St. Patrick's Day Dinner: Corned Beef, Colcannon, and Irish Cream Ice Cream

Being of strong Anglo-Irish stock, I can never let St. Patrick’s Day pass without preparing some sort of traditional celebratory meal. I know, I know, corned beef and cabbage is more of an American institution, but it’s also good, hearty comfort food that’s usually only consumed in great quantities around this time of year, so let’s just run with it.

Now, you could very well make your own corned beef from scratch (which I have done before), but if you don’t want to bother with the task of brining, check the meat department at your local grocery store. On multiple occasions, I’ve purchased pre-brined corned beef brisket from Kroger that comes ready to cook with its own seasoning kit, and it’s just as good as any I’ve ever tried.

I must also admit that I had planned on providing you with a completely-100%-from-scratch recipe for homemade corned beef. However, I waited too late. The beef has to brine for a pretty extensive amount of time, and I wanted to post this blog entry in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Though, let’s be frank – if the grocery store is willing to do most of the work for you, then why not take advantage of their generosity? Not to mention, corned beef briskets are a great investment. They’re perfect for feeding a large crowd, and chances are you’ll have plenty of leftovers for reubens or stuffed cabbage!

Most corned beef recipes instruct cooks to boil the meat. However, I personally take issue with boiled beef (I don’t care how “traditional” it is), so I prefer to roast my corned beef. The best method for roasting a pre-brined brisket is to wrap it in aluminum foil, place it on a baking sheet, and allow it to roast at 300 degrees, one hour for each pound or until the meat is fork-tender.

As for the second part of my Irish meal, what could possibly be more Irish than potatoes and cabbage? But who wants plain old boring boiled vegetables? No one, right? So that’s why I decided to go with colcannon. For those who are unfamiliar with this dish, colcannon is essentially mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage or kale. For many years, it was a cheap staple dish in the Irish culinary scene, but because of its heartiness and unpretentiousness, many modern recipes “jazz it up” a bit. For my version of the dish, I add bacon (because, I mean, why not?) and sautee the cabbage and onions to develop their flavor before adding them to the potatoes.

This is such an easy and affordable recipe to prepare, and it can be served as a side dish or as a complete meal on its own.

2 ½ - 3 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

½ head of cabbage, chopped or julienned

1 large onion, chopped

5 strips thick bacon, chopped

½ cup butter

½ cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender, then drain. With an electric mixer, beat the potatoes with the butter and heavy cream until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.

 In a heavy-bottomed skillet, brown the bacon on medium-high heat, then remove it from the pot and place it on a plate covered with paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Add the cabbage and onion to the rendered bacon fat, and sautee the vegetables until tender. Gently fold the reserved bacon and cooked vegetables into the mashed potatoes until thoroughly incorporated.

(Corned beef and colcannon, the finished product! And to think that this used to be "poverty food." REALLY?)

For Christmas, my mom bought me a fantastic Cuisinart ice cream freezer, and it’s become my new favorite kitchen gadget. It’s so much more user-friendly than those noisy models that require copious amounts of ice and rock salt, and I’ve made several batches of ice cream with it. Being a big fan of liqueur-flavored ice creams, I decided to concoct a special recipe in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. I must admit, I’m pretty proud of this recipe. The flavor of the Irish cream fuses nicely with the subtle additions of brown sugar and chocolate while still remaining prominent.

Irish Cream Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tsp. vanilla

¾ cup Irish cream liqueur

In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, and chocolate chips to medium heat. Stir gently until the chocolate has melted and all ingredients are blended together. Remove from heat and add vanilla and liqueur. Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours or until chilled.

Once chilled, pour the mixture into an ice cream freezer and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure to store the ice cream in a freezer-proof container with a tight lid.

Because this ice cream contains alcohol, it takes a bit longer to freeze than other ice cream recipes. I recommend freezing it in your ice cream freezer until it reaches the consistency of a thick milkshake, then pouring it in an airtight container and freezing it overnight. 

(Enjoying my ice cream in my authentic Irish coffee cup! Seriously, it's legit. Imported from Ireland. Marcus Notley. Look it up.)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! May the wind always be at your back, and all that! 

