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Dinner recipe · from the recipe book

Spiced Beef, Butternut and Chickpea Yogurt Bake

Warm cumin-and-cinnamon ground beef layered with tender butternut squash, chickpeas and spinach under a tangy garlic yogurt custard and a crunchy sesame-pumpkin seed crust.

Spiced Beef, Butternut and Chickpea Yogurt Bake

Ingredients

  • 1 lb450 gGround beef, 90% lean
  • 3½ cups cubed500 gButternut squash, peeledcut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 1 can, drained254 gChickpeas, canned, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups loosely packed120 gBaby spinach
  • 1½ medium150 gYellow oniondiced
  • 4 cloves12 gGarlicminced
  • 2 tbsp30 gTomato paste
  • 1½ tbsp20 gOlive oil
  • 2 tsp4 gGround cumin
  • ½ tsp1 gGround cinnamon
  • 1¼ tsp3 gPaprika (sweet or smoked)
  • ¾ tsp5 gSalt
  • ½ tsp1 gBlack pepper
  • ½ cup120 gWater
  • 2 containers (6 oz)340 gPlain Greek yogurt, nonfat
  • 1 large50 gEggs
  • 1 tbsp15 gLemon juice
  • ¼ cup30 gPumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • 1½ tbsp15 gSesame seeds
  • 2½ tbsp chopped10 gFresh parsleychopped

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. Toss the butternut with half of the olive oil and a pinch of the salt (about a quarter of it), spread on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes until just tender.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining half of the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and onion and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and the beef reaches 160°F (71°C), about 8 minutes.
  4. Stir in the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, black pepper and half of the remaining salt; cook 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and water and simmer 3 minutes.
  5. Fold the roasted butternut, chickpeas and spinach into the beef until the spinach wilts. Spread evenly in the skillet (or move to a 9x13-inch baking dish).
  6. For the yogurt sauce, whisk the greek yogurt, egg, lemon juice and the last of the salt in a bowl, then spread it over the filling.
  7. Mix the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds and scatter them evenly over the yogurt sauce to form the crust.
  8. Lower the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake 25 minutes, until the yogurt topping is set and reaches 160°F (71°C) in the center and the seeds are toasted.
  9. Rest 5 minutes, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Sesame.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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