Brussels Sprouts-Squash Casserole

Cinizini's Note:

Creamy and comforting casserole, adapted from Laurel's Kitchen (Handbook to vegetarian cookery and nutrition). Suggested as a main dish but also a great holiday side dish (say, for Thanksgiving dinner). The original recipe calls for margarine instead of butter. Tip: When adding the milk to make the sauce, make sure that the milk is at room temperature or even slightly warmed, and be sure to add it *slowly*. This really makes a difference in how the sauce thickens up.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 lb Brussels sprout
• 1 ½ cups winter squash , cubed (I use butternut)
• 1 onion , minced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• 2 cups milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon marjoram
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 dash nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease an 8" x 8" baking dish and set aside.
2. Clean and trim brussels sprouts. Cut large ones in half. Score each with an "x" underneath to help with even cooking.
3. Steam brussels sprouts and squash separately until just tender. (Note: to save a pot, I started steaming the squash and then added the sprouts to the top of the same pot when the squash was half done and steamed them together; that worked out fine). Set squash and sprouts aside.
4. While squash and sprouts cook, chop onion and mince celery. Saute onion in butter/margarine. Add milk and spices slowly, stirring to keep mixture smooth. Bring sauce to the boil, then remove from heat and taste to adjust seasonings if needed.
5. In the 8" x 8" greased baking dish, arrange the squash cubes on bottom. Next, make an even layer of the brussels sprouts. Then, sprinkle the chopped celery over the top, pour the sauce over the whole thing and finish with a sprinkling of nutmeg.
6. Bake in the 350F oven for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly browned (well, to your liking) and the sauce is bubbly.