Bourbon Pecan Butterscotch Pie + Cookbook Review: Guilty Pleasures

A few months ago, I wrote a review for Hall of Fame of Southern Recipes from Mississippi’s Quail Ridge Press. I’m now reviewing one of their latest cookbooks, Recipe Hall of Fame: Guilty Pleasures, a pretty comprehensive cookbook of decadent sweet treats.

My main gripes with many dessert cookbooks are that they’re either lacking in variety (I don’t need a lengthy tome devoted merely to cakes, cookies, or even the trendy cupcake) or that the recipes are far too simplistic. I’ll never forget the occasion when my grandmother submitted her recipe for Butterscotch Pudding for a local cookbook: 1 box of Jell-O Pudding Mix, 2 cups of milk. Bless her heart, my grandmother was NOT a cook.

Guilty Pleasures, however, truly has it all. Not only does it include the usual staples of cakes, cookies, pies, and so on, but it also features a chapter devoted to easy recipes incorporating cake mixes as well as a chapter of breakfast sweets. My personal favorite, of course, is the chapter devoted to cheesecakes – yes, a chapter of cheesecakes. How titillating does that sound? 

One aspect that I especially appreciate is that while the book presents many of the classics, such as Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Pecan Pie, and so on, it also presents many updated classics-with-a-twist, like Eggnog Pound Cake, White Peach and Raspberry Cobbler, Chippy Peanut Butter Cookies (which peanut butter AND butterscotch chips!), and Amaretto Cheesecake (which I will definitely be making at some point in the future).

Better yet, my very dear friend Emily is responsible for many of the book’s gorgeous photos, including the front cover!

If you or a family member possesses an undeniable sweet tooth, you definitely should clear some space on the shelf for this book. It’s also a great cookbook for holiday planning (my mom and I looked through it several times for ideas for Christmas treats), and as cliché as this may sound, it really would be an ideal holiday gift for anyone at nearly any level of culinary expertise.

When I performed my initial survey of the book, one recipe in particular stood out to me: Bourbon Pecan Butterscotch Pie. Now, you’ve heard me extol the virtues of baking with bourbon in some of my previous entries, and last year at Christmas, I made two Bourbon Pecan Pies that were ridiculously delicious. So when I first spotted this particular recipe, I was immediately intrigued.

The pie is very easy to assemble and is out of the oven in less than an hour. As for the flavor, the butterscotch isn’t as overwhelming as you might expect. Instead, it’s rather subtle, offering a warm, buttery compliment to the pecans. An editor’s note for the recipe suggested reducing the amount of sugar for a less-sweet pie, but surprisingly, I didn’t find the pie too sweet at all. It’s a delicious balance of all the buttery, caramel-y flavors, and the faint bite of the bourbon adds a bit of charm to this homey dish. So, in summation, this pie is freakin’ awesome!

Bourbon Pecan Butterscotch Pie

(From Recipe Hall of Fame: Guilty Pleasures by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley – Published by Quail Ridge Press in Brandon, MS)

9-inch unbaked pie shell*

2/3 cup butterscotch chips

3 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup dark corn syrup*

1 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

2 oz. bourbon*

1 3/4 cups pecans

*Personally, I dislike frozen pie shells, because I find that they tend to break rather easily. I much prefer the refrigerated pie crusts that you can unroll and place in your own pie dish. However, use what you prefer!

*I used light corn syrup as it was what I had on hand, and it was absolutely sufficient.

*My bourbon of choice for this recipe was Four Roses Single Barrel.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover bottom of pie shell with butterscotch chips. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, corn syrup, sugar, salt, vanilla, and bourbon. Mix well to blend ingredients, until mixture is smooth. Add pecans. Pour into the pie shell with chips. Place in oven, and immediately turn down temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 50 minutes or until firm, and a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center. Serves 8.

Editor’s Note: If using extra large or jumbo eggs, use a 10-inch pie plate. If a less sweet pie is desired, sugar may be reduced to 3/4 cup.

