There is a butternut squash sitting on your counter right now, or there will be by Saturday, and the question is always the same one: what do you make with it that is not soup again. These butternut squash recipes are the answer, and they go a lot further than a side dish. There are roasted squash recipes with four ingredients and no peeling at all, creamy squash pasta where the sauce is squash rather than cream, tacos, quesadillas, an enchilada skillet, baked fries for the kid who has declared war on vegetables, gnocchi and ravioli from scratch if you are in that sort of mood, and a stuffed roasted squash that works as a real centerpiece. Soup is in here too, because of course it is, and it is a very good one. I have flagged what each recipe does well, the temperature, the make ahead trick, the step people skip, so you can go straight to the one that suits your week.
1. Butternut Squash Soup
The one everybody starts with, and this version is dairy free without ever announcing it. The squash roasts first, which is the step that separates a good soup from a watery one, then everything gets pureed and thinned with broth to whatever consistency you want. It was originally worked out for a Thanksgiving guest who could not have dairy, and the cook says it came out tastier than the buttered and creamed version she had been making for years. Thyme on top, and that is the whole thing.
Get the full tutorial at Ahead of Thyme.
2. Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Squash simmered with onion, garlic and bay leaves in chicken broth, then blended with whole milk and half a teaspoon of nutmeg into a sauce that coats pasta exactly like a cheese sauce does. Gruyere and pecorino romano go in, so it still tastes properly of cheese, it simply has a pound of vegetables hiding in it. Toasted breadcrumbs made from white bread, butter and parmesan go over the top. That crunchy lid is the difference between this and every sad healthy mac and cheese you have been served.
Get the full tutorial at DIY Joy.
3. Beef-Stuffed Butternut Squash
A whole squash halved and roasted at 425 for forty to forty five minutes, then filled with ground beef, crumbled bacon, mushrooms, carrots, celery and red onion, with half a tablespoon of cinnamon through the beef. That cinnamon sounds odd and it is the best decision in the recipe, because it bridges the sweet squash and the savory meat instead of letting them sit next to each other awkwardly. The beef mixture cooks in a skillet and the onions caramelize separately, so there is washing up at the end, but it is paleo and it is a full dinner rather than a side dish.
Get the full tutorial at Paleo Leap.
4. Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchilada Skillet
Everything happens in one skillet, which is the appeal. Squash, black beans, enchilada sauce and torn tortillas go in together and come out under a layer of melted cheese. Corn tortillas keep it gluten free, flour tortillas work fine if that is what is in the cupboard, and sweet potato swaps straight in for the squash. Add shredded chicken or ground turkey if you want the protein pushed up. Vegetarian as written, easy to change, and it reheats better than most skillet dinners.
Get the full tutorial at Ambitious Kitchen.
5. Creamy Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta
The sauce is squash, not cream, and that is the trick. Cubed squash simmers with red onion, garlic, sage and thyme in chicken stock for eight to ten minutes until fork tender, then the whole lot goes into a blender with a cup of milk and comes out silky. Three strips of applewood bacon and a little butter give it the richness a real alfredo gets from heavy cream. It is written with gluten free spaghetti and almond milk works in place of the dairy.
Get the full tutorial at Joyful Healthy Eats.
6. Stuffed Butternut Squash
Squash halves roasted at 400 for fifty to sixty minutes until a fork slides straight in, then filled with a cup of basmati rice mixed with a can of black beans, two cups of salsa, frozen corn and cheddar, seasoned with cumin, chilli powder, garlic powder and cilantro. Sour cream and guacamole come alongside rather than stirred in. Brush the cut sides with melted butter and a pinch of kosher salt before they go in, and scrub the outside first, because you will be serving in the skin. The squash becomes the bowl, which is why this looks like far more effort than it takes.
Get the full tutorial at Our Life Tastes Good.
7. Oven Roasted Butternut Squash
Four ingredients and no peeling, which is the part worth reading twice. The squash roasts flesh side down with a splash of water in the pan, so the steam keeps it tender while the cut side caramelizes against the hot metal. Forty to forty five minutes at 375. You scoop the flesh straight out of the skin afterward, so nobody has to wrestle a raw squash with a vegetable peeler. Use it as a side, or as the base for soup, mash or anything else on this list.
Get the full tutorial at The Healthy Foodie.
8. Apple Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
Cubed squash gets blanched for three minutes before it roasts, which keeps it from drying out at the edges, then joins red apple, quinoa and chopped almonds under a honey mustard made from five tablespoons each of mustard and honey with lemon juice. Sweet, tart, nutty and filling all at once. The dressing is the part I would make double of, because five tablespoons of each is generous and it is just as good the next night over a plain tray of roasted vegetables.
Get the full tutorial at Dish by Dish.
