Description
A comforting and flavorful Cheesy Butternut Squash Casserole packed with roasted squash, apples, and a savory sausage mix, topped with melted Gruyere cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into medium cubes
- 2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and diced to match squash size
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided as needed)
- generous salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp dried ground sage
- 1 1/2 tsp herbes de provence
- 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings off and broken up
- 2 small fennel bulbs, halved, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 onion, cut into quarters and thin strips
- additional olive oil, as needed
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (for assembly and topping)
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- fresh sage leaves (for garnish—use fresh or fried)
- 1/4 cup oil (for frying sage, optional)
- extra salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with foil, lightly misting it with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the cubed butternut squash and diced Honeycrisp apples. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, black pepper, maple syrup, dried ground sage, and herbes de Provence. Toss to coat and spread on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the crumbled sweet Italian sausage until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Add more olive oil if needed, then add sliced fennel and onion, cooking for about 10-12 minutes until caramelized and golden. Remove and combine with the sausage.
- Switch oven setting to broil. In a large bowl, mix roasted squash/apples with sausage and vegetables. Drizzle in the remaining maple syrup, season with salt and pepper, and transfer to a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- For crispy sage, heat oil in a saucepan and fry sage leaves until crisp, about 20 seconds. Drain on paper towel.
- Top the casserole with shredded Gruyere cheese and broil for a few minutes until melted and golden-brown. Watch closely to avoid burning.
- Let cool slightly, garnish with fried or fresh sage leaves, and serve warm.
Notes
- Use real Gruyere for best flavor; a mix with Swiss cheese works too.
- Keep the casserole under the broiler for a short time as it can burn quickly.
- Adjust seasonings according to personal taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of casserole
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 40mg