A few years ago when I had pneumonia and had to stay home for two weeks, I got hooked on the cooking/variety show The Chew. Miserable as I was to be confined to bed, it was one of the high points of my day--partly due to the high energy and fun, down-to-earth attitude and recipes of Carla Hall, one of the show's hosts and my Famous Friday honoree today. Truthfully, I haven't watched the show since then, but when I recently picked up one of Carla's cookbooks, Carla's Comfort Foods, and flipped through it, I instantly remembered why I liked her so much. The book is full of terrific family friendly traditional and unique recipes from all nationalities--recipes you really want to make and eat, like this amazing Butternut Squash Tarte Tatin. If you're looking for a vegetarian entree for Thanksgiving that will wow even your meat-eaters, your search is over!!

My daughter and I literally jumped for joy when I turned the pan over and slid this gorgeous creation out onto the plate! It's so pretty and professional looking but luckily it's actually really easy to make--but of course, only you have to know that. Let your guests think you slaved and slaved over this!

Now traditionally, tarte tatins are made with apple or pear but here you roast slices of butternut squash with onions and garlic and the mixture is so yummy you'll have to slap your hand away not to just eat it as is!!

Next, you heat butter, lemon juice, honey and lemon zest in a skillet and then layer, in concentric circles, slices of butternut squash and onion.

The whole thing gets topped with a round of pastry dough and then popped into the oven until the dough is golden brown.  Then, very carefully, you invert the whole thing onto a platter and step back and give yourself a hand because you deserve it!!

And don't fear that this dish is all looks and no substance--the taste is absolutely fantastic! Each bite is full of tender roasted caramelized squash and flaky pastry, a divine combination!! It slices up beautifully and people will ooh and aah over it. Even if you don't need a vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving, you're going to want to include this on your table. I guarantee that it's going to give the turkey a run for it's money.

So have a great weekend, get yourself acquainted with Carla (she's also got a website with recipes and other fun stuff) and have some fun in and out of the kitchen. The Thanksgiving countdown continues next week!!

Carla's Butternut Squash Tarte Tatin

Serves 6 as a main course

Prep Time for the crust:  10 minutes, plus several hours chilling time; Prep Time for the Tarte Tatin:  1 1/2 hours (most of that is hands-off time)

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

For the Tarte Tatin

• 1/2 recipe crust
• One large butternut squash (slightly over 4 pounds), peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

The Recipe

1.  To make the crust:  Chill the bowl and paddle of a standing mixer (or the bowl and beaters of a handheld) until very cold. Dissolve the sugar and salt in the cold water and chill until very cold.

2.  Place the flour and butter into the chilled bowl and toss the butter in the flour until the pieces are well coated. Mix on low speed until pea-sized lumps form. Add the water mixture, turn the speed to medium and mix just until the dough begins to come together.

3.  Gather the dough together and split it in half to form two balls. Flatten the balls into 1-inch thick discs and wrap each individually in plastic wrap very well. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days. For this recipe, you will only need one of the halves. The other half you can use for another pie, or double wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

4.  To make the tarte tatin:  Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

5.  Lightly flour a board or a countertop and using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one of the dough halves into a 10-inch round. Transfer it to the baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

6.  In a large bowl, toss the squash, onion, garlic, oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Divide the mixture between 2 rimmed baking sheets so that everything is in a single layer and bake for about 25 minutes, until the squash is lightly browned. Remove from the oven to cool slightly. Reduce the oven to 375ºF.

7.  In a large heavy skillet or a cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the lemon juice and honey and stir until bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Layer the roasted squash over the mixture in concentric circles, stacking the layers all way to the top of the pan. Make sure the first layer is extra perfect, because you will later invert the pan and the bottom will become the top. Place the chilled dough round on top, tucking in the edges loosely.

8.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Then take a large platter and carefully (using oven mitts because the handles will be very hot) place the plate over the pan and invert the whole thing onto it. It helps to have a plate that is slightly larger than the tarte itself. Serve immediately, cutting into wedges. You can garnish with more lemon zest or some parsley but I didn't feel this needed it at all.

9.  You can make this early in the day and then just reheat it in a low oven before serving. If you're really in a pinch for time, you can make this a day ahead, cover and refrigerate it and then reheat before serving.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Carla's Comfort Foods by Carla Hall. I left out the thyme and sage from both the butter mixture and the garnish. If you love those herbs add 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage to the butter mixture.