This Baked Rice with Butternut Squash is a delicious combination of rice, butternut squash and Parmesan cheese.
From a RecipeGirl reader:
I made this the other night but used regular long grain rice and it was fantastic. We all had 2nds and I’m embarrassed to say, I even warmed a little up for a midnight snack. I will definitely make this again (and again).
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Baked Rice with Butternut Squash
This is a delicious combination of rice, butternut squash and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (about ½ large squash) chopped butternut squash
- 2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice (or other short-grain rice)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- cooking spray
- ¼ cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- fresh thyme sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the squash on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until slightly tender; cool. Increase the oven temperature to 400℉.
- Bring the broth, water and sage to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). At the same time, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add the rice and sauté for 1 more minute. Stir in the squash, broth mixture, wine, chopped thyme, salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Place the rice mixture in a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir the mixture gently. Sprinkle with cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.
Notes
- If preparing this as a gluten free recipe, be sure to purchase a brand of chicken broth that is designated as GF.
- Sometimes you can find the squash peeled and cubed in ready-to-cook bags at grocery stores or Trader Joes.
- I prefer this recipe with additional cheese and salt, but that affects the nutritional information included below.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 255kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 399mg, Potassium: 585mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 12677IU, Vitamin C: 28mg, Calcium: 167mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this the other night but used regular long grain rice and it was fantastic. We all had 2nds and I’m embarrassed to say, I even warmed a little up for a midnight snack. I will definitely make this again (and again).
This looks delicious! The sage pairs perfectly with the squash. It’s just right for fall!
A perfect side dish.
Tried this recipe but left out the Thyme since I didn’t have any on hand. Also, I’m lazy and didn’t want to peel and cube the squash, so I cut it in half and baked it for an hour and then scooped out the soft squash mash and just added it to the rice.
I put Parm cheese on one top half and Cheddar on the other half of the rice, just to see which I preferred. (Parm is better). Both my boyfriend and I loved it. Next time I make it, I’ll probably try adding some other veggies, just for fun. 🙂