Unlike typical squash dishes that contain sweet and fragrant ingredients, this creamy baked Squash Casserole is a little different because it’s savoury. There are very few ingredients, it’s simple to prepare and best of all, it can be made ahead so it’s ready to bake any time.
If you’ve got diabetics in your family like I do, you may be looking for squash recipes that don’t contain sugar, maple syrup, honey or other sweet components. Squash doesn’t always have to taste like pumpkin pie. But did you know you can make pumpkin pie with squash? I do it all the time. And I often serve baked squash with lots of butter and maple syrup but I love this savoury version.
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You can make Squash Casserole with most types of winter squash. Obviously Spaghetti Squash is not one of them but Butternut, Acorn or Buttercup are good choices because they’re large and commonly available. When in season most squash is very inexpensive, especially if it’s grown locally. And with its long storage life you can pick up a variety of different types so you can find your favourite.
I apologize for the two part cooking process but pre cooking the squash before baking the casserole is the only way to get a smooth texture. But since squash can be cooked various ways and freezes well after cooking, it’s not an onerous task. Some people peel and cube squash then boil to cook. Others cut them in half and bake cut side down. My preferred method? Place the whole squash in a microwave and oven safe dish. Pre cook it in the microwave for about 8-10 minutes depending on its size, turning a few times at intervals. Then finish baking in the oven. This method speeds up the cooking process and saves you running the oven for too long. You can even turn off the oven after about half an hour and let the residual heat finish baking your squash.
So how do you tell if a squash is fully cooked? You should be able to easily slide a knife right through it. If you’re baking a butternut squash which is my favourite, check the neck area, not the bulb at the end because the neck is the most dense. You should be able to gently squeeze a cooked squash. Once it’s cool enough to handle, cut it in half, scrape the seeds out and scoop out the cooked flesh. If you find you’ve got some that’s not quite soft, just put the bowl in the microwave for a few minutes to finish cooking. No big deal. Season with salt and pepper. I recommend white pepper because it’s very finely ground and it has an earthy flavour that pairs well with squash. But regular pepper is ok too.
Grating the onion instead of chopping keeps the pieces very small so they almost disappear in the mixture. You’ll notice there’s a lot of juice that comes out of an onion if you grate it. Drain some off so your mixture isn’t too watery. Use the cheese shredder side of a box grater and get a bandaid out in case you grate your knuckles. Pro tip – leave the end on the onion so you have something to hold onto while you’re grating. Did you know you can buy a special glove for shredding stuff so you don’t cut yourself? It’s like a scaled down version of a steel mesh glove that butchers use. Gimmicky but it does actually work.
I don’t recommend using dried parmesan that comes in the cardboard can for this Squash Casserole. It’s too dry and grainy. Use the real stuff and save some for the top. A trick I learned that I also use when making Shepherds Pie is to poke and scrape the top with a fork to create a raised surface so you get some crispy dark bits. You could make a breadcrumb topping instead but if you’re serving this at Thanksgiving, you probably already have bread and stuffing so you’re not adding extra carbs.
At this point you can freeze the casserole if you’re making it well in advance. Or you can refrigerate it for a day or two before cooking. Don’t add the extra parmesan until right before baking. I don’t recommend cooking from frozen because you might end up with a dry Squash Casserole. Allow it to defrost over night in the fridge. Add some extra baking time if you aren’t cooking the casserole immediately after making it. And if you want extra dark bits on top, turn the oven to roast, convection or even broil (but watch it very carefully) for the last few minutes.
This one is going to be on our Thanksgiving table. We always have a squash dish and we always call it “smash” after my young nephew mispronounced it years ago. Silly family stories are what I am truly thankful for.
If you make Squash Casserole, consider leaving a comment or rating below. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
- 1 large winter squash or 2 smaller squash
- 1 medium onion
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese ¾ cup in casserole, ¼ cup topping
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper or black pepper
Instructions
- Place whole squash in large microwave and oven safe dish. Microwave on high for 2-3 minute intervals, turning a few times until softening, approximately 8-12 minutes.
- Continue baking squash in 350° oven for about 30 - 45 minutes or until knife can easily pierce dense area of squash. When cool enough to handle, cut in half, scoop out seeds and scrape cooked flesh into large bowl.
- While squash is cooling, peel outer skin from onion and slice off top, leaving bottom in place. Using a box grater, carefully grate the onion on cheese shred side using the end as a handle. Drain juice from grated onion and add to cooked squash.
- Add ¾ cup grated parmesan, saving ¼ cup for topping. Add sour cream, salt and pepper and combine well. Taste and add more salt if desired.
- Spoon mixture into a medium sized baking dish and spread evenly. Using a fork, poke and scrape in criss cross pattern to create textured top. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan evenly over top.
- Bake in centre of oven at 350° for about 45 minutes or until top peaks are browning. If desired for extra browning, adjust oven setting to roast, convection bake or broil (watch carefully) for last few minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
more for your thanksgiving table
Cranberry Sauce with Orange Liqueur
Green Bean and Red Pepper Salad
I love the simpleness of this recipe, yet it’s going to taste great.
I hope you love it. Happy Thanksgiving Marilyn and family!
Think I’ll try this for Thanksgiving. Thanks.
I hope you enjoy it! Happy Thanksgiving Sandy and family!