Pie for dinner. Is that not the best idea you have ever heard? This savory pie is so full of flavor, you’ll want to eat the whole thing! The best part, its also healthy. The butternut squash and smoked gouda pie is made with whole grains, nuts for protein, and packed full of seasonal veggies.
Did you know that eating fruits and vegetables while they are in season is better for you? They are more nutritious because they have been picked more recently. When produce travels it sits long periods. The longer produce sits, the more flavor and nutrients that they loose. This is one of the many reasons I try to eat seasonally.
- 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced (3 cups)
- Splash olive oil
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup sliced almonds, toasted
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 TBS cold water
- ½ cup diced onion
- Splash olive oil
- 4 large or 5 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups frozen spinach
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
- 2 TBS grated parmesan
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup shredded smoked Gouda, divided
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Toss butternut squash with a splash of olive oil and spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes, stirring once.
- Meanwhile combine toasted nuts and white whole wheat flour in a food processor. Process until fine and smooth. Add salt, pepper, and baking powder. Pulse a few times to combine. Mix together oil and cold water. With the food processor running, pour the oil mixture down the chute and process until crumbly. (I stopped the machine, stirred, and processed again to prevent clumping.)
- Butter a 9 inch pie pan and press the crumbs into the bottom and slightly up the sides (about 1 inch). Bake in the preheated oven for 23 minutes or until starting to brown.
- In a medium skillet combine another splash of olive oil and onion. Saute until the onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, spinach, and salt and pepper. Saute until the spinach is thawed. Stir in balsamic vinegar.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs until smooth. Mix in roasted butternut squash, spinach mixture, parmesan, and about half of the smoked gouda. Spread into the cooked crust and sprinkle with remaining smoked gouda. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Variations to Butternut Squash and Smoked Gouda Pie:
- Use your favorite nut into the pie crust. Pecans would be a great alternative.
- Try any leafy green instead of spinach, kale or collard greens would work well. If you try fresh greens, use cook them down in a skillet and use 1 1/2 cups cooked.
- I love the smokey flavor of the gouda, but you could try another type of flavorful cheese such as feta or swiss.
Recipe adapted from Cooking light and Dishing up the dirt.