Stuffed Butternut Squash
Stuffed Butternut Squash , filled with a savory wild rice stuffing made from fresh herbs, meaty mushrooms and crisp apples, is a hearty main dish or holiday side that’s perfect for your festive fall table. It’s a great option to add to your holiday menu as an alternative to traditional turkey.
I’ve had 2 butternut squash on my counter for about 2 months now and I finally got around to cooking them. That’s the great thing about butternut squash. It can last 2-3 months at room temperature right on your countertop until you’re ready to cook them.
This stuffed butternut squash recipe features fork tender, buttery squash topped with an herby, wild rice filling, then drizzled with gooey maple syrup. There are tons of variations available, and aside from the time it takes to finely chop everything, it’s a relatively easy recipe to follow, just like this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup and my Butternut Squash Spaghetti.
Whether you use it as a main course or a holiday side dish, it’s the perfect addition to a festive holiday table.
Ingredients with Substitutions
- Butternut Squash – choose organic butternut squash whenever possible. A ripe butternut squash will be creamy tan, amber or orange in color with a hard exterior and matte finish. Steer clear of squash with green spots or stripes as this indicates it’s not completely ripe. You can substitute with spaghetti squash or acorn squash using the same exact recipe.
- Olive Oil – I recommend extra virgin olive oil in all my recipes, however, you can substitute with any neutral oil works.
- Vegetable Broth – this is added to the rice cooker with the rice. You can substitute with filtered water.
- Wild Rice – I love the contrasting colors of the wild rice so it’s a favorite in this recipe. It’s perfectly fine to substitute with brown rice, black rice, or any rice you have on hand.
- Garlic – ok to substitute with garlic powder.
- Onion – a sweet, yellow onion is my choice, however, any type will do.
- Celery – fresh celery adds an irresistible crunch that should not be substituted.
- Mushrooms – I use white mushrooms for the recipe, but whatever’s available in your grocery store is just fine.
- Apple – I used a red delicious for this recipe, but any apple will do, like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.
- Pecans – chopped pecans are my favorite, but walnuts, slivered almonds or pepitas will also work.
- Fresh Herbs & Seasonings – finely chopped fresh sage, rosemary, thyme and kale enhance the savory flavor of the stuffing. Don’t like kale? Substitute with fresh spinach. In addition, ground cumin, sea salt and black pepper is added to further enhance
- Toppings – fresh or dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds add a pop of color to the beautiful squash. You can also sprinkle on any leftover chopped herbs and/or drizzle with maple syrup.
For exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card below!
How to Make Stuffed Butternut Squash
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: start with a preheated oven at 400F/204C and a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
To soften the squash and make it easier to cut, pierce each whole butternut squash twice with a sharp knife. Stick in your microwave, one squash at a time, for 4 minutes, allowing each squash to rest for a few minutes in your microwave before removing.
Make your wild rice in a rice cooker or on your stovetop following manufacturers instructions.
Step 1: Cut each squash in half, lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
Step 2: If you want more space for stuffing, scrape out additional flesh as above. Place on a lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Turn so squash is face down and stick in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn over and roast face up another 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. In the meantime make the stuffing.
Step 3: Heat olive oil for 1 minute over medium high heat. Add minced garlic, finely chopped onion, celery, kale, fresh herbs and seasonings to the skillet.
Step 4: Give all the veggies a good stir and cook until onions are translucent.
Step 5: Add in mushrooms, chopped pecans and apple and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Step 6: Finally, add in wild rice and stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Remove butternut squash from oven and stuff each cavity with a generous portion of wild rice stuffing. Top with fresh cranberries and chopped herbs.
Variations
- If You Don’t Like Mushrooms – add plant based spicy sausage, vegan ground beef (like in my Vegan Shepherd’s Pie), or cooked quinoa instead.
- Increase Your Protein and Fiber – with chickpeas or black beans, like in my Vegan Enchilada Casserole.
- Fire it Up – add a little bit of red pepper flakes to give it a little heat.
- That’s Italian – make it Italian inspired by adding Italian seasoning and vegan Parmesan cheese.
What to Do with Leftover Butternut Squash
- Make soup – this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup is easy to make with leftovers.
- Make pasta – add it to pasta noodles, like my Butternut Squash Spaghetti.
