I have been sick for over a week and although my appetite is returning, I’m still not  feeling the meat products.  I found this recipe for a Baked Barley Casserole in Clean Eating Magazine.  It looked like the perfect dinner to have for the week.  The barley is a whole grain so it is healthy and filling, but easy on the stomach.  Just a heads up…I didn’t have the energy to go looking for leeks at the grocery store, so I just didn’t use one.  My casserole didn’t look as organized as the one in the picture, but it tastes great.  It reminded me of one the grain salads I love from Whole Foods.

I started by peeling and then cutting my butternut squash into cubes.

You can use any mushrooms, and I found these at the Whole Foods.  Saute mushrooms with salt and olive oil.

Add veggies and continue to stir.  I also used some extra celery since I had some around.

Add barley and garlic, stir to coat.  Then add chicken or veggie stock along with thyme.  I used dried spices since I didn’t have fresh thyme.

Transfer mixture into casserole dish.  I used my largest Pyrex.  Then cover with foil and bake 20-30 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.

Add pumpkin seeds and cheese.  The recipe calls for goat cheese, but I had feta so I used that instead.  Return to oven for 10 minutes until seeds are toasted and cheese has melted.

Enjoy the casserole warm or cold.  It has fabulous flavor and the crunch of the seeds tastes great with the feta.  Yum!  Someone has already typed up the recipe on Spark People, so I am going to use that to save some time.

Baked Barley Casserole with Mushrooms and Squash

Ingredients

Directions