Wave 2 - Barley, Turkey and Butternut Squash Casserole

  • YUM is all I can say about this!! Linda changes in red , as usual

    Cooking spray
    2 small butternut squash - I bought a pack of cubed raw squash at Trader Joe's. I was being lazy
    2 tsp. olive oil
    1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced - I left this out as green pepper bothers me
    1/2 cup minced onion - I think I used more
    1 tsp. dried sage - I used poultry seasoning and probably more
    Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    2 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken broth
    3/4 cup quick-cooking barley* - I never found the quick cooking stuff
    1/2 lb. cooked turkey breast, cubed or diced - I used diced chicken breast
    1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese - Trader Joe's has a yummy fat free feta so I used that
    I added in thinly sliced zucchini - 4-5 big ones
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 4-quart baking dish with cooking spray. I used 13 X9 pan

    In a large pot of rapidly boiling water, boil squash halves 5 minutes or until not quite tender. Drain. When cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from each half and dice. Set aside. I skipped this step

    In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add green pepper, onion and diced squash. Sauté 3 minutes. I then added the thinly sliced zucchini. Add sage and pepper and stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add barley and return to boil. Since I was unable to find the quick cooking barley, I cooked that separately in chicken stock and then added it later.
    Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed. Skipped this as it was cooked separately. Mix in diced turkey. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and top with feta cheese. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes, or until cheese is golden.