Golden, gooey, and grilled to perfection, this butternut squash au gratin brings together creamy Gouda and roasted garlic in every indulgent bite. It's a quick and easy, over-the-top comfort food side dish, elevated.
Preheat grill to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet in heavy duty foil and pour butternut cubes on the tray in a single layer. Drizzle squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast squash on grill for 1 hour or until they are just becoming fork tender and darker in color. While the squash are roasting, make the cheese sauce. In a 3 quart pot add heavy whipping cream, butter, thyme, nutmeg, 1 tsp black pepper, and roasted garlic. Simmer on medium low for 30 minutes then remove from heat. Discard thyme stems and remove bulb of garlic. Squish garlic cloves out of the bulb and return to the cream. Add in Gouda cheese and stir until melted. Transfer squash into a buttered grill proof casserole dish (e.g., a 9” Staub oval baking dish). Pour cheese sauce over squash and stir to coat. Return to the grill for 20 minutes or until bubbling and hot. Remove from grill, rest for 5-10 minutes and serve warm.
