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This butternut squash rice casserole is a true dump-and-bake: brown rice, squash, and a full block of feta all go into one casserole dish with hot broth and herbs, then bake until everything is tender. It’s cozy, filling, and ready with about ten minutes of active prep.
save this recipe!Fall vegetables and dump-and-bake dinners were made for each other. Butternut squash becomes sweeter and more concentrated in the oven and the brown rice absorbs the herby broth and turns fluffy.
This is the kind of recipe I reach for on a Sunday afternoon when I want dinner handled with minimal effort.
The Fall Dump and Bake That Actually Has Everything
After developing dozens of dump-and-bake recipes and testing this one across multiple batches, here’s what makes this version worth making:
- Ten minutes of active prep; the oven does everything else
- Works for a cozy weeknight dinner or a Thanksgiving side
- Feta placed whole on top softens into a creamy finish that stirs through the whole dish
The Testing
Hot broth, not cold
Pouring cold broth into the dish significantly extends the time before the rice begins absorbing liquid, which throws off the timing and can leave the rice unevenly cooked. Bringing the broth to a simmer first (or heating it in the microwave until steaming) means the cooking process starts the moment the foil goes on.
Brown rice vs. white rice
Brown rice takes significantly longer to cook than white rice and needs more liquid, which is why this recipe is calibrated for it. The longer bake time lets the butternut squash caramelize, and the flavors develop fully!
Key Ingredients
- Butternut squash: Five cups, cut into roughly three-quarter-inch cubes for even cooking. Pre-cut squash from the grocery store works as a time-saver!
- Brown rice: Goes in dry and absorbs the broth during the bake. Long-grain brown rice gives the cleanest, most separate texture. Don’t substitute white rice without adjusting the time and liquid.
- Vegetable broth: Heat until steaming before adding so everything starts cooking immediately.
- Feta cheese: Block feta softens evenly and has a creamier, less crumbly texture than pre-crumbled feta, which contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting properly.
- White beans: Cannellini, Great Northern, and butter beans all work. They add protein, fiber, and a creamy starchiness that makes the casserole feel complete.
- Fresh herbs: Two teaspoons of thyme, rosemary, sage, or a combination. A poultry herb pack from the grocery store usually has all three and is the most convenient option! Dried herbs can substitute at half the quantity.
- Kale: Lacinato kale is the best choice since it wilts more evenly and has a less bitter flavor than curly kale. Baby kale also works.
Pair it with…
This is a complete meal in one dish, but something fresh and slightly acidic alongside keeps it from feeling heavy. My harvest fall salad with crispy smashed carrots is the natural pairing here, the pomegranate vinaigrette and crispy carrots play beautifully against the creamy feta and earthy squash.
My fall farro salad with butternut squash is another good option if you want to lean fully into the fall theme and double down on the squash. Crusty bread for scooping the casserole sauce is always worth having on the table.
Butternut Squash Rice Casserole With Feta (Dump & Bake)
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped butternut squash*, from 1 medium squash
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice, 185 g
- ½ cup sliced yellow onion, or about ½ of an onion
- 1 tsp each garlic powder and smoked paprika
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp chopped herbs, thyme, rosemary, sage, or a combination**
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth, 600 mL
- 1 15-oz can white beans, such as cannellini, Great Northern, or butter beans, drained, 425 g cans
- 1 8-oz block feta cheese, 225 g
- 3 cups chopped kale, or about 3 handfuls
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Dump: To a 9×13-inch casserole dish, dump in 5 cups chopped butternut squash*, 1 cup uncooked brown rice, ½ cup sliced yellow onion, 1 tsp each garlic powder and smoked paprika, ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp salt, and 2 tsp chopped herbs. Stir to combine.
- Heat Broth: Bring 2 ½ cups vegetable broth to a simmer on the stove or heat it until steaming in the microwave.
- Finish Assembly: Pour hot broth into the casserole dish and stir to combine. Sprinkle 1 15-oz can white beans (drained) evenly over the dish, then place 1 8-oz block feta cheese right on top in the middle.
- Bake: Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil, then bake for about 60 to 80 minutes, or until butternut is fork-tender and rice is cooked. If rice still has a little bite to it, re-cover and continue baking in 10-minute increments, adding more broth as needed.
- Kale: While still piping hot, stir in 3 cups chopped kale, squishing the feta a bit so that it breaks into small pieces and combines evenly into the dish. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving to allow kale to soften.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
1114 grams of protein? LOL!
omg, my mistake! Should be 14 grams!
I made this and it was so good! I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was amazing. I used spinach instead of kale. Next time I’ll try using frozen butternut squash and maybe even using a pressure cooker to cut down on the cooking time.
So glad I finally found a recipe to use up my brown rice!
So happy you enjoyed it Rebecca, thanks so much for trying it!
Can I sub white jasmine rice
I haven’t tested this one with white rice. I like brown rice here because it cooks at the same rate as butternut squash. My worry with white rice is that it would overcook and become mushy by the time the butternut is done.
I subbed jasmine rice. I pre-roasted my butternut squash for about 30 min. as I usually do so I will have an easier time with cutting and peeling them. Did everything else as recipe suggested, except subbing spinach for kale, and adding a cooked pound of breakfast sausage. I then shortened my bake time to 25 min. The problem I had was the feta was nowhere near warm enough to break up, so I manually broke it into pieces then baked it another 30 min. to let the cheese heat/melt. That made the rice swell up and get mushy, and the squash got pretty mushy as well. It still tasted great and Man of the House had no complaints!
Next time, I will chop up the block of feta and stir it around with the rest of the ingredients before baking. I may also just cook and serve the rice separately.
Definitely worth making and it will be made again!
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review! Happy eating!
Is Spinach fine to substitute for Kale ?
Yes, spinach is tasty here!
Normally I feel the need to adjust a recipe whether it’s adding or removing ingredients, seasoning to my tastes, etc. I followed this recipe pretty much to the letter and I thought it was easy, flavorful, and filling. Thank you!
So glad it hit the spot, thanks for sharing!
This recipe worked exactly as written, thanks! It’s my first time trying a “dump casserole”. I served it for a dinner with friends and it was a huge hit.
So glad it hit the spot, thanks for sharing Nancy!
I’m in the uk and sometimes get quantities wrong with cups. Would it be possible to add metric measurements to your recipes so we can enjoy them far and wide!!
Hi Jane! I actually do usually include them and somehow missed it on this recipe, so thank you for pointing out that those metric conversions were missing!
This was so good. I held the feta before the bake and just added a light crumble on the top when serving. I used Vegan feta and it worked fine. Love this recipe! Thank y
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Laura! Thanks so much for dropping back in to let us know how it went.
Has anyone tried this with frozen cubed butternut squash? Would love to use that for convenience but I’m concerned it would get too mushy
I think that would work well. I would just add a few minutes to the total bake time!
I’m going to make this. I am vegan, what can substitute for the feta?
You can just omit the feta or use nutritional yeast to add a bit of a cheesy flavor!