Butternut Squash Potatoes Au Gratin
2010 ANNUAL CONTEST WINNERS
http://www.betterrecipes.com/blogs/d...ntest-winners/
Written on January 25, 2011 at 5:00 am , by Kristina Vanni
In 2010 we not only hosted several monthly and weekly contests, but there was also the on-going "Annual Recipe Contest." There wasn't a specific theme or qualifications, we simply asked you to submit your best recipes! After a year of outstanding submissions, we have narrowed it down to these lucky winners. We have a $1000 Grand Prize winning dish and 5 Runner-Up recipes, each winning $400.
Without further ado, let's meet our Grand Prize Winner. A huge congratulations to Allison Luxenberg for her Butternut Squash Potatoes Au Gratin!
Let's hear from Allison!
"I am a 30 year old woman living in Austin, TX with my two Rottweilers, Atticus and Violet. If asked, one of the first things all my friends would say about me is that I love to cook and they love to eat my cooking.If my dogs could talk they would say the same thing because I cook for them as well. I have loved being in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. When I went off to college my mother equipped me with a food processor, stand mixer, and hand me down Le Creuset and All Clad cookware. At one point I considered Culinary School but decided I wanted to reserve cooking and recipe creating as my hobby."
How did you come up with your recipe?
"I have been making this recipe at Christmas for years! I was never a fan of potatoes au gratin growing up. I thought the flavor was bland and boring and often times the dish was overcooked and it became dense and dry. About 6 years ago I was invited to a holiday pot luck and was assigned a potato dish. I decided to try rotating sweet potatoes and russet potatoes and sure enough, I was now a HUGE fan of potatoes au gratin. By adding sweet potatoes made the dish more flavorful than the traditional recipe. Then I tried another variation on the classic by adding butternut squash soup. The butternut squash soup really adds to the moisture and flavor explosion to it as well. My friends raved about my invention and asked me to make it again, and again, and again. It is now my signature dish at Christmas!"
What made you decide to enter the Better Recipes annual recipe contest?
"I wanted to win the money and see my recipe in a magazine. Of all the dishes I make, this one is always the most requested and there are never leftovers so I thought I had a good chance at winning."
Do you enter recipe contests often?
"Yes I do. My mother got me hooked around 2004. I was a grad student until a few years ago so I wasn't able to enter as many as I do now. My friends love when I test out my creations before I submit them. I think it is important to have others try your recipe before you submit it so you can get feedback and make any necessary tweaks."
Why do you think this recipe stood out to the judges?
"I knew this was the type of dish that Better Recipes would like because it is a fun twist on a traditional classic."
What advice would you have for others who enter Better Recipes contests?
"Pick a classic and make it unique. I felt that the audience reading Better Recipes were probably more inclined to stick to home style cooking that was easy to prepare in large quantities for families and holidays than an intricate and complicated recipe."
Thanks Allison! Now, let's take a look at this winning dish!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH POTATOES AU GRATIN
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup purchased or prepared butternut squash soup
10 russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese 1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking dish or pan.
• In a large skillet, melt butter.
• Whisk in flour until blended.
• Add milk, broth, and soup; bring to slow rolling boil.
• Reduce heat to a simmer.
• Add sliced potatoes and onions, stirring until all are coated.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
• Combine the cheeses in a bowl.
• Using a large spoon, layer potatoes into the baking dish.
• Spoon some of the sauce over the potatoes, then sprinkle with cheeses.
• Repeat until all the potatoes and cheese are used.
• Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
• Remove foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Number of Servings: 6-8