Butternut Squash and Quinoa Casserole
Butternut squash baked with quinoa, spinach and feta cheese for a hearty cold weather casserole dish that can serve as a substantial side or vegetarian main course.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Casserole
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Scale
Ingredients
- 5 cups butternut squash, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed in cold water until the water runs clear
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 sage leaves, chopped — if you like sage, feel free to add a bit more
- 6 ozs vegetable or chicken broth — vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian recipe!
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¾ cup feta cheese
- handful pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cook the squash: Boil a pot of water. Add the butternut squash, boil for 15 minutes or so, until the squash is tender.Drain the squash, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- Cook quinoa: Heat the water to boiling, stir in the quinoa. Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer covered for 16 to 20 minutes until the water is absorbed.
- Sauté onions and garlic: As the quinoa cooks, heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium. Add the onion, sauté until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for another minutes.
- Add the cooked squash to the skillet along with the chicken broth and sage. Bring the broth to a simmer, stir occasionally with a sturdy spoon. As you stir, gradually break up the squash.
- Simmer squash with onions: Let the squash simmer for about 10 minutes, and it will gradually break up into a creamy consistency.
- Add the spinach into the butternut mixture toward the end of its 10 minute cooking time. Remove the squash mixture from heat and cover while the quinoa finishes cooking.
- Finish the quinoa: When the water in the quinoa has been absorbed after the 16 to 20 minute simmer time, remove cover and stir the quinoa with a fork.
- Combine the quinoa with the skillet of butternut squash mixture. Stir in the feta cheese.
- Prep the casserole: Scoop the butternut squash and quinoa mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with pumpkin seeds.
- Bake the casserole: Cover the casserole dish, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove cover after 10 minutes, and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and serve.
Notes
- A couple of people who tried the recipe commented they added more sage and liked it that way. Give that a try if you are a sage fan!
- Deborah mentioned that she roasted the butternut squash instead of boiling it. Great idea! I love roasted veggies. If you want to try that, toss the chopped squash with a tablespoon of olive oil in a baking dish. It will take about 30 to 35 minutes to get the squash nice and tender at the 400 degree temperature.
Keywords: casserole, quinoa, butternut squash casserole
Find it online: https://cookingchatfood.com/butternut-squash-and-quinoa/