- Make another delicious side – mix a little vegan butter with some Vegan Parmesan for a whole other Oprah of a side dish.
- Add to smoothies – like this Healthy Pumpkin Smoothie for added nutrition and fiber.
Frequently Asked Questions
Peeling before roasting butternut squash is unnecessary. The skin is completely edible and full of nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, E and potassium, fiber and antioxidants so by all means, keep it on.
Yes! You can prepare the stuffing and roast the squash separately. Assemble them and refrigerate, then bake the stuffed squash for about 20–30 minutes at 350°F (175°C) to reheat.
Yes! Freeze fully assembled stuffed squash in an airtight container or wrap tightly in foil for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for about 45–50 minutes or until fully warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
- As a main dish with your favorite holiday sides. Think Roasted Mashed Cauliflower, Vegan Cranberry Sauce and a side of Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits.
- As a side dish with your favorite holiday mains, like my Vegan Mushroom Wellington or my Vegan Lentil Loaf.
- On it’s own with your favorite holiday beverage, like my Christmas Old Fashioned Cocktail , Spiced Cranberry Spritzer’s, homemade Vegan Eggnog or my Vegan Espresso Martini.
Storage
To Store – store in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To Freeze – freeze fully assembled stuffed squash in an airtight container or wrap tightly in foil for up to 3 months.
To Reheat – bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for about 45–50 minutes or until fully warmed through.
More Savory Squash Recipes
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Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 whole butternut squash halved, seeds removed, roasted
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup celery finely chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms finely chopped
- 3/4 cup apple finely chopped
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1/4 cup kale finely chopped
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
- fresh cranberries or pomegranate seeds
- fresh herbs
Instructions
- BEFORE YOU BEGIN: start with a preheated oven at 400F/204C and a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. To soften the squash and make it easier to cut, pierce each whole butternut squash twice with a sharp knife. Stick in your microwave, one squash at a time, for 4 minutes, allowing each squash to rest for a few minutes in your microwave before removing. Make your wild rice in a rice cooker or on your stovetop following manufacturers instructions.
- Cut each squash in half, lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
- If you want more space for stuffing, scrape out additional flesh as above. Place on a lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Turn so squash is face down and stick in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn over and roast face up another 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. In the meantime make the stuffing.
- Heat olive oil for 1 minute over medium high heat. Add minced garlic, finely chopped onion, celery, kale, fresh herbs and seasonings to the skillet.
- Give all the veggies a good stir and cook until onions are translucent.
- Add in mushrooms, chopped pecans and apple and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Finally, add in wild rice and stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Remove butternut squash from oven and stuff each cavity with a generous portion of wild rice stuffing. Top with fresh cranberries and chopped herbs.
Notes
- Nutrition information is an estimate.
- If You Don’t Like Mushrooms – add plant based spicy sausage, vegan ground beef (like in my Vegan Shepherd’s Pie), or cooked quinoa instead.
- Fire it Up – add a little bit of red pepper flakes to give it a little heat.
- That’s Italian – make it Italian inspired by adding Italian seasoning and vegan Parmesan cheese.
- Increase Your Protein and Fiber – with chickpeas or black beans, like in my Vegan Enchilada Casserole.
- To Store – store in your refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze – freeze fully assembled stuffed squash in an airtight container or wrap tightly in foil for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat – bake from frozen at 350°F (175°C) for about 45–50 minutes or until fully warmed through.
We made this stuffed butternut squash for our guests and they loved it!
Great news, thank you Nora.
I made this Stuffed Butternut Squash recently, and it turned out to be a real winner. The wild rice stuffing with fresh herbs, mushrooms, and apples was the perfect combination of flavors. It’s hearty and satisfying without being heavy, and it made a great main dish for dinner.
Happy to hear, thanks Oscar.
I made the Stuffed Butternut Squash, and it’s such a hearty and flavorful dish—perfect for a cozy dinner!
I love it too, thanks Criss.
These worked perfectly!! Plus, the gorgeous colors were beautiful on the serving platter—a winner all around!
So happy to hear that. I love what a centerpiece they make, too. Thanks Liz.
This stuffed butternut squash was so perfect for a festive autumn dinner! The colours are absolutely stunning and we loved the sweet and juicy pops of pommegranate seeds. Healthy too, what more could you want?
Oh, thanks so much, Sonja.