The holidays give you a great opportunity to amaze your friends and family with whole-food, plant-based cooking. So Blueberry Bunch enlisted Certified Plant-Based Raw Chef Joanna Derouin to share a dish for your guests to enjoy: Sweet Potato Squash Casserole.

Combining the flavors of the season, this healthy sweet potato casserole is easy enough to prepare that you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the company of your loved ones.

This time of year is about gratitude, so put your best intentions in the cooking process and spread your love through the food you serve.

RECIPE

Sweet Potato Squash Casserole

Ingredients

Top and bottom layer

• 3 medium sweet potatoes*
• 1 small acorn squash (or butternut squash)*
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal

* To save some time, you could buy pre-cut sweet potatoes and squash.

Stuffing

• 8 oz. sliced mini Portobello mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons tamari (or coconut aminos if avoiding soy products)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes (for a sweeter version, use cranberries and pecans instead)
• 1 cup cooked tri-color quinoa (can also use amaranth or millet)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Wash the sweet potatoes and squash, then peel (if using organic sweet potatoes, you can keep the skin on to add more fiber). Cut evenly into ½ inch-thick rounds, place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt, black pepper, turmeric powder and rosemary. Bake for 40 minutes, until the sweet potatoes and squash are tender when pierced with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, start the stuffing by adding the mushrooms, paprika and tamari to a bowl, mixing them all together and allow to sit for 15 minutes so the mushrooms can marinate.
4. After 15 minutes, place the marinated mushrooms and the cherry tomatoes in a large, dry skillet, and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequent for about 7 minutes. (There is no need to add water; the mushroom will release enough liquid to cook the vegetables without them sticking to the pan.)
5. Remove the skillet from the heat, and remove any remaining liquid. Add the cooked quinoa, mix it gently and set aside.
6. When the sweet potatoes and squash are tender, remove them from the oven and mash them together with a fork. Add the flaxseed meal and mix until even. Adjust the flavor to your taste, adding more salt, black pepper and dried herbs, if needed.
7. Spread a 1 inch tall first layer of the sweet potato and squash mix into a large casserole dish. Add the mushroom stuffing on top of it. Then, spread a final layer of the sweet potato and squash mix, covering all the stuffing. Press down firmly with a spoon.
8. Bake uncovered at 400° F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is light brown.
9. Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy.

More about Chef Joanna

A certified plant-based raw chef by the renowned PLANTLAB^® Culinary School, Joanna Derouin has a lifelong passion for cooking and conscious eating. In a journey to nourish her own body through a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle, she has been an avid student of nutrition and believes that proper nourishment can be a powerful aid to our healing processes.

Interested in checking out more of what Joanna has to offer? Follow and connect with her on Instagram.