christmas side

A delicious vegan gratin made with leeks &amp; fennel. An easy side dish

Vegan Fennel &amp; Leek Gratin with Olives &amp; Tomatoes.

fennel

leek

olives

cherry tomatoes (I used a mixture of yellow

pine nuts

olive oil

oregano

thyme

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C (Gas mark 6)

Finely slice the fennel.

Slice the leeks horizontally to roughly match the size of the leeks

Chop the cherry tomatoes in half.

Chop the olives into slices.

In a good oven proof dish drizzle a layer of olive oil, then layer in the fennel &amp; leeks.

Sort of smush the oil all over the leeks &amp; fennel

Sprinkle the herbs over evenly

Dot the olives &amp; tomatoes around the dish. Then sprinkle the seeds (or nuts if using) over the top

Drizzle a little more olive oil over and season to taste.

Put in the oven for around 30 minutes, or until the leeks are softened and the edges are all lovely and caramelised.

Put a summer spin on festive sides with seasonal fruit.

Peach, lime & chilli salad

lime juice

tsp extra virgin olive oil

tsp raw sugar

limes

yellow peaches, halved, stone removed,

red onion,

red chilli, halved, seeded, thinly sliced

This country classic side is the perfect accompaniment to any Christmas main.

Thyme hasselback potatoes

(about 2kg) desiree potatoes, peeled

thyme leaves

garlic cloves, finely chopped

Preserved shallots in malt vinegar make a classic condiment that will never ge.t old. Beautiful with cheese and cold meats

Pickled onions

shallot

salt

malt vinegar

clear honey

Place the onions in a large heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Leave to cool. Once cool, trim roots and tops and peel. Sprinkle the salt over the peeled onions, stir and leave overnight.

Next day rinse the onions well and dry with kitchen towel. Place the vinegar and honey into a large pan and gently heat just to dissolve the honey into the vinegar, but do not boil.

Pack the onions into clean, sterilized jars. Pour over the hot vinegar mixture to fill the jars, and check there are no air pockets. Seal the jars and leave to cool. The onions will be ready to eat after about 1 month or better if kept for 2. Once opened store in the fridge.

Savory butternut squash casserole with cozy caramelized squash, kale and a cheesy Parmesan topping. Perfect for holidays or a vegetarian main!

Butternut Squash Casserole

extra virgin olive oil (divided)

garlic (divided (about 2 tablespoons))

black pepper (divided)

yellow onion (thinly sliced, divided)

vegetable stock or chicken stock (divided)

fresh breadcrumbs** (or 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs)

Parmesan cheese

sage

nutmeg

unsalted butter

Grease

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a shallow 9x13-inch casserole dish or similar 3-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Sauté

Prepare the filling in two batches: Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half of the butternut squash, ½ tablespoon of the rosemary, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sauté until the squash is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. The squash will still be too firm to eat.

Cook

Next, add half of the kale, half of the onions, and half of the garlic. Cook until the kale and onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add the 1/2 cup of the chicken stock, stir, and let cook 1 minute so that the stock reduces slightly.

Prod

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and with a spoon, prod it into a relatively even layer.

Bake

Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in the skillet, then repeat the above steps with the remaining half of each of the ingredients. Transfer the rest of the filling to the casserole dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the squash is soft when pierced with a sharp knife.

Stir

While the squash bakes, prepare the topping: In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, sage, nutmeg, and salt. Pour the melted butter over the top. Stir to combine.

Sprinkle

Remove the casserole from the oven, remove the foil, then sprinkle the top evenly with the breadcrumb mixture.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, return the dish to the oven, then bake uncovered, until the bread crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Made this today for Thanksgiving &amp; it was delicious (as all Erin's recipes are)!  I substituted fresh rosemary for thyme &amp; about a dozen and a half partially pre-boiled brussel sprouts for the kale.  I prepared two 8 x 8 dishes instead of the 9 x13 dish as I had to consider oven space and amount of guests for dinner &amp; it worked out fantastic.  I look forward to the leftovers with the suggestions provided by Erin :-)

Delicious-my husband loved it!  Only missing sage so I used some herbs d’provence in the topping-absolutely delicious and healthy meal!

I had butternut squash and kale to use up so I made this. OH MY GOODNESS it is so yummy !! I will be making this many times, including Thanksgiving!! So easy to make! Thanks for a great recipe!! I rarely leave comments but had to for this recipe.

Delicious! Added a little longer in the oven (probably cut my squash a little more than 3/4 inches) with some bacon for Friendsgiving. Devoured in 30 minutes.

Hi Erin, Thanks for this great recipe. I'm a city dweller with a small, but workable kitchen, and am always on the hunt for quick, delicious homemade meals so this satisfied all my requirements. Love your make ahead, make in batches instructions, and your mission to save time and dishes. I bought the squash awhile ago so wanted to try something new with it.
 I made this last night and without the topping; It looked pretty as is. Will save adding the topping for colder months. It smelled wonderful as it cooked. I skipped the rosemary and onions,  didn't have on hand, cut down on the garlic, cut in an apple for some sweetness and dusted with cinnamon. Done. It'll make a nice ready- to- heat side to dinners.

Thank you!!

I just made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. I actually used both rosemary and thyme and used more like a cup + of Parmesan. Next time I think I’ll not add salt to the topping just because the breadcrumbs that I use has salt already. This is a keeper for sure!

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Vegan Fennel & Leek Gratin with...

Peach, lime & chilli salad

Thyme hasselback potatoes

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Butternut Squash Casserole

Top 5 christmas side recipes from across the web

The most viewed christmas side recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Vegan Fennel &amp; Leek Gratin with...

Peach, lime & chilli salad

Thyme hasselback potatoes

Pickled onions

Butternut Squash Casserole

The most viewed christmas side recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Vegan Fennel & Leek Gratin with...