It may be fall but there’s not much of a chill in the air. In fact, the weather is unseasonably warm lately. I’ve heard this can ruin the potential for magnificent fall leaves–something about the cold nights being necessary for the colors changing, and we just haven’t had them. In fact, the other day I put Anders to bed in a diaper only. This is something typically only reserved for the summer months (and those nights when we don’t turn on the AC). But here it was, almost mid October, and he’s got the sweaty summer diapered-only body as he sleeps next to me. I’m not wishing the warm days away because I know winter is coming–can that be said without thinking of GOT?–but there’s also something lovely about lighting a spicy candle and wrapping yourself in a robe in the mornings. We’ll get there. Despite this, I’m still craving stews and roasted vegetables and when the temperature does dip below 60, I whip out the Dutch oven and turn on the stove. This time, it was for a perfect combination of sweet and savory in the form of a cheesy butternut squash casserole from Feeding a Family. This is one of the most beautiful cookbooks new to the cookbook scene. The way it’s written with full meal plans and by season makes it so enjoyable to flip through and also takes the guesswork out of your evening supper, summer BBQ, or family gathering. For instance, her summer party menu takes you straight from classic pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and quick pickled cucumbers to the frozen peaches ‘n’ cream cake to wrap it up. The stories are also great as are the pictures. Oh the pictures!
This dish checks all the boxes for the perfect fall or winter side dish. Actually, it’s substantial enough to be a main dish alongside a crusty loaf of bread or some sautéed greens. It’s cheesy and has that totally delicious crunchy browned top and is packed with onions and squash. It’s not overly fussy or time consuming as the oven does the majority of the work. Those onions came out caramelized, my friends.
cheesy butternut squash casserole
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the dish
3 medium yellow onions, peeled and quartered (it seems like a lot but they cook down to nothing!)
one 2 1/2 lb. butter nut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 t kosher salt
3/4 chicken broth
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 cups shredded Gruyere
2 1/2 t chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 t chopped fresh thyme
7 grinds black pepper
preheat the oven to 350 degrees. butter a casserole dish. thinly slice the onions. melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add the sliced onions, and saute until they’re soft and golden, about 8 minutes. add the squash and salt and cook for 5 more minutes.
transfer the vegetable mixture to the prepared pan. pour the broth over the squash and onions. cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. remove the casserole from the oven and increase oven temp to 400.
in a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, and spices. remove foil and sprinkle topping all over the casserole. return to oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes till top is golden and crisp. remove and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
*note: could sub sweet potatoes; i’m also imagining doing it with squash and macaroni and cheese (albeit going from healthy to less healthy…)
and now a giveaway for TWO of these cookbooks away, signed by sarah herself. enter and be merry.
here’s how (any of all of the following!): 01 // leave a comment sharing your favorite fall dish with me 02 // follow sarah on instagram here // 03 follow my facebook page (or comment if you’re already doing so!)
open to u.s. only.
that’s it! winner announced friday AM.
STEPHANIE SNYDER AND LAINEY ODEN ARE THE WINNERS. Woohoo! Email me, ladies!
Everytime it cools off I make Rhee Drummond’s soul taters. I modify the recipe a ton to cut some fat and sugar out, but still delicious. I eat it for dessert.
And I’m following on FB, too.
That looks delicious! I like simple easy recipes.
OOh this looks yummy and delicious and this cookbook looks wonderful!! Crossing my fingers to win – I follow you on your Facebook page already and am excited to connect with Sarah on her IG feed! 🙂 Thanks so much for the opportunity!
I can’t wait to try this!! (And I’d really love to win the book!)
Thank you for sharing! This looks amazing, I’m definitely going to try it!
I LOVE butternut squash, but I’ve never thought to use it with cheese. Sounds intriguing and worth a try!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Favorite fall dish has to be pot roast – made on the weekend low and slow in a Dutch oven and then we partake throughout the week (it’s just me and my husband for now so we can make it last). I generally do a mixture of beef broth and red wine for the liquid and it makes me feel terrifically sophistoced to splash in the wine.
