Butternut Squash, Bacon and Bread Bake (Auflauf)

Okay, so my prediction from Saturday came true . . . this masterpiece was not something that my husband fell to pieces over. Being the amazing man that he is he ate it but I know that it is not on his top 10 list. (The first fall that we were married I made a "harvest casserole" with similar results.) Too bad, because I LOVED it. Poor guy . . . but you have to understand, I LOVE veggies and to cook with veggies, where as my sweet guy is not overly keen on all vegetables, nor is he a big cheese fan . . . but he is trooper and will eat whatever I lay in front of him (pumpkin burgers anyone? . . . okay if you've heard the story you are truly pitying Toph)
But fall has blown in so I am pumped to cook with squash like never before! I have had this recipe brewing in my head for a while and it finally came to life. I have a bottle of pumpkin seed oil from Germany that doesn't get enough use . . . so I was thrilled to use it to toast bread cubes in! Warning . . the oil is green . . . meaning green bread cubes . . . my hubby saw them and said "dear, I think this has fungus" . . . yeah nice . . . (great start babe!).
So using my precious oil commodity I coated my squash in it to roast too . . . hence the dark color on the squash. (I don't know where you can find pumpkin seed oil in the states . . . you can probably order it online . . . it is REALLY GOOD!) I love to use it in squash soup (another delight that I fly solo in enjoying in my home!)
Another favorite ingredient that I use in practically everything it seems is caramelized onions! They add sooooooooo much flavor and are just so Yum-E! To appease my carnivore hubby I added bacon too.
So cooking away I was excited for everything to come together . . . and to bake it off! (It looked like fall! The deep red crispy bacon, golden squash and my green bread cubes!)
When we sat down to eat I kept thinking "my mom would love this!" Given it doesn't look per say like the most appealing dish to dive into . . . but I promise that it did not disappoint! (Thanks again Toph for your patience and support with yet another one of my cooking creations! Your reward . . . more Auflauf! ;)
Butternut Squash, Bacon and Bread Bake (Auflauf)
Recipe by: Emily

1 Butternut Squash
1 loaf Crusty bread, (about 6 cups) cubed into bite size pieces(I used sourdough)
2 medium Onions, sliced thin
8 Strips Bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
1 Quart Half & Half or cream
1 cup Shredded Cheese (I used Swiss)
2 tsp Sugar
Salt
Pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Pumpkin Seed Oil or Olive Oil

1. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds, lightly coat squash with oil, salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about an hour or until fork tender. Once squash is done remove from the shell and cube into bite size pieces.
2. While squash is baking, toast bread cubes in oil over medium heat in a frying pan until golden brown. Set Aside.
3. Add the onions and sugar to a frying pan and cook over medium-low heat for about 25 minutes or until caramelized. Add the half & half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Combine the cubed roasted squash, bacon, 1/2 cup cheese, bread cubes and onion mixture together and pour into a large baking dish. Sprinkle the top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.