9. Cinnamon Roasted Butternut Squash
Cinnamon and brown sugar on roasted squash, and it converts people. The cook’s own boys ate it, and so did a friend’s self declared non squash eaters, which is about as good a recommendation as a side dish gets. It roasts at 425 for a proper caramelized edge. The post also covers how to buy and store squash, which is genuinely useful: look for smooth firm skin with no soft spots or discoloration, and a short wide neck over a compact bulb, since that is the one with the most flesh in it.
Get the full tutorial at Chew Out Loud.
10. Spicy Ground Beef and Butternut Squash
A one pan dinner that takes about twenty minutes and is built on spices you already own: paprika, cumin, black pepper and a big pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, with a minced serrano for real heat. Onion and serrano cook first for six or seven minutes, then garlic, spices and a pound of ground beef, then the squash goes in and steams under a lid for ten. Fresh sage at the end. The nutmeg is what makes it taste considered rather than thrown together.
Get the full tutorial at My Heart Beets.
11. Spicy Thai-Style Pumpkin and Butternut Ramen
Coconut oil to start, since coconut milk turns up later anyway, then onion, garlic, a hint of ginger and shiitake mushrooms, which carry far more flavor than a button mushroom without shouting. Cubed squash goes in with Thai curry paste and coconut milk, and sweet potato substitutes if that is what you have. It is a soup that eats like a full dinner. The cook recommends Thai Kitchen red curry paste for the simple reason that you can find it anywhere, which I appreciate in a recipe writer.
Get the full tutorial at Cooking for Keeps.
12. Parmesan Roasted Butternut Squash
Roast it for thirty minutes, flip at the fifteen minute mark, and that flip is the whole technique. You get a crunchy outside and a smooth rich middle, and it is not deep fried, which the cook points out with some satisfaction. Use freshly grated parmesan rather than the powdered kind in the green shaker, because the fresh stuff melts into a crust instead of sitting on top as dust. It costs a little more and it is the difference between a side dish and a good one.
Get the full tutorial at Budget Savvy Diva.
13. Butternut Squash Spaghetti Meatballs
Squash shredded with a julienne peeler into noodles, sauteed in olive oil with garlic and seasoned with salt and pepper as it goes, under baked meatballs made from five hundred grams of minced beef, an egg and a third of a cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. The coconut is standing in for breadcrumbs, which is why this works as a grain free dinner. Oven at 350 for the meatballs. A julienne peeler costs very little and turns this from a project into a weeknight.
Get the full tutorial at Dish by Dish.
14. Butternut Squash Fries
One large squash, olive oil, sea salt. Twenty to thirty five minutes in the oven depending on how thick you cut them, and that is the entire recipe. It is the one I would put in front of a child who has decided vegetables are the enemy. Cut them into standard fry shapes, or use a crinkle cutter if you have one hiding in a drawer. They will never crisp quite like a potato, so do not chase it, and spread them in a single layer with space between or they steam instead of roast.
Get the full tutorial at My Fussy Eater.
15. Twice Baked Butternut Squash
Roasted cut side down and covered with foil at 450 for forty to fifty minutes, then the flesh is scooped, mixed with Greek yogurt, goat cheese and fresh sage, spooned back into the shells, topped with panko and browned at 425. Goat cheese and sage together is a grown up flavor that turns squash into something you would serve to company. The panko is not optional in my book, it is the only crunch in the dish and it earns its place.
Get the full tutorial at Recipe Runner.
16. Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Pizza
Roasted squash and kale strips on a thin crust, and the kale is what makes it, because the edges of the leaves crisp in the oven and go almost like chips. No tomato sauce anywhere, which throws some people and is exactly right here. Cut the squash small so it finishes in the same time as the crust. This is the pizza to make when somebody has handed you an enormous squash from their garden and you have run out of soup ideas.
Get the full tutorial at Bev Cooks.
17. Butternut Squash Carbonara With Fried Sage and Caramelized Onions
Squash sliced half an inch thick, roasted at 375 for twenty to twenty five minutes with a flip at ten, then blended into the sauce. Pancetta, caramelized onion, a quarter cup of heavy cream and fried sage leaves finish a pound of fettuccine. It is richer than the lighter squash pastas on this list and it does not apologize for it. The sage fries in butter for about two minutes, which is long enough to go properly crisp, and crisp sage is the whole reason it is there.
Get the full tutorial at Katie at the Kitchen Door.
18. Butternut Squash Gnocchi
Three ingredients and no egg at all, and to my mind that is exactly why these stay light instead of turning rubbery. Squash gnocchi are softer than potato ones and they want a gentle hand, so work the dough as little as you can get away with. Commenters have dropped them into turkey stock as a first course and stirred chopped sage and parmesan into the dough itself, both of which sound right to me. Boil them until they float, then give them thirty seconds more.
Get the full tutorial at Hungry Cravings.
