A Delicious 3 Spice Butternut Squash Casserole: A Flavorful Fall alternative to Sweet Potatoes.

A baked squash casserole in a dish surrounded by silver spoons, whole spices and a variety of autumn gourds

Sometimes, you want a side dish on your fall holiday table that has a little pizazz, but is not the same old thing. I feel this way about my sweet potato casserole.

I absolutely love it, but it is packed with butter, brown sugar and a sweetened pecan topping.

I know it is calorie laden. Lordy, it is good though.

Enter the humble butternut squash. It’s not particularly pretty, but underneath that pale skin, is a gorgeous, sweet gourd filled with fiber, vitamins and other nutrients. I add brown sugar/maple syrup, eggs, three warm spices and a splash of vanilla. Bake in a beautiful casserole dish and you have a side dish that is simple, but packed with yumminess.

Enjoy!

A large whole butternut squash on a dark soapstone counter

Why this recipe works:

Roasting the Squash brings out tons of great taste. I much prefer this method to boiling or microwaving.
It is very forgiving. Add as much sugar or maple syrup as you prefer to sweeten. Over the years, I have really cut back on my sugar, but feel free to indulge and add more sweetness.
It can be made ahead. Make up to 24 hours in advance. Store covered in the fridge.
You can add all kinds of toppings like candied pecans or walnuts, oatmeal crumble or leave unadorned like I prefer.
All the ingredients are very simple: butter, eggs, spices, vanilla, a splash of cream and sugar.

Sliced butternut squash on a cutting board — Slice you squash in half with a large knife

Other Pine & Palm Kitchen Autumn Side Dishes to try:

Two halves of a large butternut squash roasting on a sheet pan sliced side down.

How to make this recipe:

Slice and Roast the squash, cut side down on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper
Scoop out the cooked squash and add in spices, vanilla, melted butter, cream and eggs
Butter a casserole dish- 9″ x 13″ or a 2 quart deep dish like the one pictured here. I prefer a deep dish- it just looks a bit fancier.
Bake the casserole for 30 minutes. You want the top to be a little tiny bit crispy.

A butternut squash that has been roasted sliced in half on a sheet pan that is covered with parchment paper

Equipment you will need:

Large rimmed sheet pan- buy my favorite HERE
Parchment paper
A potato masher
Deep 1.5 or 2 quart casserole or gratin dish

Three antique silver teaspoons filled with powdered ginger, whole nutmeg and ground cinnamon surrounded by other whole spices on a counter. — ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon add a perfect fall spice profile

Pro tips:

A deep casserole dish filled with mashed orange butternut squash surrounded by a stemmed pumpkin and spoons and whole nutmeg and cinnamon sticks

Roast the squash cut side down, the little bits of charred flesh make great flavor and texture in your dish.
Use fresh spices– Check your spices every fall to make certain they are no more than 6 months old.
Use the highest quality vanilla you can buy. This is no time to skip- vanilla delivers a great deal of vibrant taste.
Alway line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Foil will stick to the squash and spraying with cooking spray or oil will create a smokey mess in your kitchen. Here is the parchment paper I recommend .

Roasted halved squash resting on a counter on a sheet of parchment paper

Simple Mashed Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe- Pine & Palm Kitchen

0 from 0 votes

Recipe by Meggen Arthur Wilson Course: UncategorizedCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

Calories

361

kcal

A Pine & Palm Kitchen family favorite for your autumn table

Ingredients

1 large 1 Butternut squash – about 1 1/2-2 lbs
1 TBSP 1 olive oil
4 TBSP 4 unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup 1/2 light brown sugar
1/2 tsp 1/2 kosher salt
1 tsp 1 nutmeg
1 tsp 1 ground ginger
1 tsp 1 cinnamon
2 large 2 eggs
1/2 cup 1/2 heavy cream
2 TBSP 2 Pure Maple syrup- not pancake syrup
1 tsp 1 Pure vanilla extract

Directions

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a large cutting board with a heavy knife, cut the squash in half. Remove the fiber and seeds (set seeds aside to roast for a snack). Brush the cut side of the squash with the olive oil. Place the cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 30 minutes or until the skin of the squash can be easily pierced with a fork and is soft all the way through.
Reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees. Butter a 9″ x 13″ casserole or a 2 qt dish well. Set aside.
Let the squash cool slightly until you can handle it with your hands. Peel the skin off the squash- it should come right off. Place the squash into a large bowl and mash slightly.
Add the roasted squash, melted butter, light brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, eggs, heavy cream, maple syrup and vanilla. Mash and mix all together until the squash and ingredients are well incorporated.
Place the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees fro 30 minutes.

Notes

If you cannot safely cut the squash in half, you can absolutely roast it whole. Just add about 10-15 minutes to the baking time. The squash will easily cut in half once fully cooked.

Simple Mashed Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe- Pine & Palm Kitchen

A Delicious 3 Spice Butternut Squash Casserole: A Flavorful Fall alternative to Sweet Potatoes.