(Notice the enticing glow emanating from the pie. That's how good it is.)

Enjoy!

Sausage, Turkey, & Butternut Squash Pizza

You may (or may not) remember an entry I composed back in July for Pimento Cheese & Sausage Pizza. Well, I certainly could not let autumn draw to a close without posting my favorite pizza recipe, using one of my favorite autumnal ingredients, butternut squash -- Have I mentioned that I love butternut squash before? Maybe eight or ten times? Just checking.

I have made my Sausage & Butternut Squash Pizza every fall for the past few years, and it still remains my top pick out of all the pizzas I make. Come to think of it, since I did the Pimento Cheese one for summer, and now this one for fall, should I create a pizza for every month...? I will contemplate it. Anyway, I digress. I think the reason I love this dish so much is because it's very rich, hearty, and rustic, which makes it perfect for an autumn evening... or a winter evening... or a spring evening... (You see where this is going.) The flavors of the savory sausage and cheese complemented by the sweetness of the squash with just a slight essence of garlic all merge together for a unique and dazzling flavor profile that I find myself craving many times throughout the year. 

This year, however, I gave it a bit of a twist. When I left home after Thanksgiving, my mom sent the leftover turkey with me. We were lucky to have the most incredible smoked turkey breast this year, and I did a good bit of damage to it before the holiday had concluded. Regardless, nearly half of the turkey remained, and I've been wracking my brain for the past few days to try to determine the best method of consuming the leftovers. I had been in the mood for this pizza, and so I figured that surely the turkey wouldn't harm the flavor profile TOO terribly. In actuality, the pulled smoked turkey was a delicious compliment to the dish! So if you're ever stuck with leftover turkey and cannot pass another turkey sandwich without gagging, try a pizza -- seriously, it's good. 


Sausage & Butternut Squash Pizza (with Smoked Turkey, this time...) 

First, you'll need to begin with roasting the butternut squash, as this step is the most time-consuming. 

Roasted Butternut Squash

1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. curry powder*

*I love the flavor of curry paired with butternut squash, but if you're not an enthusiast, just leave it out. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash into 1" cubes. In a bowl or on a baking sheet, coat the squash with the olive oil and seasonings, and stir together until all of the squash is evenly coated. Spread the squash cubes out in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the squash has become fork-tender. Remove from the oven and reserve.
 

For the crust, you are free to implement the store-bought variety, but if you'd rather impress your buddies or feel like summoning your inner Martha Stewart, here is the pizza crust recipe I provided in my last pizza post:

Quick & Easy Pizza Crust 

1 .25 oz. packet of active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 cup warm water

2 1/2 cups bread flour*

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tsp. salt 

*Sorry guys, but you really have to use bread flour (not all-purpose) for this recipe.

Combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a bowl, and stir until the dry ingredients have dissolved. Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Combine the flour, salt, and oil in a separate bowl, and then add the liquid mixture, and blend together until a smooth dough forms. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. After it has rested, spread the dough out on a greased baking sheet. 

 

 

The next step is making the garlic oil. If you'd rather buy garlic oil from the grocery store, it will work perfectly, but I find that it's much more economical to make my own. 

 

Garlic Oil

 

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil 

 

Peel the garlic cloves and smash them with the side of a knife. Add olive oil to a small pan and bring to medium heat. Add the garlic cloves, and allow them to simmer in the oil for a few minutes until they begin to slightly brown. Remove the pan from the heat and discard the garlic. Allow the oil to cool and reserve.

 

(WARNING: Brilliant me once tried to be clever and make my own garlic oil by smashing a couple of cloves of garlic, placing them in a jar of oil, and leaving it to sit for a few days -- until I was informed that I was concocting a lovely batch of botulism. Do not make the same mistake I made!)

Now we can begin to assemble the pizza! 

1 lb. ground sausage, cooked* 

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese*

Reserved butternut squash

Reserved garlic oil

Pizza crust

(Any additional toppings you would like) 

 

*I didn't include a "Let's cook the sausage!" step because, well, you just take sausage and you cook it. I do however, insist you must cook the sausage before adding it to the pizza, as the baking time is not sufficient enough to thoroughly cook it. 

 

*I prefer mozzarella for this recipe, but you can use whatever cheese you like. Swiss or Gruyere would be delicious! 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 2-3 tbs. of the garlic oil on top of the crust and brush it over the entirety of the crust's surface until it is thoroughly coated. Reserve the remaining oil for later use.  

Spread the cooked sausage in an even layer over the crust, then spread the cheese in an even layer over the sausage. Add the butternut squash (and/or additional toppings) as desired, and reserve the remaining squash for later use.

 

Bake the pizza for around 10-15 minutes or until the edge of the crust has browned and the cheese has melted. Allow the pizza to cool for at least 5 minutes, cut, and serve. 

(I'm also particularly fond of this pizza because it matches my plates!)

Enjoy!

 

 

Old-Fashioned Lemon Squares

For some odd reason, one night earlier this week, as I was lying in bed, I suddenly found myself with an insatiable craving for lemon squares. I say "odd" because I normally don't make these delicate treats very often, and because I usually prefer lemon meringue pie. While it was far too late to embark on a culinary adventure that evening (considering I had to be at work the next day), I vowed that once I was able to secure a bit of free time, I would make a batch of lemon squares at some point during the week -- which happened to be last night. 

I realize that this will be my third blog entry where I reference The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook by Cheryl and Griffith Day, and I want to assure you, I am in no way receiving any sort of monetary compensation for this... unfortunately... However, after perusing a few cookbooks, I found their recipe for "Sunny Lemon Bars" to be most suitable to my taste at that particular moment. 

I had to alter the recipe a bit to accommodate what ingredients were in my possession, but the end result is nothing short of magnificent: a delicious filling that is neither too sweet or too tart with a hearty shortbread crust. 

While sharing a recipe for lemon squares in mid-November might be considered odd, as this treat is usually reserved for the spring and summer months, I'm a staunch advocate of preparing whatever you want whenever you want -- and to hell with anyone who says differently. Also, I attached the handle "Old-Fashioned" to the title of the recipe because 1) I believe that food ultimately tastes better when infused with a bit of nostalgia, and 2) if I had to imagine a true representation of the lemon squares of yore, I believe this recipe produces an ideal facsimile. 

Finally, I must insist (as I've done before) that it is imperative to use fresh lemons. Fresh lemon juice is far less acidic than the concentrated juice, creating an overall more pleasant flavor. Also, for any recipe that incorporates lemon juice, adding a bit of fresh lemon zest will aid in enhancing the flavor (and besides, if you already have the lemons, you may as well zest 'em). 


Old-Fashioned Lemon Squares 

Crust: 

2 sticks of butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl, and stir until they are blended and form a thick dough. Press the dough evenly into a greased large, rectangular baking dish. Bake for around 15-20 minutes, or until the crust becomes a golden brown color. Remove from the oven and reserve. Reduce heat to 300 degrees.

 Filling:
The juice and zest of 3 large lemons (around 3/4 cup juice and 3 tsp. zest)
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
6 tbs. all-purpose flour 

In a mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for around 25 minutes or until the filling has set firmly. Remove from the oven and cool. 

Once cooled, dust the top with confectioner's sugar if desired. Then cut and serve the squares as you wish. 

(I honestly cannot believe how gorgeous these squares turned out to be! Unfortunately for the squares, though, they are not too pretty to eat...)

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Sweet Potato & Guinness Shepherd's Pie

After attending the Sweet Potato Festival in Vardaman, MS last weekend, my mom brought home a 40 lb. box of sweet potatoes -- and if you aren't aware, that's a lot of damn sweet potatoes. Needless to say, I was able to procure a few of them for myself. I'd been debating how I wanted to prepare them, and for once, I was purely stumped. However, when I woke up this morning, the proverbial light blub illuminated.

