A well-known & crowd favorite brunch dish, reimagined, Fall style!
Brunch is the most important meal of the weekend and everyone has indulged in the wonders of this mixed meal between breakfast and lunch that we call BRUNCH! Brunch has always been the perfect remedy after a long night out. You slept in and it’s too late for breakfast but it’s too early for lunch and you can’t decide if you want sweet or savory, in comes brunch! It’s one of my favorite meals that I look forward to the most during the weekends. The choices are always so overwhelming; pancakes, french toast, bagels, eggs, fruit, granola, and so much more! I always crave something different, but usually, I enjoy some sort of egg dish for brunch. One of my favorites happens to be Shakshuka. Shakshuka is traditionally an Israeli breakfast dish that is made up of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and some spices. It’s pretty popular on brunch menu’s of many restaurants and it’s such a hearty and satisfying meal. I love scooping it up with some nice grilled, crusty bread; the perfect bite is with a scoop of the sauce, piece of egg, and the runny egg yolk with the bread. Ok, my mouth is totally watering right now.
I know there are so many Shakshuka recipes out there, but I wanted to create something that would be perfect for the Fall! The weather might be getting cold, but I still wanted something that was warm, comforting, and brunch-worthy. So I created this delicious Masala Butternut Squash Shakshuka! I was super nervous abut how this would come out, because honestly, it could have gone either way. But when I tell you, the flavors just mixed so perfectly together, it was like it was meant to be! The warm spices mixed with the butternut squash and tomato created such a burst of flavor, it was unbelievable! I promise you, you need to add this to your weekend brunch menu, because it is just that good! If you’re using fresh butternut squash, it is a little bit of time, but trust me, this labor of love is totally worth it. But if you don’t have the time or patience for this, no worries, just substitute it for the canned butternut squash puree! You will need an oven safe, heavy bottom pan for this. I used my Le Creuset 3 1/2 qt braiser for this dish, but a cast iron pan would also work well! I hope you guys will give this one a try for your next weekend brunch! It’s totally worth it! Happy eating, friends!
Masala Butternut Squash Shakshuka
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 14 oz can whole peeled san marzano tomatoes hand crushed or blended
- 4 large eggs
- 1 serrano pepper chopped
- 1 small white onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp Za'atar seasoning for garnish optional
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toss the cubed butternut squash in 1 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tsp garam masala, and 2 tsp of cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until soft and cooked
- Once the butternut squash is cooked and cooled, blend to a puree reserving 1/2 cup of the cubes to add into the sauce mixture if you want some texture. If not, blend all the squash to a puree and set aside
- Preheat oven to 350 again. In an oven safe, heavy bottom pan, like a cast iron or braiser, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and add in the diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped serrano and cook until slightly translucent
- Once raw smell of garlic is gone, add in the butternut squash puree and 1/4 cup of water to loosen it up, if needed, and mix until combined
- Add in the blended tomatoes and mix with the butternut squash until well combined. Then add in the paprika, garam masala, cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt and mix thoroughly and allow mixture to cook so the masalas can blend well with the butternut/tomato mixture
- Once the masalas are cooked into the mixture, create 4 small wells in the mixture and crack one egg into each well. Season with a little bit of pepper
- Move pan into oven and bake eggs for 5-7 minutes or until eggs are cooked to desired level
- Garnish with Za'atar, feta cheese, and chopped fresh parsley
- Serve hot with a side of grilled bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use canned butternut squash puree instead of fresh if you prefer, just skip those steps
- I used a Le Creuset braiser for this dish
