Stuffed Butternut Squash

Roasted butternut squash is mashed with lots of cheese and bacon and then stuffed back into the squash skins and baked in this filling and comforting Stuffed Butternut Squash.

If you’re a butternut squash lover like I am, you’ll also love this Butternut Squash Bread or Skillet Butternut Squash Lasagna.

I am a butternut squash lover. It’s by far my favorite squash, and I’ll gladly eat it year round.

If you are also a butternut squash lover, this recipe is right up your alley. It’s kind of like a twice baked potato, but in squash form.

With lots of cheese. Lots of it.

This Stuffed Butternut Squash is creamy and cheesy and, well, butternut squash served in a whole new way. It is also surprisingly filling and makes the perfect dinner.

This was one of those meals that I couldn’t stop thinking about after dinner, and woke up the next morning excited to eat the leftovers for lunch. And luckily, it makes great leftovers, as well!

Ingredients

• Butternut Squash: Butternut squash are pretty easy to find at the grocery store, especially in the fall and winter. You’ll want two smaller squash, about 2 pounds each.
• Olive Oil: You can also use another oil, like avocado oil or vegetable oil.
• Salt, Pepper, and Nutmeg: These are all for seasoning the squash as it bakes. I prefer freshly grated nutmeg. If you don’t have fresh, use a very small amount of ground nutmeg. You can also leave it out.
• Bacon: While the bacon brings in tons of flavor, you can always omit it if you want to make a meatless meal.
• Cheese: There are 3 different kinds of cheese – cheddar, parmesan, and ricotta. I like to use sharp cheddar, but feel free to use what you’d like. The ricotta adds a lot of creaminess to the dish, so I wouldn’t skip it.
• Herbs: I used dried thyme and rubbed sage. Feel free to use different herbs, or if you have fresh herbs on hand, they would work beautifully.
• Green Onions: The green onions are optional, but I love the freshness they bring to the final dish.

How to Make Stuffed Butternut Squash

1. Start by cutting your squash in half. Drizzle it with oil, then season with salt, pepper, and fresh nutmeg.
2. Bake, cut side up, until the squash is tender. Let it cool slightly. While the squash is baking, cook the bacon.
3. Once it is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh, leaving a bit around the edges to keep the peel intact.
4. Mash the squash, then add 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, all of the ricotta, as well as the thyme and sage. Add half of the bacon, and stir it all together.
5. Scoop the mixture back into the squash shells. Top them with the remaining cheese, and bake until the cheese is melted.
6. Serve the squash topped with the rest of the bacon and the green onions.

Tips and Tricks

The trickiest part to this recipe is cutting the butternut squash in half. You will need a good cutting board and a sharp knife. I will sometimes cut off the stem end to make it easier to cut the squash in half. But a sharp knife is key.

The time it takes the squash to bake will depend on its size. Sometimes it’s hard to find a squash that is around 2 pounds, so if the squash is bigger, it will take longer to bake.

You will know when the squash is done when you can easily pierce it with a fork.

You can cook the squash ahead of time to save time, as well. Just store the cooked squash in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

More Butternut Squash Recipes

Butternut Squash Soup
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Butternut Squash Risotto
Bacon and Spiralized Butternut Squash Pizza
Butternut Squash Chili with Beef
Penne with Butternut Squash and Sausage
Sausage and Butternut Squash Slab Pie

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Stuffed Butternut Squash

5 from 6 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

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Roasted butternut squash is mashed with lots of cheese and bacon and then stuffed back into the squash skins and baked in this filling and comforting Stuffed Butternut Squash.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 butternut squash about 2 lbs each
• ▢ Extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ Freshly grated nutmeg
• ▢ 1 lb. Bacon
• ▢ 2 cups 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• ▢ Sliced green onions

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil.
• Halve each butternut squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the squash cut side up on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Roast the squash until it is tender, 40-60 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. You should be able to pierce the squash easily with a fork. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
• Decrease the oven temperature to 375ºF.
• Dice the bacon into small pieces. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
• When the squash is cool enough to handle with your hands, scoop out the flesh of the squash, leaving a border around the edges to keep the squash intact.
• Place the squash flesh in a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher. Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, the ricotta, thyme, and sage to the squash. Add half of the cooked bacon. Stir all together until fully combined.
• Stuff the squash shells with the mashed squash mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and parmesan over the tops.
• Return the squash to the oven and bake unit the cheese on top has melted, about 20 minutes.
• Serve the squash topped with the sliced green onions and the remaining bacon.

Recipe Notes:

Adapted from The Rachael Ray Show

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutritional information calculated using 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1butternut squash half, Calories: 691kcal (35%), Carbohydrates: 36g (12%), Protein: 41g (82%), Fat: 44g (68%), Saturated Fat: 20g (125%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 134mg (45%), Sodium: 1623mg (71%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 13g (14%)

Keywords: butternut squash, butternut squash recipe, stuffed butternut squash