Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This Butternut Squash & Brown Rice Casserole is packed with nutritious seasonal veggies, hearty brown rice, and protein-rich white beans for a well-balanced vegan meal! Gluten-Free, Oil-Free.
Table of Contents
This Butternut Squash & Brown Rice Casserole is an easy dump & bake recipe that’s perfect for cozy weeknight dinners or easy meal prep. It’s loaded with fall and winter vegetables, fluffy rice, and hearty beans for a nourishing, well-balanced meal.
A Dump & Bake Casserole for Cozy Days
This casserole is the perfect cozy meal for chilly weather days! Seasonal produce like creamy butternut squash, crunchy kale, hearty brown rice, and buttery cannellini beans get drizzled with a savory Rosemary Garlic Cashew Cream for the ultimate comfort dish. The creamy cashew sauce with rosemary and garlic packs a punch of rich umami flavor that really helps bring all of the elements of this recipe together.
What You Need for Butternut Squash & Brown Rice Casserole
You know the deal with my favorite dump & bake recipes–you just dump all of the ingredients into a dish, bake, and you’re ready to enjoy! This dump & bake butternut squash casserole is a fuss-free dish made with budget-friendly ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store.
Butternut squash, rice, beans, greens, broth, and lots of yummy fall seasonings get baked to perfection and drizzled with a homemade herby cashew cream. Don’t worry though, the savory cashew sauce is a breeze to make; it comes together with only 6 ingredients in just 10 minutes. Cashews, rosemary, thyme, nutritional yeast, lemon, and garlic make an umami-packed cashew cream that’s optional for this recipe, but highly suggested! 😊
How to Make Butternut Squash & Brown Rice Casserole
- Mix the veggie broth, rosemary, thyme, garlic, paprika, and pepper in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Place the squash, shallots, and beans in a casserole dish and spread the brown rice evenly over everything.
- Pour the hot broth mixture over the casserole dish, cover, and bake.
- Uncover, mix in the kale, and let sit. Drizzle with rosemary garlic cashew cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, if desired. Enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
Want to switch things up? Try these yummy casserole variations:
- Greens: You can replace the kale in this recipe with baby spinach for a more tender green!
- Beans: Swap the creamy white beans in this dish for more hearty garbanzo beans (or any bean of your choosing!).
- Grains: You can successfully replace the brown rice in this recipe with two different modifications–
- White rice: Use equal parts white rice and reduce the oven temperature to 375. Bake for 45 minutes instead of 60.
- Quinoa: Use equal parts quinoa and reduce the oven temperature to 375. Bake for 35 minutes instead of 60.
Serving Suggestions
This veggie-packed casserole is hearty enough to stand on its own without any side dishes, but it would also be delicious alongside a salad like this cool weather Kale Apple Walnut Salad with Cider Dressing, or this Winter Kale Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette. Serve this cozy casserole for weeknight dinners or make it for holiday parties with friends and family. 😊
This butternut squash casserole recipe is great for easy meal prep–just store it in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat it over the stove or in the microwave when you’re ready to enjoy. You can also store this dish in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to two months for quick and easy meals you can heat up and enjoy anytime!
If you’re looking for more of my favorite dump & bake recipes, you’ll love this Baked Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheese, this No-Boil Baked Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff, and this Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole!
Recipe FAQs
From my experience, the best way to get a creamy squash that melts in your mouth with each bite is to bake it in the oven. Whether it be roasting it or baking it into a casserole like this one, the oven helps bring out the best caramelized flavor and creamy texture in the butternut squash.
Technically you don’t have to, but I personally prefer to peel the thin skin to make it more creamy and easy to chew.
This recipe uses dry rice and the perfect amount of vegetable broth so everything gets absorbed by the end, leaving you with the perfect casserole texture.
Yes! This recipe is great for making ahead of time, plus you can divide it into portions and freeze it for up to 2 months.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Butternut Squash & Brown Rice Casserole (Dump & Bake)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 3 cups butternut squash cubed and peeled
- 2 shallots thinly sliced
- 2 15- ounce cans cannelini beans drained and rinsed; about 2 3/4 cups
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice*
- 1 1/2 cups kale de-stemmed and finely chopped
- Optional: Rosemary Garlic Cashew Cream for serving
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400F and set a 9×13" casserole dish aside. Mix the vegetable broth, rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper together medium pot; cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Assemble: Add the squash, shallots, and beans to the casserole dish. Sprinkle the brown rice evenly over the top of the dish.
- Bake: Remove the broth from the heat once it comes to a boil and pour the liquid evenly over the casserole dish; mix gently and make sure all of the rice is submerged. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil (or parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil) and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 60 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, uncover, and mix in the shredded kale. Let the casserole sit for 3 to 5 minutes, to cook the kale. Serve warm with rosemary garlic cashew cream, or as desired. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
- White Rice: if you would like to make this with white rice, use 1 cup of uncooked rice and bake at 375F for only 45 minutes
- Quinoa: to make this with quinoa, use 1 cup dry quinoa and bake at 375F for 35 minutes.
What capacity casserole dish would you need for this? I just have a round cast iron one – do you think it would take longer to cook in cast iron versus ceramic?
Hi Esther, A 9×13-inch casserole dish, like the one we used in the recipe, typically has a capacity of around 3 quarts to 4 quarts, depending on its depth. This size is a common and versatile choice for many casserole recipes, and it’s often referred to as a “standard” or “large” size.
A round cast iron casserole dish should work well for this recipe. While cast iron may take a bit longer to heat up, it retains heat well and distributes it evenly. The cooking time might vary compared to ceramic, so it’s advisable to check the casserole a bit earlier than the recommended time to ensure even cooking. Keep an eye on the dish towards the end and use a toothpick or fork to check the doneness of the brown rice and tenderness of the butternut squash. Overall, cast iron should work well for this recipe, providing good heat retention and potentially creating a nice crust on the bottom.
SO GOOD! My husband and I are not vegan but we are trying to get more plants and plant-based meals in our diet. This is one of our favorite fall and winter meals. It is just so freaking good!!!! I cannot describe how yummy this is. It is so warm and nourishing. I have found that we prefer to add 1.5-2x the amount of kale.
Glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Taylor!
I made it today and it was very nice, I used one can of cannellini and one of butter beans and it turned out good anyway! (My 3 y old is a picky eater but she ate the entire portion!)
I absolutely love all your dumb and bake, I’m a staying at home mom and these meals are such a help! Please make more 😂 something Indian perhaps? I would love something like a curry or daal😍
Glad you and the little one liked the recipe! We have curry recipes on the blog too! Just enter “curry” in the search bar.
My husband is very picky but he converted to vegetarian because of health reasons and he LOVES this dish. I didn’t have butternut squash the second time I made it so I used sweet potato and fresh spinach and it was fantastic too! Thanks for a great dish!!
Glad you both loved it, Dinah!
This dish was so easy to throw together and tasted great! I was nervous some rice would be crunchy but it was perfect. The rosemary garlic cream sauce is a great addition and, in my opinion, is a MUST. Definitely adding this to the meal rotation for winter!
How can I use frozen butternut squash? I have a few bags in the freezer.
You can use frozen butternut squash in this recipe by thawing it first and then cubing it into bite-sized pieces. Once thawed, you can follow the recipe as written, adding the thawed squash to the casserole dish along with the other ingredients. Keep in mind that frozen squash may release more liquid during cooking, so you may need to adjust the cooking time or reduce the amount of vegetable broth added to prevent the casserole from becoming too soupy.