Christmas nut roast

Name: Christmas nut roast
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 250g chestnut mushrooms; 800g butternut squash or pumpkin, cut into bite-sized chunks; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped; 1 tsp dried sage; 1 tsp dried thyme; 180g cooked and peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped; 250g unsalted mixed nuts, toasted; 50g breadcrumbs; 40g dried cranberries; 80g crumbled stilton

Ingredients

If you’re trying to eat less and better this Christmas, it’s never been easier to trade up your meat dishes to higher welfare or meat-free alternatives. This nut roast recipe is a tasty, simple festive treat that can be adapted to be vegan friendly by leaving out the cheese.

2 tbsp olive oil
250g chestnut mushrooms
800g butternut squash or pumpkin, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
180g cooked and peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
250g unsalted mixed nuts, toasted
50g breadcrumbs
40g dried cranberries
80g crumbled stilton

Method

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Toss the butternut squash in oil and lightly season, then spread on a baking tray and cook for 30 mins.
While this cooks, add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Sauté the onion in a pan with a little oil and cook until soft, then add the garlic and allow to cook for a couple of minutes before adding the mushroom. Once the liquid has evaporated, add your dried herbs and chestnuts. Combine well, then remove from heat.
Add the toasted nuts to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add these to the mushroom mixture along with approximately two thirds of the cranberries and all of the stilton.
Mash the cooked butternut squash roughly with a fork and add this to the mixture along with the breadcrumbs. Stir well and season to taste. Spoon the mixture into a nonstick loaf tin or deep baking tray and cook in oven for 30 mins, uncovered. Remove from oven and leave to cool for 5 mins, then sprinkle with the remaining cranberries.