Dinner for 7

Cheesy Baked Pearl Barley

Name: Cheesy Baked Pearl Barley
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 7 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 butternut pumpkin; 1/2 tbsp olive oil; salt (optional); ground pepper (optional); 3 cups pearl barley; 1 L vegetable stock; 2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp plain flour; 1 L milk; 2 cups cheddar cheese; 1 tbsp cream; 1/2 tbsp olive oil; 250 g cherry tomatoes; 7 mushrooms; 1 cup cheddar cheese; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

$10.36for 475 minServes 7

Pearl barley, roasted vegetables, creamy cheddar sauce, and Parmesan bake together into a hearty casserole.

What it costs

Pick your city to see which ingredients are on sale

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
	Winter squash (butternut, 1 lb$1.29/lb typical	1 lb	$1.29Typical price
	Quinoa, 18 oz$0.20/oz typical	18 oz	$3.60Typical price
	Broth, 35 oz$0.07/oz typical	35 oz	$2.46Typical price
	Butter, 1 oz$0.40/oz typical	1 oz	$0.40Typical price
	Milk, 36 oz$0.04/oz typical	36 oz	$1.44Typical price
	Cheddar and shredded cheese, 12 oz$0.30/oz typical	12 oz	$3.60Typical price
	Heavy cream, 0.5 oz$0.22/oz typical	0.5 oz	$0.11Typical price
	Cherry and grape tomatoes, 8.75 oz$0.30/oz typical	8.75 oz	$2.65Typical price
	Mushrooms, 5 oz$0.40/oz typical	5 oz	$1.96Typical price
	Parmesan, 1 oz$0.55/oz typical	1 oz	$0.48Typical price
Total for the servings shown		$18.14

Swaps

Swap cheddar and shredded cheese for mozzarellaabout the same price
Swap heavy cream for evaporatedabout $0.08/oz less at typical prices
Swap milk for almondabout $0.01/oz more at typical prices
Swap butter for margarine and vegan butterabout $0.15/oz less at typical prices

Pantry staples you likely have

Olive and cooking oilSalt and pepperFlour

Not included in the cost.

75 minstart to table
Mediumdifficulty
7servings as written
$$typical cost tier

American Vegetarian High-protein Budget Family Dinners

Typical price

$2.59 per serving$10.36 for 4

City Store

Typical price: Salefork's estimate of an everyday US shelf price for each ingredient. Pick your city to price it from this week's ad.

Ingredients

1/2 butternut pumpkin
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt (optional)
ground pepper (optional)
3 cups pearl barley
1 L vegetable stock
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1 L milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 tbsp cream
1/2 tbsp olive oil
250 g cherry tomatoes
7 mushrooms
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Steps

Heat the oven to 400 F and oil a large baking dish.
Cut the pumpkin into cubes, toss it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes.
Simmer the barley in the vegetable stock and enough water to cover it by 1 inch for 35 to 40 minutes, then drain.
Cook the mushrooms and tomatoes in olive oil over medium heat for 8 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour, then gradually whisk in the milk and cook for 8 minutes until thickened.
Stir 2 cups cheddar and the cream into the sauce, combine it with the barley, vegetables, and pumpkin, then top with the remaining cheddar and Parmesan.
Bake in the prepared dish for 15 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned.