Butternut squash casserole with sweet potato & feta

Savory butternut squash casserole with sweet potato and feta.

5 from 5 votes

Butternut squash casserole with sweet potato & feta

This recipe for savory butternut squash casserole with sweet potato and feta is a delicious vegetarian side dish with a variety of flavors and textures. The golden, roasted butternut squash cubes and the creamy sweet potatoes get mixed with savory feta cheese to create a mouthwatering gratin. This heartwarming dish is perfect for any occasion and not just Thanksgiving!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 412kcal

Author: Makos

Equipment

1 casserole approximately 10 inches x 7 inches (26cm x18cm)

Ingredients

For the casserole:

6.5 cups butternut squash in 1-inch cubes
3 cups white sweet potato in 1-inch cubes
1 onion roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ teaspoon fine salt
½ teaspoon bleck pepper freshly ground
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or dried thyme
1.5 cups feta cheese in ½ inch cubes

For the topping:

1 cup breadcrumbs
½ cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts

For garnish (optional):

Fresh thyme, or chopped chives or parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and prepare the vegetables.
Trim the edges of the butternut squash and peel it with a peeler. Slice it in half, scrape the seeds with a spoon and cut it in cubes.
Add the butternut squash, the sweet potato, the onion, the garlic, the olive oil, the salt and the black pepper to the baking dish.
Mix well until all the vegetables are coated well with the oil and bake in the oven for approximately 40-45 minutes or until fork tender (time will depend on oven and size of the casserole).
Gently stir the vegetables halfway through roasting.
In the meantime, add the breadcrumbs, the Parmesan, the olive oil and the pine nuts to a bowl and mix to combine.
When the vegetables are fork tender, take the casserole out of the oven and try to find the two garlic cloves and discard them (unless you want to eat them). After that, add the cubed feta and the thyme and very gently mix with a spoon.
Sprinkle the topping over the vegetables and return to the oven for additional 5-10 minutes or until the surface is golden brown. Take out of the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes and serve. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Notes

Sweet potato: any other sweet potato variety or even a Russet potato will do.
Pine nuts: You can substitute them with chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts.
Don't stir the squash to much inside the baking dish, especially during the end of baking, because once it's soft, it can become mushy very easily.
Turn on the broiler 2-3 minutes before you take the casserole out of the oven. It will make the topping golden brown and more crunchy. Just keep an eye on it because it can burn very quickly, especially the pine nuts.
If you have a slow oven you may have to increase the temperature to 425°F (220°C).

Homemade breadcrumbs: Put 1-2 slices of bread in the bowl of your food processor and you'll have homemade breadcrumbs in an instant! Slightly stale bread (1-2 days old) will crumble much better than a fresh loaf. You can also use crushed saltine crackers instead.

This recipe makes about 6-8 servings as a side dish and 4 servings as a vegetarian main.

Nutrition