Kabocha au Gratin++

Yield: 2 servings

Oven Temperature and Cooking Time

•  400F ( C) for 10 minutes ???? then Broil on high for 3 minutes?

Equipment

• 7" x 11" Baking dish
  

Ingredients

• 350g (1/4 whole) kabocha squash, deseeded
• 50g (1/4 whole) yellow onion, cut to 1/16" strips along the fiber
• 4 tbsp Bacon Bits or 40g (2 slices) bacon, chopped into 1/2" strips
• 3g (1 small clove) garlic, minced
• 2 tsp (10g) butter to fry with

• 1 tbsp (14g) butter to coat the baking dish
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder IF not using garlic above
• 160cc béchamel (white) sauce
  OR
• 20g butter
• 20g all-purpose flour
• 200ml milk ( OR 22g milk powder + 140178g water)
• 1g salt
• 1/16 tsp nutmeg
• (Optional) 1 tbsp heavy cream
• 30g Colby Jack cheese (or mozzarella / mild cheddar?) , shredded
• 20g Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1/8 tsp fine white pepper
• 1/16 tsp nutmeg powder

Directions - with premade Bechamel sauce 

1. Wet 1/4 of whole kabocha. Microwave high for 3 minutes.
   Let it cool a bit, then slice into 1/4" by 1" pieces.
2. Preheat the oven.
3. Coat the surface of a frying pan with butter and add garlic and bacon if using a real bacon.
   Heat the frying pan to low heat. When sizzling, bring the heat to medium, and cook yellow onion until it softens and slightly browns. Set aside.
4. Coat the baking dish bottom and sides up to 1.5" from bottom with butter.
   Sprinkle garlic powder on bottom evenly.
5. Layer kabocha slices, onion and bacon.
6. Pour béchamel sauce on top and gaps. Sprinkle white pepper on top.
7. Spread Colby Jack cheese on top.
8. Spread Gruyère cheese on top.
9. Bake / broil until cheese gets golden brown.

Directions - with premade Bechamel sauce 

1. Wet 1/4 of whole kabocha. Microwave high for 3 minutes.
   Let it cool a bit, then slice into 1/4" by 1" pieces.
2. Coat the surface of a frying pan with butter and add garlic and bacon if using a real bacon.
3. Heat the frying pan to low heat. When sizzling, bring the heat to medium, and cook yellow onion  sprinling flour over it, until it softens and slightly browns.
4. Remove frying pan from heat and add milk little by little.
5. Coat the baking dish bottom and sides up to 1.5" from bottom with butter.
   Sprinkle garlic powder on bottom evenly.
6. Preheat the oven.
7. Layer kabocha slices, onion and bacon.
8. Pour béchamel sauce on top and gaps. Sprinkle white pepper on top.
9. Spread Colby Jack cheese on top.
10. Spread Gruyère cheese on top.
11. Bake / broil until cheese gets golden brown.

Notes