This savory and sweet harvest casserole is packed with veggies, protein, fresh herbs and all the best fall flavors! Serve it as a holiday side dish or a special seasonal meal. The leftovers are delicious for any meal! Paleo friendly, dairy free, Whole30.
October makes me want to break out all the fall goodies! Roasted winter squash, fresh herbs, apples, cranberries.
I wanted to do it ALL with this casserole which is why it contains a ton of veggies, fruit, nuts, and of course protein.
At first I thought I was going to make this with rotisserie chicken, but chicken sausage sounded like a much better idea once I got started!
The flavors are perfect together – savory and a little sweet. You can make this for dinner or as a holiday side dish. And the leftovers are incredible!
What You Need to Make this Harvest Casserole
The ingredient list might be long because there’s a lot going on here, but trust me – it’s worth it to get the perfect combination of fall flavors!
Here’s everything you need to prepare this casserole:
- butternut squash
- brussels sprouts
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
- onion and garlic
- chicken sausage
- rosemary
- sage
- thyme leaves
- parsley
- cauliflower rice, fresh or frozen
- honey crisp apple
- chopped pecans
- dried cranberries
- teaspoon cinnamon
How to Make This Harvest Casserole
First, roast the brussels sprouts and squash for about 25 minutes in a 425° F oven. While the veggies roast, you cook everything else in a skillet.
In a large skillet, cook the onions until translucent, then add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken sausage and fresh herbs, and cook until the sausage is browned on the outside.
Add in the cauliflower rice, apples, pecans and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until the cauliflower rice and apples begin to soften. Stir in the cranberries and season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.
Spray a 9 x 13” baking dish with cooking spray and combine the sausage rice mixture with the roasted squash and sprouts in the dish. Bake until the top is toasty.
Serve garnished with fresh herbs if desired, as a meal or holiday side dish.
Fresh or Frozen Cauliflower Rice?
For this recipe I recommend buying either fresh or frozen cauliflower rice.
I always purchase it already “riced”, usually frozen so it doesn’t go bad and there’s no work involved!
If you use fresh cauliflower rice, it will take a bit longer to soften, so watch it while cooking.
Frozen cauliflower rice softens almost instantly once it’s in the skillet, so be careful not to overcook it.
Either way cauliflower rice add a great texture to the casserole AND soaks up all the delicious flavors.
I hope you’re ready for all the fall flavors in a healthy, filling harvest casserole!
Start chopping your veggies and preheat the oven because it’s time to cook – let’s go!
Harvest Casserole {Paleo, Whole30}
Harvest Casserole (Chicken Sausage Veggie)
Ingredients
- 3 cups butternut squash cut into 1” cubes
- 1 lb brussels sprouts halved or quartered, depending on size
- 4 tablespoons Olive oil divided
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 links chicken sausage cut into coin shapes (check ingredients for Whole30)
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley minced
- 2 cups cauliflower rice fresh or frozen (buy this pre-riced)
- 1 apple (honey crisp), finely diced
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries juice-sweetened
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh herbs for garnish if desired
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 425° F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the squash on one sheet and the Brussels sprouts on the other. Drizzle both with one tablespoon each of the oil and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, stirring the Brussels sprouts halfway through. You can remove the Brussels sprouts sooner if you don’t want them to brown too much. Once done, reduce the heat to 400° F.
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Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Cook the onions until translucent, then add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken sausage and fresh herbs, and cook until the sausage is browned on the outside.
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Add in the cauliflower rice, apples, pecans and cinnamon and cook, stirring, until the cauliflower rice and apples begin to soften. Stir in the cranberries and season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.
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Spray a 9 x 13” baking dish with cooking spray and combine the sausage rice mixture with the roasted squash and sprouts in the dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the top is toasty. Serve garnished with fresh herbs if desired, as a meal or holiday side dish. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Want More Fall and Thanksgiving Recipes? Try One of These!
Ultimate Roasted Stuffed Acorn Squash
Maple Bacon Roasted Butternut Squash
Harvest Hash with Apple Vinaigrette
Butternut Squash Sausage Stuffing
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