Got chickpeas?
Baked chickpeas with butternut squash in a beautiful casserole dish is the move thanks to its healthy rich, satisfying filling, and its toasted chickpea crumble.
Now, that social distancing has been extended to April 30th, nothing will be more comforting than the aromas wafting from this baked chickpea casserole to get you through.
In addition to being outrageously tasty, it’s an oral explosion of essential ingredients with plot twists of flavors under each layer. Doesn’t that sound great? Indeed it does. Let’s make baked chickpeas with butternut squash and peel back the layers.
The bottom Layer:
Consists of a mushroom, kale, leek sauce sauteed then swelled in with coconut milk that thickens and reduces as it cooks. I added a herbal infusion of dried sage, parsley, and cumin to jazz things up a bit. Tossing in LOTS of Garlic delivers the perfect element for boosting the flavor notes that linger throughout each layer.
Squash in the Middle:
Butternut squash baked until tender includes sweetness coated with a drizzle of oil to keep it moisturized throughout the baking process. Flecks of black pepper infuse a touch of woodiness making it compatible with the fresh rosemary that delivers a healthy dose of lemon pine flavor. Y’all alright?
Top layer:
OMG! The chickpea crumble is the holy grail layer!!! It’s loaded with herbs the chickpeas glisten with oil that aids in the browning process as it bubbles to perfection. It has a coarse crumble texture that will easily crisp under the broiler. Serve alongside a salad…maybe, but there’s enough food value already, and in the spirit of conserving…you decide.
Recipe Summary:
Simply DIVINE! My goal for this recipe was to minimize your time in the kitchen and maximize the taste with seasonings you have stocked.
If you found this recipe of interest and would like to try other chickpea options, check out:
- Herb Roasted Chickpeas the perfect snack it has all the attributes: Salty. Herby. & Nutty.
- Quinoa Salad w/ Black Chickpeas. Yes, black chickpeas are a thing and they’re HEALTHY.
- Chipotle Chickpea Salad only 5 ingredients. Let’s be honest, you have a real problem resisting a 5 ingredient recipe made with real food don’t you?
HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHICKPEAS WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH
- 1 Tablespoon of grapeseed oil
- 3 Fresh Thyme sprigs
- 8 Garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 Fresh Rosemary sprig
- 1 Teaspoon pink salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 Teaspoon of dried Sage
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley Flakes
- 1 Leek rinsed and chopped
- 2 Cups of Chopped Kale
- 2 Cups of Chopped Portobello Mushrooms
- 1 Can of Organic Coconut Milk
- 6 Slices of Butternut Squash
- Chickpea Crumble Ingredients:
- 2 Cans of Organic Chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 Tablespoon of grapeseed oil
- ⅛ Teaspoon of pink salt
- ⅛ Teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 Teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon of Parsley Flakes
- ½ Teaspoon of Dried Sage
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, add grapeseed oil. Toss in fresh garlic, and leeks saute' until tender. Sprinkle in salt, black pepper, thyme, sage, cumin powder, and parsley flakes then stir.
- Pour in coconut milk. Cook until thickens. Once thickened, toss in kale, and mushrooms. Give it a taste test, add more herb seasonings if necessary. Set aside.
- Next up, chickpea crumble. In a medium bowl, add chickpea crumble ingredients. Mash mixture to create textured coarse crumbs. Set aside.
- In a 9x13 casserole dish add the creamy leek, mushroom mixture on the bottom. Layer on the six butternut squash discs. Then top with fresh rosemary, a drizzle of grapeseed oil, and sprinkle on some black pepper. Lastly, add the chickpea crumble mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until the crumble is golden. Enjoy!
Tip:
To store, refrigerate casserole in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you have leftovers. 🙂
