Butternut Squash, Cheese and Apple Casserole

This delicious butternut squash and cheese dish is an old recipe that I’ve had in my recipe box since I was a teenager. It’s a very retro approach to creating meals with bread and eggs, called strata. It was developed, I suspect, by frugal homemakers of old who were looking for a way to use day old bread so that they didn’t have to throw it out. 

As I’ve mentioned before, I really like winter squash, both by itself, and as an addition to various recipes. We eat all kinds of this brightly colored vegetable for its great nutritional value and naturally sweet flavor, but when I’m adding it to other dishes, I typically use the butternut variety. And when I do, I peel and dice it, as I describe in my blog post here.

Occasionally, I find a bargain in the frozen vegetable section of the grocery store and snag a bag of pre-diced squash for less per pound than the cost of a fresh squash in the produce section. That can save quite a bit of time and effort.

It's a practice I recommend for every busy cook. 

However, it’s been my general experience that the frozen squash does not match the flavor of the fresh, so I do recommend using the fresh whenever you can, and particularly if it's cheaper. It’s a bit of prep work, but I think it’s worth the trouble.

Still, with lifestyles as busy as they are, it's important for people to incorporate techniques and shortcuts to keep meals realistic and practical.

​Using the frozen, pre-cut squash makes this already straightforward recipe an absolute breeze -- about as simple as you can get. 

If you do use fresh squash for this recipe, you need to partially cook it beforehand, so I recommend following Method 2 mentioned in my squash prep blog and as briefly described below. This method really does ease some of the effort in this chore and shortens the cooking time in the bargain.  

One of the lovely things about strata is its ease of preparation.  Another one is the virtually limitless variation that is possible. Strata can be served as a breakfast meal, a lunch meal, or as a dinner meal. They can be served with meat, or vegetarian, with a range of vegetables, or with none. You can pretty much make up whatever suits your fancy, and chances are, it’ll be fine.

Here I offer two different versions, one quite spicy, and one much milder. The spicy one is an adaptation for those members of my family who prefer a bit of bite in their food.  You can take your pick of the spices you would like to add.

This is another dirt cheap recipe. Squash is at its cheapest price in the cooler months, which makes it a perfect time to use it in recipes. This one makes 8-12 servings, depending on appetites, and the total cost, even with eggs up substantially in price these days, is only about $8. That’s $1 or less per serving. With a tossed green salad on the side, cost goes up to only about $1.50 per person.  
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Here's the recipe:

Cheesy Butternut Squash and Apple Casserole (Strata)
Makes 8-12 servings
Prep Time – Approx. 20 minutes
Start to Finish Time – Approx. 75 minutes
Recipe Cost – Approximately $8
Total per Person Meal Cost with Salad – Approximately $1.50

Ingredients (Mild Flavor):
 
8-10 eggs
3 cups of milk
½ pound of cheddar cheese, or cheese of your choice
                 -OR-
2 cups pre-grated cheddar cheese
6-8 slices whole wheat bread (or bread of your choice, to make about 4-5 cups of cubed bread)
¼ cup oil
1-2 pounds of butternut squash to make 3-4 cups of cubed squash (a little more is fine)
                 -OR-
1 pound of frozen, diced or cubed butternut squash
1 large apple (optional)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
 
 Ingredients (Spicy Taste):
 
Same as above, except for the substitution of the spices:
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons paprika
3 teaspoons ground chili
2 teaspoons chipotle  
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

Fresh Squash Prep: 

1. Wash the squash and pierce it all over with a sharp knife or fork.
2. Place the squash in the microwave and microwave on medium high (6-7 power) for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove it from the oven and let it cool while you move onto the rest of the meal. 
4. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, peel it, remove the stems, cut it in half, and scoop out the seeds. 
5. Cut the squash into cubes about ½-inch in size and set aside in a large mixing bowl. 

Recipe continues after photos.

Frozen Squash Prep:  

1. Put the squash in a covered, microwavable dish.
2. Microwave on medium power for about 3 minutes.
3. Stir and set aside in a large, mixing bowl. 

Recipe continues after photos. 

Putting it Together:

1. Generously oil the sides and bottom of a 9x11 casserole pan,using a napkin or paper towel dipped in oil.
2. Stack several slices of the 6-8 slices of bread together and cut them into cubes about 1 inch in size to make about 4 cups. A little more or less is fine, too.
3. Add the 1/4 cup of oil to a mixing bowl. Dump the bread cubes into the oil and toss well with a spoon until the bread is coated.
4. Spread the coated bread on the bottom of the oiled pan.
5. Grate the cheese to make 2 cups.
6. Spread about ½-1 cup of the cheese over the bread cubes in the bottom of the pan. This is optional, or you can simply use all the cheese as topping. 
7. Wash the optional apple and slice it off the core. Slice it into thin strips, and then crosswise into small pieces, about ⅛-inch in size.
8. Spread the diced apples and the diced squash over the bread cubes in the casserole dish. 
9. Beat the 8-10 eggs and the 3 cups of milk together with a whisk until they are frothy. Add all the seasonings and beat together well.
10. Pour the egg and spice mixture over the bread, squash and apples in the casserole.
11. Top with the remaining 1-1½  cup of cheese.
12. Cover the casserole with foil and place it in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Set a timer to reminder yourself. 
13. When the timer goes off, remove the foil, turn the and continue cooking the casserole for another 15 minutes or so to allow it to brown a little.  Again, set a timer to remind you to check it at that point. 
14. The casserole is done when a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
15. Serve the casserole with a tossed green salad for a lovely fall or winter meal.  

Variation: If you are using bread that is actually stale – or if you just want to try a slightly different method – here’s an approach I recommend: instead of putting a layer of bread on the bottom of the pan, simply add the bread cubes to the egg and milk mixture, along with the cubed squash and the cut up apples, and half the cheese, and toss it all together. Then pour the whole thing into the oiled pan, and top with the remaining cheese.
 
Go ahead and give both ways a try to see which one you prefer.  
 
Enjoy!

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