19. Black Bean and Butternut Squash Vegetarian Quesadillas
Butternut squash puree spread on a tortilla with cheddar and monterey jack, black beans and salsa, then folded and griddled five minutes a side until browned. A quarter cup of squash and a quarter cup of cheese per half is the ratio, and using puree rather than cubes is the smart part, because it spreads like a sauce and holds everything together instead of tumbling out. Sour cream, avocado and lime to serve. A good use for leftover roasted squash.
Get the full tutorial at The Live In Kitchen.
20. Chicken and Butternut Squash Satay Curry
Thai curry paste, coconut milk, canned tomatoes, peanut butter and a little honey, with crushed peanuts and fresh coriander over the top. Crunchy peanut butter is the cook’s preference for the extra texture, and if you have no honey a teaspoon of sugar does the same job of balancing the sharp edges. It is written for the stove top, a slow cooker or a pressure cooker, all three, which is rarer than it should be. The squash gets squashed into the sauce on purpose, so it breaks down and thickens everything.
Get the full tutorial at Scrummy Lane.
21. Vegan Butternut Squash Tacos With Chipotle Black Beans
Three cups of diced squash tossed with a teaspoon of smoked paprika, a tablespoon of olive oil and salt, then roasted at 425 for twenty to twenty five minutes on a foil lined sheet. In the pan alongside it go a chipotle pepper or two in adobo, a third of a cup of red onion, black beans and a teaspoon of cumin. The green on top is not guacamole, it is an avocado crema blended from one avocado, a tablespoon of lime juice and a tablespoon of olive oil. Corn tortillas, ten to twenty seconds a side in a dry skillet. It serves two.
Get the full tutorial at Avocado Pesto.
22. Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
Jumbo shells filled with squash, drizzled with browned butter and topped with crisp sage leaves. It looks like a dinner party dish and the cook is cheerfully honest that she served it to her four kids and their dad, and that nobody mentioned how elegant it was. Browning the butter is a two minute step that changes everything, so watch it closely and pull it the second it smells nutty. The shells go into the oven at 400 to finish.
Get the full tutorial at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
23. Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli
Pasta from scratch, and the flour blend is where this one gets its advice right. A mix of all purpose and semolina gives you dough that stretches without tearing, because semolina is high in gluten, and all purpose alone will still beat anything from a store. Type 00 is lovely if you keep it, and most of us do not. Roll the sheets thinner than feels sensible, since the filling is soft and thick pasta around it just tastes like dough.
Get the full tutorial at Renee Nicole's Kitchen.
24. Butternut Squash Pasta With Chicken
Butternut squash puree, heavy cream and parmesan make the sauce, with bacon, onion and garlic underneath. The chicken in our photograph is one of the flavor variations the recipe lists rather than part of the base dish, so grill some and lay it over the top if you want it, or leave it off and it is still dinner. The puree is what lets you use less cream than a normal cream sauce and still get that coating texture. Boil the pasta properly al dente, because it keeps cooking in the hot sauce.
Get the full tutorial at Dinner at the Zoo.
25. Caramelized Butternut Squash
Roasted at 400 with nuts added near the end, and the make ahead notes are the useful part. Peel and cube the squash days in advance and keep it in an airtight container, chop the nuts and store them at room temperature, or cook the squash al dente a day ahead for about twenty minutes and finish it with the nuts for ten to fifteen when you need it. Leftovers keep three to four days in the fridge and roasted squash freezes for up to a year.
Get the full tutorial at Sweet and Savory by Shinee.
26. 5-Ingredient Butternut Squash Fritters
Five cups of raw shredded butternut squash, two eggs, a tablespoon of fresh minced sage, salt, pepper and two thirds of a cup of flour, fried in two tablespoons of olive oil. That is the whole list. Drop a quarter cup of batter at a time, keep them an inch apart, and give them about two minutes a side until golden before they go on paper towel. The sage is what stops them tasting like a pancake. A cool spoonful on top, sour cream or apple sauce, is how readers eat them and they are right.
Get the full tutorial at Skinny Ms.
27. Butternut Squash Veggie Chips
One squash of about two pounds, peeled and sliced thin, three tablespoons of olive oil, a spoonful or two of herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Thin and even is the entire job here, so a mandoline earns its keep and a sharp knife will do if you are steady. They roast at 375 for twenty minutes, then the oven drops to 350 for about thirty more, until the edges begin to curl. The herbes de Provence is what makes them taste like a snack somebody thought about rather than a plain baked vegetable.
Get the full tutorial at Organic Authority.
28. Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
A whole squash hollowed, roasted at 350 with olive oil, and stuffed with wild and white rice, carrots, celery, onion, walnuts, dried cranberries and fresh sage, then tied and sliced into rounds. It is a vegan centerpiece that genuinely looks like one, which is a rare thing, and the onion gravy the recipe offers alongside is worth making. Tie it firmly with kitchen twine before the second roast or the slices fall apart the moment the knife goes in.
Get the full tutorial at It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken.
