Apple Butternut Squash Casserole with Bacon-Pecan Topping
Apples and butternut squash are two of the stars of the fall season and combining them into one dish creates a proper seasonal comfort food. This Apple Butternut Squash Casserole is completed with a bacon-pecans topping that adds crunch and just a little extra flavour. What’s not to love?
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What are the best apples to use?
When choosing the type of apples for this recipe, make sure you go for ones that are firm-fleshed so they don’t break down during cooking and go all mushy and horrible. A few suggestions include Granny Smith, Braeburn, Honey Crisp or Pink Lady.
Are Acorn and Butternut Squash Interchangeable?
There are a lot of squashes and many of them can be swapped in place of butternut squash. This includes acorn squash but there are a few differences to be aware of before you do.
First up, acorn squash is a lot harder to peel. Butternut squash is also a slightly sweeter taste so it works well with the apples. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend making the swap in this recipe and saving the acorn squash for its own specialist dish.
What you need to make Apple Butternut Squash Casserole
- ¼ c. coconut oil, melted, divided
- 3 c. butternut squash, cubed
- 2 medium firm apples, cubed
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1½ t. fresh sage, chopped
- 1½ t. fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ½ c. pecans, roughly chopped
- 2 T. honey
- ½ t. ground cinnamon
- ¼ t. ground cloves
How to make the recipe
Preheat oven to 400°F 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 the 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.
Storing the recipe
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days once it has fully cooled. If you have any unused butternut squash after making the recipe, you can also store or freeze it to keep it fresh longer.
Recipe tips
You can swap the pecans for chopped walnuts if you prefer their taste. Slivered almonds also work well in this recipe.
Change the spices for nutmeg and ginger if you want or to make it a bit spicier, add a dash of cayenne pepper into the mix.
If you are big meat eaters, add some browned sausage, shredded chicken or leftover turkey into the dish. You could even add some cooked ground beef.
Apple Butternut Squash Casserole with Bacon-Pecan Topping
Try this tasty fall flavoured dish mixing butternut squash and apples into a filling casserole recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ c. coconut oil, melted, divided
- 3 c. butternut squash, cubed
- 2 medium firm apples, cubed
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1½ t. fresh sage, chopped
- 1½ t. fresh thyme leaves
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ½ c. pecans, roughly chopped
- 2 T. honey
- ½ t. ground cinnamon
- ¼ t. ground cloves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13” 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 the 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.
Notes
You can swap the pecans for chopped walnuts if you prefer their taste. Slivered almonds also work well in this recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 444Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 385mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 9gSugar: 22gProtein: 9g