I follow the fb page and my favorite fall dish is pot roast, i can’t bring myself to make it and eat it during the hot days of summer but its perfect in the fall.
Oh yay!! I love SOUP in the fall. Seriously. Any kind of soup. But right this moment I’m looking forward to baked potato soup…with Bacon…YUM! Already following you on Facebook!
Looks delicious! I could use some new family-friendly recipes… I’m totally in the mode of cooking the same things over and over these days!
This looks delicious! I’m always on the search for new recipes and cookbooks that can help get dinner on the table for my house of hungry boys. My favorite fall dish that is on the weekly rotation as soon as the weather cools is Shepard’s Pie: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_shepherds_pie/
I often substitute the fresh veggies for bags of frozen and make the entire recipe in a big cast iron skillet that goes right into the oven. An easy, filling crowd pleaser that makes great leftovers to pack in a thermos the next day for school lunches 🙂
This looks amazing! Thanks for the chance to win!
Plum Sauce on Oatmeal (It’s beautiful besides being delicious)
Chili with our home-stewed tomatoes has always been our most anticipated cold weather dish! I already follow on FB. 🙂
Fall favorite is pumpkin alfredo & sausage penne pasta. So easy and yummy. (And my kids even eat it!)
Chili is our family favorite, but we add carrots and sweet potato for more veggies. With sour cream and chives on top, corn chips on the side it can’t be beat. Thanks for the chance to win!
I love this side dish https://peasandcrayons.com/2014/11/honey-roasted-butternut-squash-cranberries-feta.html
The flavors of each ingredient are just so good together!
And I’m following you on Facebook and Sarah on Instagram!
Martha Stewart’s Spicy Squash Pasta! So good!
I love this side dish during the fall! https://peasandcrayons.com/2014/11/honey-roasted-butternut-squash-cranberries-feta.html
The flavors are just so good together!
I follow you on facebook and Sarah on Instagram!
Following Sarah on Instagram now.
And I follow you on FB.
Thanks for a chance to win!
My fall go to’s are Ina Gartens minestrone soup, chicken tortilla soup from Fix It and Forget It and a recipe for cranberry meatballs and rice….I just moved and need to unpack in order to find my recipe for that one!
I follow you on FB!
Butternut squash soup with a little curry powder – it’s our favorite fall time dish!
I love big bowls of stew in the fall – any kind works! And crusty bread. And I follow you on Facebook ?
We love chicken chili with butternut squash. Lots of flavor, super filling and the kids love it too! Always a win!
fav dish to make is a tie between smitten kitchen’s baked ziti and a spicy squash soup =)
Beef stew is hands down my favorite fall meal! Though I’m also loving crockpot turkey chili 🙂
Also – I follow your facebook page! (should this be a separate comment?)
I love to do Betty Crochet Mac and Cheese on Sundays as a side dish, this looks like it might be a better healthier change.
Favorite fall dish currently Bahn Mi Rice Bowls. Also following YOU all over the place and Sarah on IG too. ❤️
i love brussel sprouts sauteed with onion, then topped with dried cranberries, pistachios and parm. i add extra pepper to mine. following sarah on insta!
I have so many favorite autumn dishes! I really love stuffed acorn squash and butternut squash tacos best!
My favorite fall dish is broccoli cheddar soup and a crusty bread bowl. I love making the soup most. My husband is not a big soup eater, so I make bread bowls from scratch so that I don’t feel as guilty for serving something he’s not a fan of.
Oh, I also follow Sarah and your FB page!
Fall is my absolute favorite cooking season so it’s hard to pick just one! Maybe chili with homemade corn bread… or beef stew that’s cooked all day. Also really love wild rice stuffed Cornish game hens ?.
Already following on Facebook!
All the soups! My favorite is sweet potato soup or a chicken tortilla soup!
Following you on facebook already.
My favorite fall dish is totally butternut & apple soup – roasted, salty/sweet and delicious!
