Baked Chickpeas with Butternut Squash

Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

Outside the United States, the holiday is sometimes referred to as “American Thanksgiving.” It’s a time when family members come together.  

Thanksgiving Day is the time to celebrate the harvest and other blessings of the past year. The most common ingredients that we see in the Thanksgiving menu are turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, green beans, cranberries, and pumpkin. However, this year, I’d like to introduce a tasty meatless side dish suitable for the Thanksgiving dinner table (or any time of the year ^^). 

This dish is packed with butternut squash and U.S. chickpeas. Choosing this not only supports eating less meat but also provides the benefits of chickpeas, which are creamy, nutty, and an excellent source of fiber and protein. They contain several key vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for health. Using canned U.S. chickpeas makes this dish especially easy to prepare, but if you prefer, you can use dried U.S. chickpeas as well (just remember that you’ll need to soak and cook them until soft before using). 

For more information on the dry bean go to https://pulses.asia. 
Or https://pulses.asia/about for more information on the U.S. Pulses

Baked Chickpeas with Butternut Squash

1 (15-oz/ 425g) can U.S. chickpeas (garbanzo beans) 

360g butternut squash, peeled and cubed into ½-inch pieces 

1 onion, peeled and cubed into ½-inch pieces 

2 tbsp olive oil 

100 ml milk 

50 ml whipping cream 

3 garlic cloves, peeled 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 

1 tsp dried thyme 

35g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more, to preference)

Drain and rinse the U.S. chickpeas.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. 

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Fold the foil to create two separate sections. On one section, place the butternut squash and garlic cloves, then drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. On the other section, spread out the onion and drizzle with another 1 tbsp of olive oil. 

Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the butternut squash becomes fork-tender.  

After roasting, increase the oven temperature to 220°C. 

Place half of the roasted butternut squash and roasted garlic into a food processor or blender. Add the milk, whipping cream, salt, and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth. 

Put the rest of the roasted butternut squash, roasted onion, dried thyme, and U.S. chickpeas into a baking dish. Mix to combine.
Pour the butternut squash sauce over the U.S. chickpeas/butternut squash mixture and stir gently to combine.

Top with the grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the Parmesan cheese turns golden brown.