Today is Family Day here in BC, and what a glorious day it is. A few years ago it was decided that we needed another stat holiday to break up the long stretch between Christmas and Easter, and thus, Family Day was born.
There’s something about sleeping in on a Monday that’s just so fantastic. I think the plan for today is to spend some quality time with Parker – maybe a long hike or a trip to the dog park – and then hopefully he’ll be tired enough to let me do some baking and cooking.
I spend a good part of last week cooking and baking things to take over to my mum, who just had a hip replacement. She’s such a trooper, hobbling around in her little home with her little walker (forgive me, mum, for admitting you’re using a walker). Don’t worry, mum! You’ll ditch that walker and be back to hopping around again before you know it! It might be hard now, but every day will get a little better. Come summer time you’ll be running laps through the neighbourhood.
This casserole bake was included in the care package I sent over, which ended up being so tasty I had to make a post for it. I wanted to make something healthy, yet comforting. Something that would cheer her up, fill her with veggies, but still be super easy to reheat, requiring little effort (and little movement!) on her part.
Hearty, roasted butternut squash, fresh cauliflower, crispy bacon and hints of fresh rosemary, all tossed together with some nutty quinoa and gooey, melty cheese.
I was originally going to make this with pasta, but I saw the quinoa in the pantry and thought I’d try it out. I really do love quinoa – it’s a grain trend I can get on board with – especially when it’s in something like this. It’s such a cozy, comforting meal, and you wouldn’t even guess that you’re eating tons of veggies and healthy grains.
This is a great dish to prepare ahead of time, then when you’re ready to dig in just pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes until it has warmed through and the cheese has melted.
I’m going to be making this again quite soon! Since I sent this off to my mum after only a couple bites, I definitely need a hearty dish of this to use for leftovers and cozy weeknight dinners.
| Roasted Butternut Squash & Cauliflower Quinoa Bake with Bacon | | Print |
- 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
- 8 bacon slices, chopped into small pieces
- 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
- 1 cup quinoa
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- ¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
- ⅓ cup (1½ ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- Fresh rosemary, to serve (optional)
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil; oil well. Place butternut squash on one sheet and the cauliflower on the other. Drizzle olive oil, ½ tsp of the salt, rosemary, pepper, chili flakes over the veggies, toss to coat, then bake 30-35 minutes until softened and browned. Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl.
- Increase oven temperature to 450°. Lightly grease a 8x8-inch baking dish; set aside.
- Cook the bacon in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it starts to brown. Add shallots and cook another 5-10 minutes until bacon is crispy. Transfer to the bowl with the veggies.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Drain well.
- In the previously used skillet, combine flour and remaining ½ teaspoon salt over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add provolone, stirring until melted. Add milk mixture and quinoa to the veggie bowl, tossing well to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and sprinkle evenly with Parmesan. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese on top melts and begins to brown. Serve with fresh rosemary if desired.
I can’t wait to try this! It looks AMAZING and has many of my favorite ingredients(: Thank you for sharing!
Thanks, Remi! Let me know how you like it!
I’m making this tonight for dinner! I pinned it last week and have been dying to try it. I’m hoping my husband will like it because there is bacon 😉
Let me know how you like it! It tastes like a creamy cheesy casserole so I’m guessing it’ll be a hit. (Plus, you can never go wrong with bacon!)
I love it!!! Having leftovers for lunch! Hubby wasn’t a huge fan…BUT he doesn’t have the greatest pallet to begin with. lol More for me!
That’s awesome, thanks so much for the feedback! I’m sad to hear your hubby didn’t quite care for it, but hey, if it means more for you then maybe it’s for the best 😉
Do you think this could be made without the quinoa? I already have several dishes with it as an ingredient.
Hi Julia, you could try this without quinoa, which will make it more of a vegetable casserole/side dish rather than a main. You could also try replacing the quinoa with another grain, such as couscous, rice, or even orzo.
Made this last night and it was dee-lish! It was a TON of prep but at least we will get a couple of additional meals out of it. We used fresh rosemary instead of dried and prosciutto as we didn’t have bacon on hand. Also added mucho chopped fresh spinach to the cheese sauce and cooked it down a bit before combining with the quinoa and roasted veg. Threw in a cup of toasted, chopped walnuts for crunch and it was a winner!
Glad you liked it, Sherry! Those sound like really tasty additions!
could you use almond milk?
Definitely! Just be aware that the almond milk might give it a slightly nutty taste.