This Healthy Squash Casserole is the perfect easy side dish to serve for any weeknight or holiday meal. Made with roasted butternut squash, apples and cranberries, this squash bake has just the right amount of sweetness and tartness to keep you running back for more! {vegan, gluten-free & paleo}
1tablespoontapioca starchcan also sub in regular flour or gluten-free flour, if preferred
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonground nutmeg
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel squash and apples. Dice squash into one inch cubes; slice the apples.
In a large bowl, mix together the squash, apples and cranberries.
Pour in maple syrup, coconut oil, tapioca, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg and toss to evenly distribute.
Place butternut squash apple mixture in ungreased 7x11-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes; toss to ensure all components are cooked evenly. Place back in oven, and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, or until squash and apples are tender when pierced with a fork.
Let the casserole cool for about 10-15 minutes to allow the liquid in the bottom of the dish to thicken slightly. Serve warm. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Notes
Avoid cutting the chunks of squash too large, or they won't finish cooking at the same time as the apple.
The cranberries tend to soften and burst while cooking. If you want your cranberries to stay more intact, add them in with the rest of the casserole in the last 20 minutes of cooking.
You’ll probably notice that when this bake comes out of the oven, there will be quite a bit of liquid at the bottom of the dish and that’s totally okay. Toss the squash, apples and cranberries so that they’re well coated in this mixture and then allow the dish to sit for about 10-15 minutes. This will give the mixture time to thicken slightly and caramelize. You can also drizzle some of the glaze on top of the squash casserole when dishing it out.
I highly recommend using the foil when baking the casserole as it helps prevent the liquid from evaporating and the casserole from drying out.
Bake the squash and apples until they’re tender enough that they can easily be pierced with a fork. This dish tastes best when everything is very tender and caramelized.