Butternut Squash Bake with Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and sliced (see slicing tip below) into twelve 1/3-inch rounds (about a 2-pound or 907-g squash), or 3 cups (420 g) fresh or frozen cubed butternut squash
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- Small pinch of black pepper
For the cream sauce:
- 1/2 cup (60 g) cashews, soaked*, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) water
- 1 Tbsp brown rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 garlic clove
For the bake:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 ounces (227 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped
- 4 cups (144 g) fresh chopped Swiss chard (about 3 leaves)
Instructions:
- Read through recipe and put all ingredients in your work area before starting your prep.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
- Place butternut squash slices or cubes on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, or until fork tender.
- While squash is baking, place cream sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large pan. Add mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent and mushrooms are slightly golden. Add Swiss chard and cook an additional 2–3 minutes, or until chard is wilted.
- In a small ovenproof dish (6-inch or 15-cm square or round), or in a loaf pan, make a layer of 4 butternut squash rounds (it’s okay if the edges overlap a bit) or 1 cup of cubes. Cover with half of the mushroom-chard mixture and 1/3 of the cream sauce. Repeat with an additional layer of squash, mushroom-chard mixture and cream sauce, and finish with a final layer of squash and cream sauce. Bake in the 400°F (205°C) oven for 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
Notes:
Butternut squash slicing tip: Place a towel under your cutting board so that it does not slip. Lay squash on its side on the cutting board. With a sharp knife, carefully cut off the body from the neck. Peel the neck and slice into thin rounds.
*Nut soak note: If you have a high-speed blender, you can skip soaking your cashews. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can either soak your cashews in water for 4 hours, or you can do a “quick soak” by covering them with water in a pot and bringing it to a boil. Once the water boils, remove them from the heat and let them sit for an hour.
Storage tip: Butternut Squash Bake will keep for 4–5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Simplify this recipe: Use pre-peeled garlic, and 3 cups (420 g) fresh or frozen pre-chopped butternut squash, pre-sliced mushrooms, and 4 cups (144 g) pre-chopped and washed Swiss chard or spinach in place of whole Swiss chard leaves.
Reheating tip: Butternut Squash Bake is best reheated over medium-low heat in a small covered saucepan with a splash of water.
Make it nut-free: Substitute soaked, raw, shelled pumpkin seeds for the cashews.Nutrition Information Per Serving:
483 calories, 28.3 g total fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 4.2 g polyunsaturated fat, 17.6 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 872 mg sodium, 2041 mg potassium, 55 g total carbohydrates, 14.1 g fiber, 12.2 g sugar, 13.3 g protein, 17% calcium, 35% iron
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