on the end, but I'm not a horticulturist. 

The resulting dish was okay.  It wasn't spectacular, but I think I was probably just in a snit because of the dropped casserole.  There weren't any leftovers, so my husband seemed to get a kick out of it at least. 

Crusty Squash Casserole (serves 8 if you don't drop it; approx. cost per serving $0.80)

3 1/2 lb golden acorn squash

8 ounces fresh poblano chiles

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 white onion, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 package frozen corn kernels (you can use fresh corn if it's in season.)

2/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

5 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese

Equipment:

• Roasting pan
• Paper bag
• Skillet

1. Roast the poblanos under a broiler until charred on both sides.  Put them immediately into a paper bag and let them sit at least 5 minutes.  Peel and slice thinly.
2. Preheat your oven to 350. 
3. Peel and chop the acorn squash, discarding the seeds. 
4. Roast 15 minutes or so, until vaguely softened.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until browned.
6. Add the garlic, herbs and chiles.  Mix thoroughly. 
7. Add the corn and milk to the skillet and bring to a boil.
8. Add the salt. 
9. Sprinkle half the cheeses over the squash mixture, then top with the pan mixture.  Bake 20 minutes. 
10. Stir the remaining oil into the breadcrumbs.  Top the casserole with the crumbs and the remaining cheeses.  Bake another 15 minutes.
11. Let stand 15 minutes.  Serve.