Here is a great side dish for meal prep. It is super easy to put together and pop in the oven. It stores well and tastes just as good on day 5 as it did on day 1, if not better. A vegetable bake is a really just cut veg, cheese and sauce getting up close and personal in the same dish, similar to a casserole (minus any meat). This particular veg bake has a lasagna feel with the thinly sliced and layered veg. It’s optional to add the crusted topping (a gratin signature trademark). Casserole, vegetable lasagna, gratin, call it what you may but this one bake of winter vegetables is the creamy, healthy comfort food you need try.
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Yields:
4 servings
Ingredients:
- Rutabaga, 1 medium (approx. 500g), thinly sliced
- Butternut squash, 1 medium (approx. 500g), thinly sliced
- Onion, 1 small, julienne
- Kale, 1 bunch, stems removed and roughly chopped
- Cheese, 225g, shredded
- 35% cream, 375 ml
- Garlic, 3-4 cloves
- Sage, a few sprigs
- Thyme, a few sprigs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bread crumbs, 125 ml (optional)
What you’ll need:
- Knife and cutting board
- Prep bowls
- Zester
- Small pot with spoon
- 8×8 baking dish
- Foil paper
What to do:
Prep
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Clean the rutabaga and butternut squash by first cutting off both ends to give them a flat surface to balance on. For the butternut squash cut off the entire bulb (where the seeds are). This part is not ideal for the slices used to layer the veg bake. It’s best to save this part for another application (i.e. stir fries are a great way to make a side out of miscellaneous leftover veggies). Using a chef’s knife cut downward to remove the waxy skin. Turn the veg as needed until the skin on all sides is off. Once all the skin is removed and only the flesh remains, cut it lengthwise down the centre. Lay each half down so that they look like a dome. Cut very thin slices from each half (1/8”). Place in a prep bowl and set aside.
Take the kale, remove the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Give the chopped leaves a thorough rinse, dry and set aside in a prep bowl. Peel the outer skin of the onion, cut it lengthwise, slice and set aside. Grate the cheese into its prep bowl.
Make the cream mixture by prepping the following: peel the garlic and easily purée the cloves by using a zester. Clean the fresh herbs and finely chop. Once prep is complete, warm 35% cream over medium heat. Add in garlic purée fresh herb and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Lower heat and gently simmer while you layer the vegetable bake.
Assembly
Using an 8×8-baking dish, layer each of the prepped ingredients. Start with the rutabaga and lay pieces down in a single layer, slightly overlapping so that there are no holes. Sprinkle a bit of the grated cheese and then lay down a single layer of the butternut squash. The next layer is the kale and onion with some more cheese. Continue again with the rutabaga and repeat until you reach the top rim of the baking dish. The top layer will end off with the kale, onion and lots of cheese. Pour the cream mixture over the veg. Option to add breadcrumbs onto the top layer for a crisp texture.
Cook
Cover the vegetable with foil paper and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour until the veg is tender. Remove foil and continue cooking for another 20 minutes until breadcrumbs are crisp and golden. Remove and let it slightly cool for a few minutes before cutting into it.