When I was in Orlando last month, my friend Steven and I ate at a fantastic Irish pub-style restaurant in Downtown Disney called Raglan Road. (As a side note, the adjacent bar, Cooke's of Dublin, is also quite excellent, especially if Rob, a very charming Scotsman, is your bartender.) At the restaurant, I opted for the Fish & Chips (which were excellent), and Steven opted for the Shepherd's Pie. We tried a bit of each other's entrees, and I was utterly blown away by the Shepherd's Pie. One of the star ingredients of the dish was a house-made Guinness glaze (which they also serve with bread and olive oil as an appetizer). I vowed then and there to learn how to replicate these delicious wonders once I returned home. But until now, I'd become sidetracked in my quest.

I've seen Shepherd's Pies prepared with sweet potato topping, diverting from the original recipe, and I imagined that the flavor would pair beautifully with the rich sweetness of the Guinness glaze. I am proud to say that I was correct in my assumption. This is a perfect dish for a chilly autumn evening -- or any time, really. It's freakin' good.


Sweet Potato & Guinness Shepherd's Pie

Part I: Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Peel 4 medium sweet potatoes, and chop them into 1" cubes. Then, boil the potatoes on medium-high heat until they are fork-tender (about 10-15 minutes). Drain the water from the boiler, and add 1/2 stick of butter to the potatoes. Beat or whip the potatoes until they are smooth. Salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.

Part II: Guinness Glaze

In a boiler, bring a 12 oz. can or bottle of Guinness and 1/2 cup of brown sugar to a simmer (at about low-medium or medium heat). Allow the glaze mixture to simmer for around 30 minutes or until the mixture has reduced by half. Reserve.

Part III: Meat & Veggies

2 lbs. ground chuck
1 lb. ground sausage with sage
2 tbs. olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. rosemary (dried)
1 tsp. thyme (dried)
1 tsp. parsley (dried)
1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
Reserved Guinness glaze

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, bring the olive oil to medium-high heat, and add the carrots, onion, garlic, and herbs. Sautee the mixture for 10 minutes or until the vegetables start to become tender. Add the ground meat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook the mixture for about 10-15 more minutes or until the meat is completely and evenly browned. Make sure to continually stir the mixture vigorously to ensure that all the meat browns and that none of it burns.

Once the meat is browned, drain the excess fat from the mixture, and return the meat and vegetables to the pot. Add about 3/4 cup of the Guinness glaze to the mixture (or more, if you would prefer a sweeter dish). Mix thoroughly. 

Part IV: Assembling the "Pie"

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the meat and vegetable mixture into a large casserole dish. Then, top the mixture with the reserved mashed sweet potatoes. Make sure the potatoes are spread evenly on top of the mixture.

Bake the "pie" for about 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potato topping has darkened a bit. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, and serve.

(The glorious fusion of Irish and Southern cookery!)

(An individual serving -- It might not look too pretty, but man oh man, this is some seriously good eats.)

Enjoy!

Beer-Braised Barbecue Beef Nachos

I concocted this recipe on a whim after craving barbecue nachos, which has been a recent culinary trend in restaurants across the South. However, after tasting them, I'm rather partial to my homemade version.

Beer Braised Barbecue Beef

1-1  ½ lb. beef roast*

Salt & pepper

1 tbs. olive oil

2 12 oz. bottles of beer*

½ cup barbecue sauce

1 tbs. garlic powder

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. hot sauce

½ tsp. Liquid Smoke

*I used a London broil, as it’s one of the cheaper cuts of meat. Since the braising process is what will ultimately tenderize the meat, just use whatever cut you’d like.

*When choosing a beer for braising, the best option is to go for something full-bodied, like a stout. Just make sure the beer’s flavor is palatable; you don’t want something too strong, nor do you want a cheap beer that tastes like dirty water. For this recipe, I used Killian’s, because it’s what I had on hand, and it worked beautifully.

Season the roast liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pot, and bring to high heat. Allow the roast to sear (on both sides) in the pot until it has thoroughly browned.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add the barbecue, Worcestershire, and hot sauces, garlic powder, Liquid Smoke, and one bottle of beer. Cover the pot, and allow the roast to braise for 2 hours. Make sure to turn the meat every so often so that it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

After the initial 2-hour braising period, remove the meat from the pot, and slice it. Return it to the pot, and add the remaining bottle of beer. Allow the meat to cook for 30 minutes or until it easily pulls apart.

