Sequestration Meal #512

 

Though this is far lighter than I would have had if I'd made a proper Thanksgiving meal (which you'll recall I skipped this year), this does have one of the elaborate sides I'd wanted to make, and it totally lived up to expectations! So this is boiled brussels sprouts with some vegan butter and a splash of lemon juice, maple Dijon tofu (recipe from Create Mindfully), and butternut squash and cranberry casserole (recipe from Fragrant Vanilla).

Could I have pulled out a roast? Sure, but I was in the mood for tofu, and this maple Dijon tofu is an old, easy favorite I've made tons of time, that goes great with sweet sides like this.

Though I didn't make the casserole precisely as written--I just microwaved about 3/4 of a small butternut squash I had in my fridge rather than roasting it, and scaled the recipe down accordingly, plus I used plain all purpose flour rather than gluten free--I think it probably turned out pretty similar to the original. I loved everything about this--the creamy, sweet base of butternut squash, the homemade fresh cranberry sauce layer, and the spiced oats streusel topping for some crunch. Cranberries bring some tartness. It's not overwhelmingly sweet--this is definitely not on the scale of sweet potatoes with marshmallows!

I imagine the casserole would make a great breakfast, too. I'm so glad I tried it! I'm also really glad I waited until I was ready and in the mood, so I could properly enjoy it.

Although I used regular flour, the original recipe called for gluten free all purpose flour, so I did tag this gluten free, because it can easily be made that way.