Winter Vegetable Casserole And Herby Stuffing Bites

Winter Vegetable Casserole And Herby Stuffing Bites
4 from 1 ratings
This colorful casserole from Vicky’s vegetarian and gluten-free food blog makes root vegetables as attractive as summer’s best produce. As an added bonus, she tops the casserole with herbaceous bites of stuffing made with almonds. Click here for more of our best casserole recipes.
Servings
2
servings
Ingredients
  • 2 medium onions, sliced
  • 5 ounce butternut squash (about a quarter of a medium-sized squash), peeled and diced
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 heaping teaspoons dried sage
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 2 ounce organic almonds (about 50 almonds)
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 ounce butternut squash (about 1¼ cup), peeled and diced
  • 9 ounce cooked kidney or black beans (about 1 cup)
  • 6 sage leaves
  • 4 small sprigs of thyme
  • 4 tablespoon red lentils washed under cold, running water
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced
  • 7 ounce rutabaga (medium to large rutabaga), peeled and diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds
  • 1 medium leek, sliced
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2½ cup boiling water
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Gently heat about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan and then add the onion, butternut squash, and dried herbs and cook over a low heat until the vegetables are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.
  2. Grind the almonds in a food processor until they are slightly coarser than almond flour.
  3. Combine the cooked vegetables and ground almonds and season well with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper. Then, add the spinach and process well.
  4. Shape the mixture with your hands into six balls and place on an oiled baking sheet.
  5. Bake the stuffing bites for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the outside begins to firm. Once they’re cooked, set them aside until the casserole is almost cooked.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  7. Put the remaining 6 ounces of butternut squash, the rutabaga, carrots, leek, celery, and red onion into a casserole dish. Add the washed lentils and herbs and then pour in the boiling water and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  8. Place the lid on top of the casserole and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the water begins to boil. Then, turn the heat down to 325 degrees and continue cooking for one hour. Stir in the cooked beans and place the herby stuffing bites on top. Continue cooking the casserole a few minutes more until the vegetables are soft and the herby stuffing bites are warm.