At this point, you’ll want to gently “pull” the meat with a fork for easy distribution over the nachos. Also, you may want to use the reduced braising liquid as a sauce for the nachos – it’s pretty delicious!

For assembling the nachos, you will need:

Tortilla chips

Pulled beef

White queso dip*

Sliced jalapenos

Chopped tomatoes

Barbecue sauce

(And any other ingredient you’d like – This would be fantastic with some sliced avocado or chopped onion!)

*Some people prefer to make their own queso dip. However, the store-bought variety suits me well enough. If you don’t have queso dip on hand, you can use whatever kind of cheese you prefer.

Here’s how I usually make my nachos: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Assemble all the ingredients on a baking sheet or baking dish. Make sure to layer the ingredients so that you are able to get a bit of the “good stuff” on each tortilla chip. Allow the nachos to bake for 5-10 minutes, and then enjoy! 

(Dreams can come true...)

 

 

Butternut Squash "Mac 'n' Cheese"

One of my favorite fruits of the fall season is butternut squash. Truthfully, I prefer it to pumpkin – blasphemy, I know. I just think that butternut squash possesses a richer flavor, and I enjoy its natural sweetness. Also, preparing butternut squash is a hell of a lot less arduous than dealing with a pumpkin.

Like pumpkin, butternut squash is also incredibly versatile. My mom used to prepare delicious butternut squash pies when I was growing up (think: somewhat of a cross between pumpkin and sweet potato pie). As I became older, I began to notice that butternut squash being implemented in many savory dishes as well as sweet.

My first attempt at preparing this autumnal edible was a few years ago when I made a delicious butternut squash soup, which has now become a fall-and-winter ritual for me. Over time, I’ve implemented this fantastic ingredient into a number of dishes, including cheesecake and pizza. However, I think my favorite butternut squash recipe has to be my Butternut Squash “Mac ‘n’ Cheese.”

…And yes, the quotation marks do serve a purpose. You see, this recipe isn’t necessarily a macaroni and cheese dish in the traditional sense. However, you’ve got pasta, and you’ve got cheese, so why not? The natural slight sweetness of the squash makes for a stunning flavor profile when paired with the sharp saltiness of the parmesan cheese. Also, this is a wonderful and hearty cold-weather dish perfect for fall or winter.

Butternut Squash “Mac ‘n’ Cheese”

1 medium-sized butternut squash

(Olive oil, salt, pepper for roasting)

1 lb. penne pasta, cooked*

2 tbs. butter

3 tbs. flour

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp. Herbes de Provence*

2 cups milk

1 ½ cups grated parmesan cheese

*You can use whatever pasta you so choose for this recipe; in the past, I’ve used cavatappi and campanelle with great success. However, make sure the pasta is a hearty variety so that it will hold up well in the casserole.

*You can omit the Herbes de Provence, or substitute with other herbs if you wish. I just think they put the dish over the top.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the butternut squash, scoop out the seeds, and cut into 1” chunks. Spread the squash onto a baking sheet, and coat liberally with olive oil, with just a dash of salt and pepper to bring out the flavor. Once the squash is evenly coated, roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender. Reserve.

Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

In a saucepan, melt the butter on medium-high heat. Add flour, salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs, and stir the mixture until it forms a paste. Allow this paste to cook for a couple of minutes until it reaches a somewhat golden brown color. Stir in the milk, and allow the mixture too cook for 10 minutes, or until the sauce reaches a thickened consistency that will coat the back of your spoon. Remove from heat, and add 1 cup of the parmesan cheese, stirring gently.

Add the cooked butternut squash to the cream sauce. If you would prefer not having chunks of squash in the dish, you can mash them with a fork or potato-masher. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta, and stir well. Add to a greased baking dish, and top with the remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the top of the casserole has slightly browned. Remove from oven, and allow to cool for five minutes. 

 (Did I forget to mention that it's also a very pretty dish? 'Cuz, yeah, it is. I'm still gonna eat it, though.)

Enjoy!