Butternut squash casserole recipe

I was going to wait until I made this again and took a better picture (it seems to disappear before I can take the time for a good photo shoot), but I can't wait any longer to share this amazing recipe.  I first made this for my pre-Thanksgiving bash, and people literally scraped the dish clean.  I knew that I had to make this dish for real Thanksgiving, but it's great for non-holiday meals too.  This lends itself perfectly for advanced preparation, and all you have to do is pop it in the oven for an hour.

I'm a big fan of butternut squash by itself, but this takes it to a whole new level. (On an unrelated note, I just had a concoction of butternut squash, black-eyed peas, and swiss chard that was amazing. I don't know if it compares to this casserole, though.)  If you want to convert winter squash-haters, this is your dish.  I've already had more requests for this recipe than I've had for any other dish.  Seriously. Make it now.  Rebecca over at Ezra Pound Cake also suggests adding sausage or spinach, and I'm going to try one (or both!) next time.  Despite the bad picture, I'm submitting this to Weekend Herb Blogging to share my new favorite way to use winter squash.  Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once organizes this event, and is hosting this week.

Butternut squash casserole (adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, and originally from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook)
(Printable version)

2 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4" slices
4 Tbsp butter
2 onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
1 cup buttermilk (I use 1 Tbsp vinegar and enough milk to make 1 cup)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs (or crumbled crackers or pretzels if you don't have bread around)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup toasted and chopped pecans, divided
1 1/2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add squash slices, and cook until squash is tender (about 8 min).  Drain squash and set it aside.  Add the butter to the pot, wait for it to melt, and then saute onions until tender.  Add squash back to the pot, mash it with the onions with a potato masher, and then add the buttermilk, eggs, thyme, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, 1/4 cup pecans, and 1 cup cheese.  Blend well, and pour into a lightly oiled 9 x 13" baking pan (you can refrigerate or freeze it at this point).  Bake at 375 for 45 min, and then top with the remaining pecans and cheese and continue to bake for 15 min.  Serves 12.