"This pie is a perfect side dish for your dinner table in place of a traditional casserole. It is guaranteed to receive rave reviews from your family and guests."
1 whole large acorn squash
2 9-inch rolled frozen pie crusts, such as Pillsbury
2 cups grated manchego cheese
2 granny smith apples, cored and thinly sliced (skins left on)
1 cup sweet onion, quartered, then thinly sliced
1 cup dried cranberries
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
2 cups alder wood chips, soaked
Prepare the grill for indirect cooking at 350° to 375°F.
Place the whole squash in the indirect zone with the hood closed. Cook until softened, about 45 minutes, turning once.
Remove from the grill and allow to cool. You may also choose to roast the squash in an oven at the same temperature without any appreciable difference in flavor. The squash may be roasted up to an hour ahead of the pie preparation.
Cut the squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds. Remove all the flesh from the shells and discard the shells. Slice the squash about ¼-inch thick. Line a 9-inch. cast-iron skillet or heavy, ceramic pie plate with the bottom pie crust. Trim off any excess at the skillet’s edge.
Proceed to fill the pie, beginning with a thin layer of manchego cheese, followed by thin layers of apples, onions, squash and dried cranberries, using about 1/3 of each per layer. Repeat the layering two more times. The pie should be over-filled and quite tall. The filling will settle when baked.
Whisk together 2 of the eggs with the cream, sugar, salt and pepper. Pour over the pie filling. Add the pieces of butter to the top. Lay on the top pie crust. Trim off the excess and crimp the edges all around. Cut slits into the top crust to vent steam.
Place the skillet or pie plate on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Bring the foil up to loosely wrap the rim of the pie and help prevent the edge of the crust from overcooking. Place the pie in the indirect cooking zone.
Add the alder wood chips for smoke and bake the pie with the hood closed for 90 minutes total, rotating the pie every 30 minutes for more even baking.
With 20 to 30 minutes remaining, pull the foil away from the edges. Beat the last egg and brush about half of it onto the top pie crust and continue baking for a perfectly golden presentation. Serve warm as a side dish.