Roasted Butternut Squash is the perfect side dish for your favorite holiday recipes. It’s super easy to prepare and ready in only 30 minutes!
If you’ve tried other Veggie sides dishes like Roasted Green Beans and Roasted Mushrooms, you know oven roasting is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to make a healthy dinner accompaniment that wow your guests. This holiday season, treat your family to the best Roasted Butternut Squash recipe that will take you no time at all.
Why You’ll Love This Squash?
- Easy to make with minimal prep and no hands-on cooking.
- Tender centers and deliciously golden, caramelized edges that are hard to resist.
Sabrina’s Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
Roasted Butternut Squash is one of my all-time favorite side dishes to make. Squash is super versatile because you can use it in other recipes, or enjoy it all by itself. It’s perfect for cold fall nights or family gatherings when you want something to keep you feeling full and warm you up. It isn’t just a cold weather side dish though. Like Roasted Root Vegetables, you can dress it up or down for any occasion.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel and de-seed the butternut squash, then cut into 1" cubes.
- Toss the squash with the oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Place onto baking sheet and bake for 28-30 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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Note from Sabrina
The easiest way I’ve found to cube a butternut squash before roasting is to cut the stem off of the end and microwave the squash for 3-4 minutes, until it’s just soft. Then you should be able to use a peeler easily and cut the squash into cubes, making sure to discard the seeds and skin.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
Roasted Butternut Squash is an easy, flavorful side dish that brings out the squash’s natural sweetness as it caramelizes in the oven. You can use butternut squash to make soup, pies, sautés, salads, and stir-fries. You can also roast the halves, stuff them with ground meat and spices, and serve them whole as a decorative holiday dish. Super versatile, and flavorful, I love to add the squash to dishes like Brown Sugar Garlic Pork, Rainbow Roasted Vegetables, or Vegetable Beef Stew when I want a change from potatoes or carrots. This butternut squash recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free if you’re cooking for someone with allergies.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can peel and cube your Butternut Squash ahead of time as a part of your meal prep to make dinner that much easier. Just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator over night to keep it fresh. Take it out when you’re ready to season and roast it.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pre-cut: You can usually find cubed butternut squash already cut up in the produce section or freezer of your grocery store. That will make things even faster and easier for you come dinner time.
- Cut in Half: If you’re roasting the squash for another recipe, try cutting the butternut squash in half instead of cubing the entire thing. It will be soft enough to puree when it’s done and keep that great roasted flavor.
- Fast Cleanup: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup. At the end of a long day, you’ll be glad you did.
Pairing Suggestions
- Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Pork Loin – Let the crockpot do the work while your squash roasts in the oven. You’ll be ready for dinner with time to get other things done, or just put your feet up with a glass of wine.
- Shake and Bake Pork Chops – Timeless pork chops meet their new favorite side. This squash pairs so nicely with sweet and savory pork chops, especially with that salty, crunchy texture next to the tender-crisp squash.
- Hawaiian Kalua Pork– Island meets mainland in savory perfection. Another great pairing of squash and pork. Serve the meat alongside the squash, on top of the squash, or all mixed up together.
- Creamy Lemon Chicken – Make a little extra sauce to drizzle on your squash as you enjoy! The tangy lemon flavor will taste delicious with the sweet side dish.
- Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken – The mildness of the squash pairs great with all of the flavor in jerk chicken. Whether you serve the chicken by itself, in a sandwich, in a wrap, or even on a salad, this recipe can go right along with it!
How to Store
- Serve: You shouldn’t leave Roasted Butternut Squash out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
- Store: You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week in a sealed container.
- Freeze: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. Always allow the squash to completely cool down to room temperature before freezing.
Ideas to Serve
- Soup: Throw your squash into a pot with a few cups of vegetable broth and seasonings, and blend into a creamy Roasted Butternut Squash soup. Serve with some Homemade Dinner Rolls for an easy fall dinner.
- Salad: Try warm and tossed in a delicious salad, coated in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette. It will make a filling meal, and add some wonderful flavor and texture to any salad.
Frequent Questions
Technically you can eat butternut squash skin, but it’s not very pleasant to eat, no matter how you cook it. The texture is chewy and tough. Squash skin won’t harm you, but I wouldn’t recommend it from a culinary standpoint.
Butternut squash is not only tasty, it is also super good for you! Packed with Vitamin A, fiber, potassium, and magnesium, butternut squash is also gluten-free, sodium-free, and low calorie.
Variations
- Sweet: Try Roasted Butternut Squash with brown sugar for a bit of sweetness to take the place of Thanksgiving yams. Honey, or maple syrup drizzled over the top will also make a delicious pairing.
- Savory: If you are looking for a more savory, fall flavor try with cinnamon and maybe even nutmeg sprinkled on top.
- No Oil: Place your squash cubes in a single layer in a large baking dish with 1/4-½ cup vegetable broth on the bottom of the pan. Season and roast until golden brown.
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Photos used in previous version of post:
nice and tasty dishes
this is a wonderful and flavorful way to make butternut squash