Food Recipes Butternut Squash Bake With Wild Rice 5.0 (4) 4 Reviews A rosemary-infused cream enhances this casserole with an herbal warmth. By Jenna Helwig Jenna Helwig Instagram Jenna is the food director at Real Simple and the author of Bare Minimum Dinners, a cookbook featuring more than 100 low-lift, high-reward recipes. Previously, Jenna was the food director at Health and Parents. She is also the founder and operator of Rosaberry, a boutique personal chef services company, and the author of four other cookbooks, including the bestselling Baby-Led Feeding. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 11, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio Hands On Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 50 mins Servings: 8 This wild rice and butternut squash bake is a hearty side dish with all the elements of a crowd favorite: creamy, satisfying, and rich. Serve it as a gluten-free stuffing option, vegetarian main, or a bonus side dish. This recipe can be prepared in advance and stored for later. Just cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and keep the cream in a sealed jar. You can refrigerate the baking dish and cream for up to four days. Let the rice mixture and cream come to room temperature before following the baking instructions. Ingredients 1 cup (6½ oz.) uncooked wild rice blend 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed 1 pound prechopped butternut squash (about 3½ cups) 1 yellow onion, sliced lengthwise into thin wedges (about 1 cup) 4 ounces fresh wild mushroom blend or cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 1½ cups) 3 sprigs rosemary 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for baking dish 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1.50 cups heavy whipping cream 1 ¼ ounces Parmesan cheese, finely shredded (about ½ cup), divided Directions Cook wild rice blend according to package directions, substituting broth for water. Transfer to a large bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally with a fork. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place squash, onion wedges, mushrooms, and 2 rosemary sprigs on baking sheet. Drizzle with vinegar, 2 tablespoons oil, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Toss to coat; spread in a single layer. Roast until squash is tender and browned, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Discard rosemary sprigs (it's OK if some leaves remain). While squash cools, combine cream and remaining rosemary sprig in a small saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until cream just begins to bubble around sides. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Add squash mixture, ¼ cup cheese, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt to rice in bowl. Toss to combine; transfer to a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Pour cream over rice mixture. Top with remaining ¼ cup cheese and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until cream is bubbly around edges and top is browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Rate it Print