Fall is For Vegetables and Casseroles

Warm, hearty and nutritious, vegetable casseroles are a wonderful way to use your autumn garden or Farmers Market fresh load. For most of these recipes you can substitute whatever fall vegetables you have on hand, and you can always add try it with shrimp or chicken.

Mixed Fall Vegetable Casserole

(This one looks just like a Thanksgiving table)
 

2 Shallots, thinly sliced

1 Yellow Onion, diced

1 cup Celery, diced (around 5 stalks)

1 Gala Apple, cubed

⅓ cup Dried Cranberries

1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped

½ tsp. Fresh Thyme, chopped

Black Pepper, to taste

4 c Butternut Squash, cut into ½” cubes

16 oz. Brussels Sprouts cut in half

½ cup Pecans, chopped

1 1/2 cups Veggie Broth

Preheat oven to 375F.  Add ⅓ cup of Vegetable Broth to a large pot along with the Shallots, Onion, and Celery; cook over medium heat until translucent.

Add the Gala Apple, Cranberries, Rosemary, Thyme, Salt, and Black Pepper to the pot. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the apples are tender. Add the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts to the pot and mix well

Place a thin layer of Vegetable Broth in the base of a 9”x13” Casserole tray, then add in the vegetable medley from the pot. Pour the remaining vegetable broth on top of the vegetables, thensprinkle the chopped Pecans over the top of the mixture.

Bake at 375 for 45 min; if you’d like your vegetables to be more crispy (I like mine a little more crispy) on the top layer, you can broil them on HIGH for 5 or so minutes afterward. Serve warm, and store any leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.

Fast and Easy Fall Vegetable Casserole

1 large onion (diced)

3 cups mixed fall vegetables cut into bite-size pieces (carrots, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup Low Fat Plain Yogurt

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Preheat oven to 325°. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and vegetables in oil for 15-20 minutes.

Place cooked vegetables in a colander to drain excess moisture and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cheddar cheese and fold together.  Fold in vegetables.

Pour into casserole dish and cover with breadcrumbs, press down on top of casserole to even out. Bake for 25-35 minutes.

Chicken, Quinoa and Sweet Potato Casserole 

(Adapted from Eating Well)
 

4 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon canola oil

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders

2 cups chopped seeded poblano chiles

½ cup thinly sliced shallots

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 cups unsalted chicken broth

1½ cups quinoa

⅓ cup white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ cup crumbled queso fresco

¼ cup fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Place sweet potatoes and water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; pierce a few holes in the top with a fork. Microwave on High for 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 1-inch strips.

Add poblanos, shallots and garlic to the pan and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add broth, quinoa, wine, salt, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the sweet potatoes and chicken.

Spoon the mixture into a 7-by-11-inch (or similar-size) broiler-proof baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven; increase oven temperature to broil. Uncover the casserole and sprinkle with cheese. Broil 8 inches from the heat source until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 8, each serving contains:  Calories 349, Fat 11 g, Fiber 5 g, Carbohydrates 39 g, Protein 23 g, Cholesterol 83 mg, Sodium 432 mg.  

Baked Onion Casserole

1 tablespoon butter 

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cups vertically sliced onion (about 3 large)

4 cups thinly sliced leek

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup dry white wine or white wine vinegar

2 cups 1% low-fat milk

6 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Cooking Spray

1/3 cup whole wheat Panko

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat.  Add butter and oil; cook 1 minute or until butter is foamy. Add onion, leek and thyme; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Sprinkle with salt; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally (do not allow onion to brown).  Add wine; bring to a boil.  Cook 5 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.  Combine milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture, pepper, and nutmeg to pan; return to a boil.  Simmer 5 minutes or until mixture thickens.  

Spoon onion mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.