Buttercup Squash Casserole

Back after a long delay (filled with interesting developments):

A really, really delicious fall dish! Will be making it again soon. I used dried porcini mushrooms because we'd had them forever and they needed to be used, but I'm sure most fresh mushrooms would be fine too if you don't feel like splurging. If you do that, you should use some other flavorful liquid to cook the vegetables -- a little wine, and some broth, or soy sauce, or something interesting.

Apologies for blurry photo.

Buttercup Squash Casserole

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

1 medium-sized buttercup squash, about 1.5 or 2 lb
1/2 large onion
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 oz dried porcini mushrooms, well washed
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup red wine
1.5 cups grated Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt & pepper

Boil the 3/4 water, mix it with the wine, and soak the mushrooms in it for about 15-20 minutes.

Cook the quinoa using whatever method you prefer.

Meanwhile, peel and dice the squash into fairly small dice. Dice the onion. Saute the onion and squash in the olive oil, over medium heat, until the onion turns translucent. Add half the mushroom soaking liquid and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid has mostly been absorbed. Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms. When the liquid has mostly been absorbed, add the remaining liquid and mushrooms; cook until the liquid is absorbed and turn off the flame. Add the thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 2-quart baking dish. Mix together the quinoa and squash mixture until well mixed. Beat the eggs. Add one cup of cheese to the quinoa/squash mixture; blend well. Take a couple of spoonfuls of the hot quinoa/squash mixture and mix with the beaten egg; then mix this with the rest of the quinoa/squash mixture. (This is to prevent getting bits of scrambled egg in the casserole.) Spoon into the baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake about 35 minutes, until the cheese has just begun to brown.

Serves 4-6.