Cheesy Baked Cauliflower Acorn Squash Cups

Name: Cheesy Baked Cauliflower Acorn Squash Cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 Taylor Farms Cauliflower Rice; 4 Acorn squash; ¼ cup of unsalted butter; 3 cloves of garlic, minced with a garlic press; ¼ cup of all-purpose flour; 1 cup of milk; 1 cup of heavy cream; 1 teaspoon of kosher salt; ½ teaspoon of black pepper; 1 Tablespoon of minced rosemary, minced; 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded; 1 ½ cups Gruyère cheese, shredded

Cheese-stuffed dishes baked in an oven are truly the epitome of comfort food, and this recipe only reinforces this universal and indisputable fact. A creamy, cheesy blend of white cheddar, Gruyère, cauliflower pearls, garlic, rosemary, and, of course, plenty of butter take up residence in perfectly-baked cups of acorn squash that are almost too cute to eat. But you should still eat them because they are delicious. This already simple recipe is made even easier thanks to Taylor Farms Cauliflower Rice that are washed, prepped, recipe-ready right out of the bag. You’re welcome!

Ingredients

1 Taylor Farms Cauliflower Rice
4 Acorn squash
¼ cup of unsalted butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced with a garlic press
¼ cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of black pepper
1 Tablespoon of minced rosemary, minced
1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 ½ cups Gruyère cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve the acorn squashes and remove the seeds. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes (you will return these back to the oven to finish later).
While the squash are in the oven, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Whisk flour into butter mixture and cook until smooth and golden in color, about 1-2 minutes.
Slowly add in the milk and heavy cream, whisking as you pour. Add in salt, pepper, and rosemary to the cream mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes (the mixture should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon).
Remove cream mixture from heat and whisk in shredded white cheddar cheese and 1 cup of shredded Gruyère until smooth.Add cauliflower to the cheese sauce.
Fill acorn squashes with cheesy cauliflower and top with remaining Gruyère cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until squash is tender with golden brown tops. Garnish with a small amount of chopped rosemary, if desired.

What’s the deal with Gruyère cheese?

This recipe calls for Gruyère cheese, which some may be unacquainted with, so let’s talk about it for a moment. Pronounced “groo-YAIR” (fancy, right?), Gruyère is a firm yellow Swiss cheese, but without as many holes as the cheese we know as Swiss cheese. Also, it tastes milder than the Swiss cheese with all the holes.

Made from cow’s milk and aged around six months, Gruyère has a rich, creamy, salty, and slightly nutty flavor that makes it appealing to those who may be a little apprehensive about “fancier” cheeses — or cheeses with fancy-sounding names.

Gruyère originated in Switzerland around the 12th century, but don’t tell that to France — the two countries were once embroiled in a massive and very real cheese dispute over who had exclusive rights to the “Controlled Designation of Origin” within the European Union’s regional trading name system. The dispute got so out of hand that the European Union had to issue a ruling on it, despite Switzerland not being in the EU. Are you confused yet? (For those keeping score, the EU ruled in favor of Switzerland, but stipulated that the French version be labeled as such while containing holes “between the size of a pea and a cherry.” This is all very serious.)

Uses for Gruyère

As evidenced by the recipe above, Gruyère’s mild flavor and creamy texture make it ideal for baking. It’s also great when used in fondues or dips or on top of a hot bowl of French onion soup (oh, the irony). If you want to add some depth of flavor and extra cheesiness to your pizza, top it off with Gruyère. Mashed potatoes and grits are also welcome homes for this international-incident-causing cheese. Need a new spin on mac & cheese? That’s right, melt some Gruyère into it and prepare to be amazed. Enjoy!