The holidays are the perfect time to test out new recipes. There are so many decadent dishes that I draw inspiration from and have fun recreating, but with my own healthy spin.
That’s how I came up with this delicious butternut squash stuffing.
I saw a recipe for “Paleo Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffing” on a cooking show that substituted sausage for bread-stuffing (since Paleos omit grains) and had butternut squash added in.
I had recently made a solid butternut squash dish with mushrooms and onion, and lots of earthy spices. I immediately thought, what a great idea it would be to combine MY butternut squash dish, omit the sausage idea, and replace it with GLUTEN FREE stuffing!
It would be a heartier side dish that’s much more interesting than the standard “vegetable” or “casserole” that I might make for the holidays and it would be a nice vegan alternative that’s actually nutritious.
A great concept, but how exactly would I execute it?
I picked up this Glutino Gluten Free Corn Bread Stuffing at Whole Foods. I made it according to the directions EXCEPT I added 3/4 cups of white onion and celery AND I omitted the eggs it called for and made two “flax eggs” using 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons of water, per egg (all you do is mix ground flaxseed and water, let it sit for 5 minutes, then add it to your dish). I also used vegetable broth, not chicken broth as it called for, to stick to my vegan plan.
I had no idea how this would turn out, but the stuffing (surprisingly) already had such great flavor built in, I knew it would make for a great start.
I also knew the butternut squash/mushroom/onion mixture I would be adding to the stuffing … would definitely be good.
I used this exact formula of veggies on my Butternut Squash Skillet Pizza recipe and it was awesome. (These veggies and squash are what topped the rice tortilla pizza along with some homemade cashew cheese. You should try it!)
But … how in the world would it taste when I married my butternut squash mixture, to a flax-egg, gluten-free stuffing?!?! (I’ll spare you anymore rhetoric …) It would, in fact, taste like a savory, hearty, rich side dish that ended up being a huge hit at our Thanksgiving gathering this year.
The sweetness of the butternut squash and onion, combined with the savory herbs in the stuffing and veggies, was the perfect balance of not only flavor, but texture.
This dish is loaded with vitamins and minerals, and has an unexpected dose of omega 3’s and fiber thanks to the flax eggs.
It’s the perfect complement to any main course. It’s not only delicious BUT incredibly healthy and now a new staple at our holiday dinners.
While this dish did take a little more time to make, it was well worth it. I did things in steps, so the process moved rather swiftly.
Basically, it’ll go like this: you’ll prepare and BAKE your cornbread stuffing, prepare and BAKE your butternut squash, SAUTÉ your onion and mushrooms in a frying pan, then combine all three together and serve. Easy enough, right?!
Here’s what you’ll need to make this amazing veggie-filled stuffing.
Savory Stuffing Ingredients:
One box Glutino Gluten Free Corn Bread
3/4 c . white onion
3/4 c. celery
2 flax eggs; 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 Tbsp water
vegetable broth (according to box)
olive oil (according to box)
2 Tbsp. of olive oil (to drizzle on top of cooked stuffing for added moisture, optional)
Butternut Squash Ingredients:
6 cups butternut squash (cubed)
2 cups portobello mushrooms (sliced)
1 small white onion (around 2 cups, sliced)
1 & 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1 & 1/2 tsp pink himalayan salt
4 tsp sage (finely chopped)
4 tsp rosemary (finely chopped)
1.5 Tbsp. olive oil (for frying pan)
*Additional 1/4 tsp of sage, rosemary & sea salt for mushroom/onion sautéed mixture (optional)
Directions:
1. Make your cornbread stuffing according to directions, add in fresh celery and onions and two flax eggs. Mix everything well then place stuffing in a 9 x 7 greased pan, pop it into the oven and cook. (*This pan will be what you serve your entire butternut squash stuffing in.)
2.While the stuffing is cooking, prepare your butternut squash. Cut the top and the bottom off the squash, hold the squash vertically and slice the skin off using a knife or a vegetable peeler. Go all the way around the squash until the skin is off. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, slice each half into long vertical strips, cut strips horizontally to make cubes. (You should get 3 cups of squash from one squash, whatever amount you do get will work though.)
3. Place cubed squash into a large mixing bowl, add finely chopped sage and rosemary, sea salt and olive oil. Toss lightly.
4. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet with coconut oil or grapeseed oil, roast squash 30 to 45 minutes, on 350 degrees until the squash is tender and lightly browned.
5. Lastly, sauté mushrooms and onions. Slice your mushrooms and onion, warm up a large skillet on stove with 1.5 Tbsp of olive oil, add mushrooms and onions, sauté until onions are translucent. **Sprinkle a little salt over mixture while cooking, you could also add in a little extra rosemary and sage, 1/4 tsp. of each, for additional flavor, totally optional.
6. By now your cornbread stuffing and squash will be cooked. Take your stuffing pan and layer on your mushroom and onion mixture, then top it off with the cooked butternut squash.
7. Gently toss the stuffing and squash together.
8. Serve immediately, or cover with foil and warm up the stuffing before serving, just remove foil first, heat for 8-10minutes.
Notes* You can use fresh or frozen butternut squash. I used an organic butternut squash bag from Costco, already cubed, it was easy and the flavor was fantastic.
*Flax eggs are a great option for someone who steers clear of dairy and animal protein, they have no real flavor, so it’s the perfect addition to a dish, especially one like this. Ener-G egg replacer is another egg-free option. It’s a white powder you add water to. I think it has a weird flavor though, and prefer the taste of ground flaxseed, plus its benefits.
*I mentioned adding additional seasoning to the mushroom/onion mixture, this is optional. It gives extra flavor to the dish, although you will combine it to the butternut squash which is already seasoned the same way. It all depends on how sage-y and rosemary-ish you want your stuffing. I’ve made it both ways and it tastes flavorful either way.
