Happy Friday, everyone! I’m rushing around like a crazy person this morning – just got back from class and am trying to finish packing for Spain – which better happen soon considering my flight is in a few hours.
So the other day I posted a teaser photo of a Butternut Squash Quinoa Gratin that I made for our very girly and early Thanksgiving dinner.
I had every intent on posting this recipe yesterday, but it turned out that life had other plans… I went for a run with Anne before class, worked at the office for a few hours and then got carried away with finishing up some assignments, doing laundry and getting organized for my trip. I forget there are so many last minute things to wrap up before vacation!
This gratin is a healthful and delicious combo of butternut squash, mushrooms, spinach, quinoa, eggs, Gruyere cheese and a couple herbs and spices.
I started out by sauteing the butternut squash in a large pan along with a little cinnamon, cloves and olive oil. After 5 minutes or so, I added sliced mushrooms, rosemary, thyme, garlic and salt and sauteed everything for another 5 minutes – just until I could see the flavors starting to mix.
I removed the veggies from the heat and put them in a large bowl, to which I added the cooked quinoa, baby spinach, vegetable broth, beaten eggs, and some of the Gruyere cheese. Once everything got a good stir,
I transferred the mixture into a lightly oiled baking dish which I covered and popped into the oven. After 35 minutes, I sprinkled the rest of the Gruyere on top and popped the gratin under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the top started to brown.
The girls and I gobbled up almost this entire dish in one sitting! The rest I had with leftover chicken, twice, and I still love it as much as the first time.
This would make a great side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, if you’re looking for ideas! Here’s the recipe
Serves ~6
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa (~1/2 cup dry)
- 3-4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- ¾ cup shredded Gruyere cheese (~3 ounces), divided
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried or fresh
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Preheat oven to 375F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add butternut squash, cinnamon, cloves and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and sautee another 5-7 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, eggs, vegetable broth, spinach, veggies, brown sugar, ½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese and mix well until thoroughly combined. Add mixture to a lightly olive oiled baking dish (medium-sized) and bake, covered, for 35 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining ¼ cup Gruyere on top, and finish by broiling on high for the last 3-5 minutes, until top is slightly browned.
Serve hot, warm or room temperature.
I’ll be sure to check in and say hola once I arrive in Spain. Have a great start to your weekends!
Fantastic combination of ingredients. I’m a big quinoa fan. This recipe is a keeper!
looks delish! will definitely give it a try :) have a lovely trip!
This is my first visit to your blog…I came over from FANNEtastic Anne’s blog. I have a butternut squash on hand that I was going to use for soup, but I can’t wait to try this recipe instead. It looks delicious. Thanks for posting.
This looks AWESOME! Safe travels and have a wonderful trip…