The Winter Squash Casserole is a great dish for a vegetarian main or a wonderful side dish along with a roast chicken or lamb. The Maple and Pecan Streusel topping is the perfect combination of sweet and crunch for bursts of flavour in your mouth! It’s sure to be a crowd pleaser especially with the cold weather lingering around still. You could even make this dish in individual ramekins if you are wanting to serve it as a side dish and freeze a few to have on hand to serve another time.
Cinnamon Bark essential oil has a warm comforting aroma and creates a cosy and spicy touch to recipes.
TIP: You can use a mixture of nuts in this dish, however if you are nut sensitive, substitute it with pumpkin seeds and/or sunflower seeds. As a replacement for almond meal, you can use finely ground pumpkin seeds.
NOTE: For this recipe, you will need approx. 5 – 6 cups of uncooked squash pieces to make 4 cups of cooked puree – (you will need enough puree to cover the base of the casserole). As an alternative, you could also try using butternut squash or jap pumpkin. Peel the squash/pumpkin before cooking. Cooking time depends on how small you cut the pieces the smaller the pieces the faster they cook. Once cooked, drain it well and allow it to cool a few minutes and then blend in a food processor or mash well by hand. A few chunkier pieces add texture to the dish. If there is extra puree you can chill or freeze to use in other dishes. The puree is especially nice added to pancake batter, soups and smoothies.
Ingredients
- Casserole Filling Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked squash puree (see NOTE)
- 2 tbsp melted butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil
- ¼ cup maple syrup (to taste)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar (to taste)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt (to taste)
- ¼ cup coconut cream
- 2 drops Cinnamon Bark essential oil (to taste)
- 1 drop Nutmeg essential oil (optional, to taste)
- 1 drop Ginger essential oil (optional, to taste)
- Streusel Topping Ingredients
- ¾ cup rolled oats, gluten free oats or quinoa flakes
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup finely chopped almonds and/or macadamia nuts
- ½ cup almond meal (or finely ground almonds)
- ¼ tsp sea salt (to taste)
- ¼ cup melted butter, vegan butter or coconut oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar (to taste)
- 1 drop Cinnamon Bark essential oil (to taste)
- Optional For Serving
- Sour cream, cream fraiche or Greek yoghurt (or a dairy free option)
- Maple syrup to drizzle
Instructions
- 1. Cook the squash/pumpkin per method in the NOTE.
- 2. Preheat oven to 180C degrees and line a 20cm x 20cm baking dish (or whatever size you have…you’ll just need enough filling to make a layer and you can also use individual ramekins and fill them a little over halfway up with filling and then a layer of topping.
- 3. Place the cooked squash and butter in a processor and process until it forms a puree (it can be a little chunky, if you like) or you can place squash in a large bowl and mash by hand.
- 4. Then add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix, taste and add a little more maple syrup or culinary oils, if desired and set aside while you make the streusel topping.
- 5. To make the topping place all the streusel ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well to combine. Taste a little and add a little more maple syrup, if you would like more sweetness. Set aside until you are ready to make the casserole or refrigerate until ready to use.
- 6. To assemble the casserole, spoon the squash filling into your prepared baking dish and smooth forming an even base. Then evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over the filling and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes or until heated through and the topping is golden. If the topping starts to brown too quickly loosely cover with baking paper and continue baking. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
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