Butternut Squash Casserole

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! There is a lot to catch up on - I am back in Boston after a few wonderful days with my family. It was so great to see everyone as always, and I feel very thankful to have such an incredible family. 

This was my first Paleo thanksgiving, so it was quite different from a food perspective this year. I had to pass on the stuffing, stuffed mushrooms, mac & cheese, cornbread, marshmallow sweet potatoes, and about 500 desserts, but I made some great paleo-friendly recipes and was able to focus more on the real meaning of thanksgiving. Recipes will be posted all week, and the first one is a quick and easy butternut squash casserole. I am cooking a mini round 2 paleo thanksgiving tomorrow, and I will be serving the leftovers of this along with my first attempt at a turkey. Details will follow... enjoy!

Ingredients:
- 5 lbs butternut squash, cubed
- 1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (plus more for dusting)
- Sea salt, pepper, garlic, powder, & cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped walnuts

Ingredients:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Boil squash for 20-30 minutes until soft
3. Drain squash in a colander 
4. Add coconut oil to pot and let melt. 
5. Add squash and shredded coconut to the pot with the coconut oil, and mix with a hand blender
6. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon to taste (I like a lot of cinnamon!)
7. Put pureed squash in a casserole pan, and then top with chopped walnuts and some extra shredded coconut and cinnamon
8. Bake for 40 minutes. If nuts start browning, you can cover the pan with foil for the last 10-15 minutes.