Stop whatever you’re doing right now and take a look at this gorgeously-presented classy vegetable casserole.

Now throw out all your plans for serving your holiday dinner sides and choose this method.

I mean, I don’t even care if you use the recipes I’ve provided. Just steal the method and serve whatever veggies you planned to serve, but striped in a cute casserole dish like this. Okay, I might be a little biased because I made this, but how can you possibly say no to veggies on your plate when they’re served up to you this way?

Okay, I guess you probably want to know a little more about what’s in the photos. So here we go…

The white stripe is a parsnip potato mash. The orange stripe is butternut squash mash. And the green stripe is spinach.

See? Nothing mindblowing. But dang do they all look amazing.

In other news, I find myself increasingly thinking about about screen addiction and our tendency to live our lives from behind a smartphone screen.

The Internet isn’t going to go away anytime soon – frankly, I don’t want it to. The web allows me to connect with all of you through this blog and social media. I also have the internet to thank for having a job (my normal 9-5 career). The list could go on. But we’re constantly sucked in to this whirlwind of opinions and marketing and FOMO (fear of missing out).

Since I consider this a holiday recipe, I want to say something about all of this. It can be so easy to withdraw into your smartphone when we’re with family and friends for the holidays. Maybe we’re with family we don’t see too often and we don’t know what to talk about. Maybe we’re with friends and there’s a lull in the conversation.

Don’t use that as an excuse to retreat to social media.

We don’t interact with people in person as much as we used to, and that’s honestly a shame. Even me, an introvert who is hopelessly awkward in conversations, finds more fulfillment after meeting a friend for coffee than chatting over Facebook.

I was proud of my family over Thanksgiving. With over 20 people in one home (and at least half under 18), we almost immediately agreed to put smartphones away and spend our time with each other, not perpetually checking our phones for texts, Snapchats, and Facebook updates. Although some family members broke down (an aunt insisted she find and reserve a hotel room for my wedding right then and subsequently got sucked in to social media), most of us gladly ignored our phones. When some of the kids got bored, our hosts presented a few adult coloring books to entertain us (what a great idea, am I right?).

The point is, it can be done. You can put your phone away. Whatever happens online can wait.

Classy Vegetable Casserole

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

For Parsnip Potatoes:

1 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed (2–2.5 cups)
1 medium parsnips, peeled and cubed (1/2–1 cup)
1/4 cup bone broth
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp salt

For Butternut Squash:

3 cups medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (~1/2 a small squash)
1/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg

For Spinach:

1 egg
1/8 c coconut milk
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups spinach, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped

Instructions

First, make the Parsnip Potatoes and Butternut Squash Mash. Bring 2 large pots of water to a boil. Add the parsnips and potatoes to one pot and the butternut squash to the second pot and boil until soft (about 5 minutes, depending on how small the pieces are). Drain both.
In a large bowl, add the parsnips, potatoes, and the remaining ingredients for the Parsnip Potatoes and mash using a potato masher.
In a separate bowl, add the butternut squash and the remaining ingredients for the Butternut Squash Mash and mash using a potato masher.
For the Spinach, whisk the eggs, coconut milk, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in spinach and onion.
Place half of parsnip potatoes at one end of large baking dish. Add butternut squash to dish, forming a stripe. Repeat with spinach. Place remaining parsnip potatoes at opposite end.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remover the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes.

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Chelsea

I'm Chelsea, the author behind Chelsea Joy Eats! I believe life should be full of flavor. I enjoy creating recipes that are nourishing, flavorful, and satisfying. When not experimenting in the kitchen, I usually have a camera, barbell, or mug of coffee in hand. My posts may include affiliate links, which means if you click through a purchase something, I make a small commission at no cost to you. It helps me fuel my coffee habit and pay rent!