1 cup brown or white rice
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 tsp crumbled dried sage
2-3 cups coarsely grated butternut squash or other winter squash
salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Fontina cheese

Bechamel Sauce
1/4 cup minced shallot or onion
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper

Cook the shallot in the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until soft. Pour in milk and heat. In a small bowl mix cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and stir until smooth. Just before milk is at the boiling point, whisk in the cornstarch slurry and continue whisking until mixture boils and is thickened. Turn off heat and season with nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.

For the Casserole:
Make the rice (unless using leftovers) and the sauce. Heat the butter with the sage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, 1/2 tsp salt, and saute until the squash begins to brown in places, about 8 minutes. Toward the end, stir in the garlic and parsley. Combine the rice, sauce, squash and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn into a casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees until hot and beginning to form a crust on top, about 30 minutes