This Squash Apple Cranberry Bake is the perfect side dish to serve for any weeknight or holiday meal. It 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
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonground nutmeg
1teaspooncinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel squash and apples. Dice squash into one inch cubes; slice the apples.
In a medium bowl, mix together squash, apples and cranberries.
Pour in maple syrup, coconut oil, tapioca, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon and toss to evenly distribute.
Place 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 pepper, to taste.
Notes
Be sure to cut the squash and apples in pieces that are around the same size so that everything finishes cooking at the same time.
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.