These Roasted Butternut Squash Recipes are perfect for fall! Try the roasted butternut squash soup, butternut sheet pan meal or stuffed squash halves.
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Are you supposed to peel butternut squash?
Preparation really depends on how you plan to use the squash. The skin of a butternut squash is very tough when raw. If you plan to slow roast the squash, that will give the skin enough time to become soft and edible. You could choose to leave the skin on in this case.
If you are going to peel a butternut squash, cut both ends off so the squash is stable on a flat surface. Cut it in half where it starts to widen, then use a serrated knife to peel the skin off. A Y shaped vegetable peeler will also work.
As you peel, you’ll see some green lines under the skin. Make sure to peel those off as well. They are tough and fibrous. All you want left is the orange flesh.
Microwaving the squash for two minutes will soften the skin and make it easier to cut so that's what I usually do when preparing.
How to cut butternut squash for roasting
For two of these butternut squash recipes, you will need to dice the squash after peeling it. Follow these steps to make it an easy task:
- Cut the fat section of the squash in half, revealing the seeds.
- Scoop out the seed (you can roast these just like pumpkin seeds!)
- Dice your three sections of peeled squash into one inch cubes – you can cut into smaller pieces (about 1/2 inch) so the squash will cook faster.
How to roast butternut squash
You can roast a whole butternut by simply cutting it in half, removing the seeds and brushing it with olive oil. The time it takes depends on the size of the squash. You can sometimes find butternut squash pre-chopped at the grocery store. If you go this route, make sure to use the squash pieces within a day or two of buying as they go slimey pretty fast.
An average squash will take about 30-45 minutes to roast depending on how it's been prepared. Super small pieces will roast in just 15 minutes, whereas 1-inch cubes are done in 30 minutes, and a whole squash cut in half will take 45 minutes.
If you want pieces of squash, dice the squash as described above. Once it is diced, toss the pieces with oil and any seasonings you like (garlic is a favorite!). Spread the pieces evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes. Test a large piece with a fork for tenderness when you think they are done.
Spices that go with butternut squash
Besides the standard seasoning of salt, pepper and garlic, several other flavors go well with butternut squash. Here they are listed below:
- Sage
- Fennel
- Paprika
- Honey and mustard
- Cayenne pepper
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Basil
Don't be afraid to get creative and do a little experimenting yourself though! This is a versatile vegetable that adapts well to most flavours and makes a great fall side dish.
How do you stop roasted butternut squash from being mushy?
For the butternut squash soup, you want very soft squash so that it can be pureed.
However, for the roasted butternut squash, you want it to be crisper on the outside and soft on the inside – never outright mushy. To achieve this, do not cover the squash in the oven. You want to allow it to brown on the outside. Keep the temperature high enough to caramelize the exterior – these recipes call for 450 F.
Three roasted butternut squash recipes
The basis of all three of these recipes is roasted butternut squash. Enjoy the selection in the store this time of year and add all of these varieties to your weekly meal plan! Take a look at the pictures below to see how each recipe is prepared. You can roast squash in so many different ways but these three recipes highlight the most common ways.
- Honey dijon sheet pan dinner
- Butternut squash soup
- Sausage stuffed squash
SAUSAGE STUFFED SQUASH
HONEY DIJON SHEET PAN DINNER
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
What to serve with roasted butternut squash
As you can see with these recipes, most meats go well with butternut squash. If you want to use butternut squash for other meals, try pairing it with:
- Pasta
- Steak
- Grilled chicken or pork chops
- Beans and legumes
- Green salad
- Wild rice
- Quinoa
Storing and freezing butternut squash
Store uncut and uncooked butternut squash in a cool dry place for two to three months. This long shelf life is thanks to its tough skin, which protects the soft interior.
You can freeze cubed and uncooked butternut squash. Freeze them on a baking tray to keep them from sticking together and then transfer to an airtight container. Then, when you want to use it, you can put it directly into the oven or soups. Best part is, there isn't a need to thaw it first!
Pureed butternut squash can be frozen in containers or ice cube trays for up to three months. The butternut squash soup can be made and frozen as well.
All of these dishes can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for four days. They are all great for meal prep.
More butternut squash recipes
These recipes will give you a great start on taking advantage of all the health benefits and amazing taste butternut squash has to offer. Try it in these recipes as well.
Tools for preparing butternut squash
- A Y shaped vegetable peeler is the best way to peel squash
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these recipes into your weekly lunches.
- Freeze cut up squash in glass microwave-safe bowls with lids up to 3 months
- Grab an immersion blender to blend up the roasted squash to make the soup recipe
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Roasted Butternut Squash Recipes 3 Ways
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Soup
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic (whole, not minced)
- 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 5 sage leaves (optional but highly recommended)
Stuffed squash
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 small butternut squash, peeled & sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cups kale
Butternut squash sheet pan dinner
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 butternut squash, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 bunch broccoli or broccolini
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Butternut Squash Soup
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss butternut squash, carrots, onions and garlic cloves in olive oil and salt & pepper. Add to a parchment-lined baking sheet then roast for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through.
- Add roasted veggies, vegetable broth and sage leaves to a blender and wait 10 minutes for mixture to cool before blending (hot liquid can explode). Serve and enjoy! Soup can be frozen up to 3 months.
Stuffed squash
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Microwave squash one at a time for 2 minutes each. Peel and slice butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds then arrange halves on a parchment lined baking sheet, cut sides up.
- Bake for 45 minutes until softened. Meanwhile, mix fennel, paprika, garlic powder, salt & pepper into raw ground turkey to create sausage. Pan fry with olive oil over med-high heat for 7-8 minutes until fully browned and cooked through. Stir in kale then set aside.
- Remove squash from oven and scrape out a thin layer of flesh. Either reserve flesh for another use or toss with cooked turkey and kale, then stuff back into squash and bake another 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Butternut squash sheet pan dinner
- Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss squash and broccolini in olive oil then season with salt & pepper. Toss chicken in a separate bowl with honey & mustard then season with salt & pepper.
- Add everything to a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, tossing squash halfway through. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
*Nutrition info is for the stuffed squash recipe. The nutritional info will be about the same for the sheet pan dinner. The squash soup serves 4 and is about 135 calories per serving (with 7.25g fat, 18.75g carbs, 1.75g protein)
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