Filed under: 5 Vegetarian Meals, Crowd-pleasing main dishes, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian
Move over, vegetarian Thanksgiving clichés like pasta and stuffed squash. This baked veggie and whole grain casserole is a hearty, forget-the-turkey main dish.
Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 70 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing the pan
- 12 cups kale (about 1 large bunch), tough ribs removed and leaves chopped
- 3 pounds (about 4 large) sweet potatos, sliced into ⅛-inch-thick rounds
- 1 cup whole wheat or gluten-free bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups cooked buckwheat, cooled
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Place the chopped kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and add a pinch of salt. Use your fingers to massage the oil and salt into the kale leaves. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes to the boiling water. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the bread crumbs, thyme, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the buckwheat and beaten egg. Mix well. Use a spatula to spread the buckwheat evenly into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Top the buckwheat with a layer of sweet potato rounds and a pinch of salt. Add a layer of cheese, a layer of kale, and a layer of the bread crumb mixture. Repeat two more times to make three layers. Add any remaining sweet potatoes, then the remaining cheese and bread crumbs.
- Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes, or until cheese and bread crumbs on top are lightly browned. Allow to sit 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Variation
Time-saver: Cook the buckwheat and sweet potato rounds up to 2 days ahead of time. you can also layer the entire casserole and refrigerate up to 8 hours before baking.
Serves 10
Per serving: calories 339, fat 17g, protein 16g, carbohydrates 39g, dietary fiber 6g
Reprinted from KIWI Magazine
