How to Make an Apple Butternut Squash Casserole for the Holidays
Home » COOK » Recipes » Recipes By Course » Side Dishes »
This Apple Butternut Squash Casserole is not only full of vibrant colors, but it’s also full of delicious flavor too. Made with butternut squash, apples, herbs, and spices, and topped with crispy bacon and pecans, it’s a wonderful side dish for the holidays!
Affiliate Disclosure
We have included affiliate links to products and services related to the topic of this post.
We may earn a commission if you purchase after clicking on those links.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Read Our Full Disclosure Policy and Privacy Policy
Apple Butternut Squash Casserole
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required as well as understand the steps and timings involved.
There are times that I think I should have called my blog the purple butternut squash! I use this vegetable so much in recipes you’d think they were my obsession!
Butternut squash (and squash and pumpkins in general) are such a versatile ingredient. They can be used in so many different kinds of recipes – both savory and sweet.
In this recipe the squash is roasted with apples, onions, and herbs – which releases such delicious aromas as it’s cooking in the oven.
It is then topped with crispy bacon and pecans, which gives another level of flavor to this dish.
Apple butternut squash casserole would be the perfect side dish for roasted meats, especially pork or turkey – making it great for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or anytime you want a yummy side!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
You may have some of the ingredients for this recipe in your kitchen already – the full list with measurements is found in the recipe card.
For your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients and equipment needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon if available online.
- Coconut Oil
- Fresh Produce – butternut squash, apples red onion, sage, thyme
- Bacon – thick cut and cut into pieces, you could also use lardons
- Pecans
- Honey – buy locally produced honey if possible
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Cloves
This recipe uses American cups. They’re a handy piece of kitchen equipment to have along with a kitchen food scale. Having both in your kitchen means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog as I use both cups and weighted measures.
More Recipes Using Butternut Squash
One of the hero ingredients in this recipe is butternut squash, so here are some more recipes using the same:
- Oven-Roasted Apple & Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Oven-Roasted Fall Harvest Soup with Butternut Squash & Apples
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup – Slow Cooker Recipe
More Side Dish Recipes
Looking for more side dishes to make? Check these recipes out next:
- Roasted Apple Cauliflower Mash with Crispy Brussels Sprouts
- Rustic Roasted Potatoes with Garlic, Rosemary & Lemon
- Italian Roasted Vegetables
How Do I Make Apple Butternut Squash Casserole?
Just check out the recipe card below with full ingredients, and instructions. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, the pics don’t print to save your ink!).
Apple Butternut Squash Casserole
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted, divided
- 3 cups cubed butternut squash
- 2 medium firm apples cubed
- 1 small red onion chopped
- 1½ tsp fresh sage chopped
- 1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cup pecans roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp honey
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and grease a 9×13” baking dish with 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil. Set aside.
- Combine the butternut squash, apples, red onion, 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil, sage, and thyme in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.
- Transfer the butternut squash mixture onto the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Place in the preheated oven to roast just until the butternut squash is fork-tender, around 25-30 minutes.
- While the butternut squash mixture is roasting, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the bacon is cooked through and crispy, approximately 8-10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a small mixing bowl lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Blot off remaining grease on top and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Once cooled, discard the paper towels and add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil, chopped pecans, honey, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Season with salt and black pepper, as desired, and toss to combine.
- Remove squash from oven and top with the bacon-pecan mixture. Return to the oven until the topping is nicely browned, approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Meal!
You’ve made the side dish, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to make a full meal!
- Appetizer: Winter Vegetable Soup
- Main Dish: Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Potatoes
- Beverage: Apple Cider Dark and Stormy Cocktail
- Dessert: Apple Pie Layer Cake with Cinnamon Frosting & Walnut Crumble Topping
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!