Roasted butternut squash is perfect on it’s own or makes a great foundation for other butternut squash recipes, such as butternut squash soup. It’s the perfect Thanksgiving Recipes this holiday season.
Roasted Butternut Squash Recipe
Roasting butternut squash couldn’t be easier. The hard part is getting it diced up, really. Once the squash is cubed, there are only three more steps for a total of four.
- Cut the squash as directed below.
- Drizzle olive oil over the cubed squash and toss to evenly coat.
- Transfer the squash to a parchment lined baking sheet and spread out so no two pieces overlap. Season with salt or any other seasoning of your choosing.
- Cook for about 40 minutes in the oven. You may need a bit more or less depending on the size of your squash cubes. Cook until tender and golden. Remove from the oven and grub away!
How to Cut Butternut Squash
Cutting butternut squash can be intimidating if you haven’t done it before. All you need is a vegetable peeler, sharp knife and focus to make sure you don’t cut yourself.
1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the hard skin from the exterior. It may take a few passes to get completely off.
2. Once skinned, lay the squash on its side on a large cutting board. Cut 1/2” off both ends and discard.
3. Stand the squash upright so the fattest/widest part is on the bottom.
4. Slice down the middle, vertically creating two halves.
5. Remove the seeds with a large spoon.
6. Place half of the squash, seed-side down, on the cutting board and cut into 3/4”-1” slices. Repeat with the second half. You will be left with half circle shaped slices.
7. Cut those half circle slices into 3/4”-1” cubed pieces. Repeat until you’re left with a ton of 3/4”-1” cubed squash. Now you’re ready to roast.
How To Peel Butternut Squash
If you’re looking to roast butternut squash in cubed form, you need to peel it first. It would be too difficult and labor intensive to do so after the fact.
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If you’re roasting whole butternut squash (or in halves) there is no need to peel as it will help keep its shape.
You can use the instructions provided for roasting butternut squash halves, however you’ll need to adjust the cooking time to about 45 minutes.
To peel, just grab your handy dandy vegetable peeler and peel as you would any other fruit or vegetable. It may take a few passes to remove as butternut squash has very thick skin.
Ways To Use Cooked Squash
My preference is to eat it solo – the earthy, rich flavor of butternut squash is unparalleled. Of course that can get boring, so here are other ways to use roasted butternut squash.
1. Make mashed butternut squash (a la mashed potatoes style). Just add some butter, cream (or milk) and a bit more salt and you have a filling side dish. You could throw in some garlic and extra herbs to amp up the flavor if that’s your thing.
2. Make butternut squash soup (recipe coming soon!)
3. Use in baked goods in place of pumpkin puree. Think muffins, cakes, breads and more. Our Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins would be a great place to start!
4. Add it in place of potatoes for a filling Sausage and Egg breakfast skillet.
5. Use it to make Butternut Squash Ravioli.
More Vegetable Recipes
Here are a few more vegetable recipes to check out:
How To Roast Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Cover a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Peel and cut the squash into similar size cubes, approx. ½".
- Drizzle olive oil over the cut squash and toss to evenly coat.
- Transfer the squash to the baking sheet and spread out, ensuring no two pieces touch.
- Season with salt and cook for approx. 40 minutes, tossing the cubes halfway through. Check with a fork to ensure the squash is tender and golden before removing. Cook for an additional 5 minutes if needed (depends on the size of your squash cubes). Repeat in 5 minute increments as needed.
- Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving platter, and enjoy.