I’m following sarah on IG and you on FB 🙂 (Missy Moore and @iammissymoore)
My favorite fall dish is broccoli cheddar soup. I love having a pot simmering to warm the house! I am already following Sarah’s Instagram and am now following your Facebook page. Thank you!!
All kind of soups! Chili, chicken noodle.
My favorite fall dish is roasted pork loin marinated in a honey Dijon mixture with cinnamon apples on the side. The best!
My favorite fall dish is called “Gold Rush Chili” from the blog fatfreevegan.com. Despite being fat free and vegan, it’s SO rich and hearty and tastes amazing! It’s also heavy on the butternut squash and perfect for cool evenings.
This looks so delicious! I am definitely going to try it. Fave fall dish? I have so many! Cream of broccoli soup, chili, shepherd’s pie….anything in a crock pot, really. Now I’m hungry! 🙂
My favorite fall dishes are either making a yummy chili, either white chili, or regular, on a Sunday while we watch football or movies, and letting it simmer all day long on the stove. I usually just throw whatever I have together in a pot, any beans we have on hand, and my own mix of spices depending on our mood. I also LOVE making a chicken pot pie the same way. I usually keep refrigerated pie crust on hand just in case the mood strikes. And I throw in any frozen veggies, fresh onion, mushrooms, chicken stock, gravy, always peas and carrots, and top it off with a generous handful of grated cheese. It screams fall to me!
This!!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/israeli-couscous-with-apples-cranberries-and-herbs-recipe-1947611
It’s equally delicious eaten warm and fresh or right out of the fridge a few days later. And it’s easy too!
I love me some chili, any variation! With lots of cheese!!
This recipe looks amazing. Definitely blog commenting more often 😉 Also, following on fb already, and following sarah now! XO
I love chili in the fall! A few weeks ago I made my own recipe for pumpkin, sweet potato sausage chilli with a variety of beans! I adore you and follow you on Instagram and Facebook and would be absolutly ecstatic to recipe your amazing cookbook.
Swiss Chard Onion Quiche
http://apassionateplate.com/swiss-chard-onion-quiche/
Chicken and wild rice soup!
I make a turkey chili with sage and butternut squash that has become a classic in my house. I’ll often make extra, freeze the leftovers, and we’ll eat it a few weeks later for an easy dinner. https://www.foodiecrush.com/craving-roasted-butternut-squash-and-turkey-chili/
I love this side dish in the fall and winter – Tee’s Corn Pudding http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tees-corn-pudding-1
Totally not the healthiest dish but so cozy on a cold night.
Cheesy potato soup (or really any soup for that matter – ALL THE SOUP! 🙂 )
I follow you on FB, and now I follow Sarah on Insta – her cookbook looks like a must have for my family of 5!
This looks amazing. Definitely going to try it out this fall. My favorite fall dish also includes butternut squash. Butternut squash soup topped with bacon crumbles and cheese is delicious!
I love pioneer woman’s apple sauce recipe. Every year when we go up to the farms for pumpkins we get a big box of apples so I can make several batches. It makes a great side when served with pork chops as well!
PS already following your facebook page!
Dark Ale Braised Chicken with Root Vegetables. I found the recipe in Southern Living a few years ago. Is my favorite go to fall recipe.
The aroma alone makes you salivate. Omg, it’s to die for.
I love making a creamy white chili, especially when it cools down.
Chicken Adobo is our current fave Fall/Winter meal – I think we use a williams sonoma recipe – super easy, just throw it in the crockpot and serve over rice. We’re actually having it tonight!
I’m in love with cookbooks and this one looks marvelous. Excited to check it out!
Oh, and did all the following 😉
I love this cookbook! I actually already have it, but would love to win one for a friend. I actually made two of the recipes from the book today. The lentil chard soup, which I am trying for the first time and the falafels which I have made several times and the family loves. Try the savory dutch baby with cheddar and apples, yummy and easy. oh, and I have made the peanut butter cookies several times, but with almond butter. Yum!
