Serves: 2
A hearty and sustaining vegetarian supper dish that is really easy to put together. I love refried beans and find many uses for them other than as a side dish for fajitas or tacos. If you don’t like the spicy ones try and find the plain refried beans. You could also roughly mash the contents of a tin of borlotti beans. Butternut squash are at their very best this time of the year.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash, halved lengthways
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or cold-pressed rapeseed oil
- 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 fat garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 150g button mushrooms, brushed clean and halved if large
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 215g tin spicy refried beans
- 2 slices cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack
Method
- Heat the oven to 200˚c, fan oven 180˚c, mark 6. Scoop out the seeds from the hollows of the squash and discard. Place each half in a roasting tin and pour about half a tablespoon of oil into each cavity. Season well with salt and ground black pepper. Bake in the oven for 1-1 hour 15 mins or until the butternut flesh feels soft.
- Meanwhile make the filling; heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and, over a low heat, sauté the onion and garlic for about 10 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for a further 6-8 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the sage and refried beans.
- Turn the heat up to 220˚c, fan oven 200˚c, mark 7. Fill the squash cavities with the mushroom and bean mixture, piling it high. Place a slice of cheese on top and cook for 20 minutes until bubbling and golden.
