An easy cheesy squash side dish that covers the stuffing (think cornbread) and vegetables all in one creamy dish. Great to accompany the big holiday meal.
20ozfrozen cubed or mashed butternut squashor use 1 medium butternut squash, cubed & cooked (see notes for cooking instructions)
3Tablespoonsbutter, divided
3Tablespoonspine nuts
1Tablespoonlight olive oil
½large onion, chopped
1 ½teaspoonschopped fresh sage or ½ teaspoon dried sage
18ozpkg pre-cooked polenta roll or 2 cups cooked
4ozSmoked Gouda
½cupParmesan cheese, grated, divided
Salt & pepper to taste
½-1cupmilk (optional)(the addition of milk with the precooked polenta roll will make the casserole creamier.)
Instructions
Cook butternut squash as directed on package. Place cooked butternut squash in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon butter. Mash coarsely.
In a medium skillet, toast pine nuts until they become fragrant and start to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and chop coarsely.
To the skillet, add olive oil and heat. Add onions and sage, cover, and cook until onions are browned and translucent, about 15 minutes, stirring often. If onions start to stick and dry out, add a little water.
Prepare large casserole dish by spraying with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine squash, pine nuts, onions, polenta, Gouda and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese. Salt & pepper to taste. Note: Add milk here, if desired, for a creamier casserole.
Pour into prepared casserole dish and pat down, spreading to edges. At this point you can place into the refrigerator to firm up. (I found if I cooked polenta from scratch this needed to be done, with the precooked polenta it wasn't necessary)
When you are ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove polenta-squash casserole from refrigerator.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter and brush across the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for 1 hour.
Top will be crisp and lightly browned. Let sit for 20 minutes to make cutting easier.
Notes
TO COOK FRESH BUTTERNUT SQUASHWash, peel, and remove seeds from squash then cut into cubes. Place cubed squash in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender.