I have something for you! No, it’s not a giant egg laid by Eagle Man on top of your car (Do yourself a favor and click the link 😉) It’s your new holiday side! That’s right, buck tradition this year, in fact, buck this whole year! Make something new, interesting and delicious, my Orzo Rosemary & Sage Butternut Squash Casserole is all that (and a bag of chips)! You won’t be sorry!
This has been the longest and the fastest year! It’s Thanksgiving on Thursday, the world is in shambles, people have lost their minds (so many people) and it seems like we are in the movie Groundhog’s Day (only real life…). One thing that is certain though, is it really is Thanksgiving on Thursday. That’s about all that is certain, well that and I have a new, hip and hearty side dish for you! Tons o’ familiar T-day flavors, all mashed up in a totally different way. If you are going to deviate from your old tried and true, this is the year to do it. Carpe Diem, the S* out of it, take a chance, be adventurous and switch up your Thanksgiving side! 😊
This is easy to make and can be made and assembled the night before or make the components separate and assemble on bake day. Whatever your little heart desires. So, instead of potatoes this year or rice or salad (does anyone even ever eat the salad?) go with this winner. It’s orzo pasta, gruyere cheese, butternut squash and shrooms roasted in spiced maple rosemary glaze, dried cranberries, chopped chestnuts, sage, parsley and breadcrumb top oh my! It’s the frickin’ holidays in a casserole dish, what more could you want or need? But trust me when I say, it’s damn good!
The mapley rosemary roasted butternut squash and shrooms add that “meatyness” sans meat (and sans disgusting fake meat 🙂 ).
Toss it all together, look at those pretty fall colors! Then just dump in your casserole dish.
Don’t forget that breadcrumb topping! Adds the right amount of texture and a punch of additional flavor!
Fresh, hot and toasty (my nickname in college 😉 ) out of the oven!
Mmm, the cranberries, onions, chestnuts and cheese oh my!
See that gruyere glisten. Just the right amount of cheese. This dish is hearty, not heavy! You won’t feel weighed down by this one. I can’t help you on all the other things you consume!
No matter what your Thanksgiving looks like this year, it will look a whole hell of a lot better with this dish on your table! Bonus, if it’s only you, leftovers for days on days on days! Who cares, we haven’t changed out of our stretchy pants for the past 8 months. You have been training for this and you deserve this. Make my Orzo Rosemary & Sage Butternut Squash Casserole for all the Holidays, or Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays…
Happy Weekending & Bucking It!
- 4 cups cooked orzo (from 16oz box)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil separated
- 4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (save yourself time and "squash fingers" and buy pre-cut)
- 8 to 12oz of baby bella mushrooms quartered
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 to 6oz shredded gruyere
- 2 cloves of grated garlic
- ½ tsp. cayenne separated
- ¼ tsp. mace separated (can sub nutmeg)
- ¼ tsp. allspice separated
- ½ tsp. cardamom separated
- ½ tsp. cumin separated
- 1 tsp. salt separated
- few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ¾ cup measured whole chestnuts (then rough chopped)
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
- 1 tbsp. fresh chopped sage
- 3 tbsp. fresh chopped Italian parsley
- 2 eggs beaten
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- Breadcrumb topping:
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp. grated pecorino Romano cheese (can sub parmesan)
- ½ tsp. salt
- few grinds of black pepper
- ¼ tsp. cayenne
- ½ tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. dried rosemary
- 1 tsp. dried parsley
- pinch of mace (or nutmeg)
- olive oil spray
- Roast the Butternut Squash & Mushrooms:
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl add the maple syrup and half of the all the spices. Mix and stir in the rosemary.
- Dump the squash and mushrooms in the bowl and toss to coat. Make sure they are all coated. Dump the squash and mushrooms onto the prepared pan and bake on middle rack for 25 to 30 minutes. Until the squash is just fork tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While the veggies are roasting, make the orzo per the instructions on the box. Once done drain and rinse with cold water. You want to stop the cooking (should be al dente). Add 1tbsp. olive oil and toss to coat so it doesn't stick together. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, add the other 1 tbsp. of the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until beginning to soften and turn translucent. About 4-5 minutes. Add the other half of the spices to the onions and toss to coat. Cook the spices for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the grated garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Assemble the Casserole:
- Reduce oven temp to 375
- Spray a 1.5 to 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl add the orzo and sautéed onions and mix to combine. Add the roasted veggies, cranberries, chestnuts, cheese, sage and parsley. Toss to combine.
- Dump mixture into the casserole dish. Mix together the eggs and the heavy cream and pour over the top of the casserole.
- Make the Breadcrumb Topping:
- In a medium bowl, mix all the topping ingredients together. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Spray the topping with olive oil and bake on the middle rack in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and you can hear the casserole bubbling.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit at room temp for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Enjoy!
- Make ahead:
- The casserole can be made up to the egg and cream mixture the night before and stored covered in the fridge overnight. Add the egg/cream mixture and breadcrumb topping before baking.
- Also the components of the dish can be made the day ahead and the casserole can be assembled the next day to bake.
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