I am anxious for some cooler fall weather here on Cape Cod too. Soon as the temps dip, my favorite breakfast recipe is baked oatmeal from 101cookbooks.com.
https://food52.com/blog/7047-low-risk-high-reward-heidi-swanson-s-blueberry-baked-oatmeal
and the coconut version, though I sub frozen raspberries
https://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/coconut-baked-oatmeal-recipe.html
We like stuffed cabbage and polenta …thank you.
This looks sooo good!! I love anything with a bechemel type sauce in the cold weather. I end up making macaroni and cheese a lot, with different vegetables mixed in — kale is so good in it, with sliced tomatoes on top!
In fall I love to make apple dapple cake. It’s. It for dinner, but it could be… 😉
I follow on Facebook too!
Oh we love squash in our house- totally going to make this! One of our favorite fall dishes is brussle sprouts gratin, made with bacon and gruyere… so decadent!
I love this butternut squash soup from alexandra cooks! It is so easy to make, can easily be doubled to serve a crowd or freeze some for later. Be sure to make the herbed flatbread to go with it (I just use a store bought pizza dough). Everyone I’ve made it for has asked for the recipe!
http://alexandracooks.com/2014/10/21/butternut-squash-and-cider-soup-served-with-rosemary-and-sage-flatbread/
My favorite fall dish (and my husband’s!) is a sweet potato, sausage, apple bake. It’s warm and delicious and seasoned with rosemary and maple syrup.
Our go to for fall is chilli, but we’ve also been loving a salsa verde chicken and butternut squash casserole. soooooooo good!
Also following in FB!
Looks amazing! I love a pork, apple and squash bake from my childhood, and my kids live it too. Mace is the secret ingredient.
This looks amazing! You had me at “squash”. I would love to win one of Sarah’s books. Done, done and done.
I love a huge bowl of homemade vegetable soup with cornbread once the cool weather gets here! Just seems so hearty and cozy. I cant wait for Fall….it was a hot, muggy 91 here in Ga today!
Oh, and I followed you on FB…not sure why I wasn’t already. And never commented even though I’ve been reading for years. I’m also one who feels all the feels, especially with motherhood, so your words resonate with me quite often. I just never know what to comment so I just nod along and lurk around your blog like a creeper, I guess:)
Anything with roasted veggies: potatoes, onions, leeks, carrots, squash- anything. I had my first roasted delicata squash tonight (from a Blue Apron box) and it was amazing. Needless to say, I’m no longer just buying them for their decorative purposes. 🙂
I also follow on Facebook.
Looks delicious! I love chili in the fall with sour cream and cheese on top. Can’t bring myself to make any other time. Thanks for giving me a chance to win Sarah’s book.
Also following Sarah on Instagram and Facebook.
My favorite fall comfort food to make is soup, usually an Italian bean vegetable soup. I love using all the bountiful fresh vegetables from our local farmer.
My favorite fall dish is Cheesy chicken broccoli and rice casserole. I follow you on facebook Stephanie Phelps and instagram @gmom2paisley.
What a great giveaway! My husband lived in Prague after college, so we always look forward to making goulash when the weather suits. So good, and full of memories.
I was drawn to this post because it is a butternut squash recipe. I cook with it throughout fall and winter, my favorite recipe being a butternut squash and sausage stuffed shells by Rachel Schultz. Yum yum!!
I dont do much baking but fall means that its time for pumpkin apple muffins! Would love this cookbook!
We love potato leak soup. Maybe because we served it at our wedding but it ranks at the top of our soup list! And I already follow you on facebook 🙂
I love making chicken stew in the fall. Basically a deconstructed chicken pot pie with white wine in the gravy served with biscuits! This cookbook looks amazing.
I’m following Sarah on Instagram
My favorite fall/winter dish is beef bourguignon served with some crusty sourdough that is toasted and then rubbed with a piece of cut garlic. To.die.for!
I absolutely love a good bowl of Chicken Soup in the fall… with a tortilla (it’s a Mexican thing 🙂 )
My go to fall meals are chili and apple crisp! I love anything with butternut squash, so I will have to try this. Followed both! 🙂
Love making chili in the fall.
I
Love roasting fresh pumpkin seeds in fall
This looks like a lovely cookbook.