Casseroles are for breakfast, casseroles are for chicken and cashew lunches, and very often, they play a part in dinner too - sometimes as the main event, other times as a very appetizing sweet potato side dish.
How do you define a casserole, though? Is it as simple as a one-pan dish that is baked in the oven? Does it have to soak in a juicy gravy? Does it always contain eggs?
More important than the ingredients going into the dish, however, is that the cooking vessel is a deep dish, usually glass, that can be safely heated for hours in the oven.
Whether you add tuna to your casserole or skip the protein entirely, it will always be a casserole so long as it is slow-cooked in the oven - you will likely serve it from the same baking dish too.
A successful casserole needs to come out of the oven just right, and it still takes some practice to create an extraordinary dish.
So, before you go and add whatever kind of vegetables you have on hand, know that fresh veggies work infinitely better than frozen vegetables (these contain a lot of water, so strain them well), but boiled vegetables also benefit from being strained.
After all, you want to end up with something spoonable and thick, not runny - there is an inviting cauliflower soup for that.
Call it a "hot dish" if you like, but above all, invest in a good quality casserole dish and bake one weekly. It's so versatile that you will never run out of recipes or inspiration, and they are great for leftovers!
Butternut And Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
Serves: 6 Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, cubed
- 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup ghee
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 2 tsp. fresh sage, minced
- Fresh parsley, minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Add the butternut squash and cauliflower to a saucepan and fill it with water.
- Bring to a boil, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
- Drain the water and set vegetables aside.
- In the same saucepan, melt ghee over low heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Bring the butternut and cauliflower back to the pan, and mash everything with a potato masher.
- Add the spices and fresh herbs, and season generously to taste.
- Place the mixture in a baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Serve topped with fresh parsley.
Butternut And Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash cubed
- 1 head cauliflower roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup ghee
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 2 tsp. fresh sage minced
- Fresh parsley minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Add the butternut squash and cauliflower to a saucepan and fill it with water.1 butternut squash, 1 head cauliflower
- Bring to a boil, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are fork tender.
- Drain the water and set vegetables aside.
- In the same saucepan, melt ghee over low heat.¼ cup ghee
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.2 garlic cloves
- Bring the butternut and cauliflower back to the pan, and mash everything with a potato masher.
- Add the spices and fresh herbs, and season generously to taste.2 tsp. fresh sage, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp. paprika
- Place the mixture in a baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Serve topped with fresh parsley.Fresh parsley
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