Pumpkin Casserole

Pumpkin doesn’t have to be sweet. This savory gratin treats fresh pumpkin slices like potatoes, layered with chopped onion and butter, baked until tender, then topped with a golden cheese custard made from eggs, milk, and farmer’s cheese or ricotta.

Slicing the pumpkin thin (about ¼ inch) is important. Thick slices won’t cook through in the 30 minutes of covered baking, and you’ll end up pouring the custard over raw pumpkin. A vegetable peeler handles the skin easily on most pie pumpkins.

The custard goes on after the pumpkin has already softened. This two-stage bake means the pumpkin gets tender first, then the cheese-egg mixture sets on top into a bubbly, golden brown gratin.

Pro Tips

• Use a sugar pumpkin or pie pumpkin, not a carving pumpkin. Carving pumpkins are watery and stringy with almost no flavor.
• Cover tightly with foil for the first 30 minutes. The trapped steam softens the pumpkin slices evenly.
• Beat the custard until smooth. Lumps of cheese on top won’t melt evenly and look unfinished.
• Pair this with roast pork. The savory pumpkin and creamy cheese are a natural match for pork’s richness.

Variations

• Use butternut squash in place of pumpkin for a sweeter, silkier version.
• Add a grating of nutmeg or a pinch of sage to the custard for extra autumn warmth.
• For a showstopper presentation, hollow out a small pumpkin and serve the casserole inside the shell.