CHILEAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH CASSEROLE
19 November 2006
meg — my recipe-searching partner-in-crime (we once spent an afternoon back-&-forthing about the perfect vegetarian stroganoff recipe) — sent me a link to this particular dish back in september, & i bought a squash right away to try it. i unfortunately couldn’t convince anyone to try it with me, & the squash languished unused & unloved, first on the counter, then in the produce bin in the fridge, till i finally threw it out last week b/c it was starting to look a little scary.
in the meantime, i’d discovered trader joe’s pre-cubed squash — the glory! the ecstasy! — & have made several squashy dishes on my own without worrying about losing fingers (always a big concern), & so finally the time was right to attempt this casserole.
INGREDIENTS
1 large butternut squash
1 cup chopped onions
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1-2 dash cayenne pepper
1 cup red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 cup green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
cut squash in half lengthwise & scoop out seeds. bake cut sides down at 425 degrees 45-50 minutes or until very soft at thick end. let squash cool & scrape out of the shell; mash as smoothly as you can. meanwhile, sauté onion, garlic, & spices in olive oil until onion is translucent. add peppers & salt, stir, cover, & leave on low heat 5 minutes.
preheat oven to 350 degrees. stir beaten eggs into mashed squash. add corn, sautéed vegetables, & grated cheddar; stir to mix well. bake 20 minutes covered; uncover & bake 20- 30 minutes more.
DEVIATIONS & OBSERVATIONS
i was initially planning to halve the recipe considering every time i mentioned wanting to try it, no one sounded all that thrilled about it, but as it turned out, we were expecting eight for dinner so i figured it’d be prudent to make up the whole recipe. i purchased more pre-cubed squash from trader joe’s (i know it sounds like a product placement, but seriously! best thing ever!!), but i neglected to purchase more bell peppers, so the casserole itself was a little sparse owing to this fact — & the fact that i hate corn in almost every capacity (including popped, excluding on the cob & in bread or muffin format) so i eliminated that right off the bat.
so instead of roasting the squash halves, i just plopped the squash cubes in the casserole dish with a little olive oil, covered it with foil, & cooked it at 400 degrees for a little over half an hour. i could then mash them up with a fork with no trouble at all.
if i hadn’t been so pressed for time, i probably would’ve let the squash cool a bit before adding the egg — as i knew it would start to cook after being added to such a hot dish — but i was STARVING & i knew everyone would be over in no time at all, so i did the best i could, mixed everything up quickly, & put it back in the oven before it even knew what hit it.
taste-wise, i thought it was a little bit eggy but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. i just haven’t been all that successful at finding a dish i think highlights the squashiness of squash. i knew the cumin/chili powder combination would be a little overpowering — & it was — but i’m at my wits’ end as far as coming up with subtle squash recipes.
it was still good, don’t get me wrong — in fact, we had no leftovers, & even daniel (a self-proclaimed squash-hater) tried it & said he’d eat it again if i made it! — it just wasn’t exactly what i was looking for.
“Chilean Butternut Squash Casserole” via megatron, modified from Moosewood’s recipe
