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This Roasted Stuffed Butternut Squash is packed with cheesy goodness (Parmesan and cream cheese) and loaded with veggies like spinach and mushrooms. It's a delicious blend of savory and sweet flavors, making it perfect for the holidays (like Thanksgiving and Christmas) or any meal! Plus, it's gluten-free and meatless.
Stuffed Butternut Squash
Stuffed butternut squash is hands down one of my all-time favorite meals! I have so many different recipes and variations because I enjoy the winter squash so much, including these two reader favorites (which, by the way, make great holiday side dishes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Eve):
- Stuffed Butternut Squash with Spinach, Bacon, and Cheese
- Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash with Spinach, Pecans, and Dried Cranberries
Whenever butternut squash is in season-usually during the fall and early winter-I love incorporating it into my cooking. This recipe is loaded with spinach and mushrooms, all combined with a delicious cheesy mixture. It's healthy and comforting at the same time. Plus, the vibrant orange color of the butternut squash looks like Fall on a plate! It's always a hit, whether served as part of a holiday menu like Thanksgiving or Christmas, or for any meal during the fall and winter months.
Quick Recipe Overview
Start by roasting the butternut squash for about 40 minutes. While it's in the oven, prepare the flavorful, meatless filling made with cream cheese, Parmesan, spinach, and mushrooms. Once the squash is roasted, stuff it with the cheesy filling and give it a quick reheat in the oven or under the broiler. That's all it takes! It's an easy recipe the whole family will enjoy. Perfect for a busy weeknight, but impressive enough to serve when hosting guests. You can enjoy it as a side dish or a meal on its own! Save it for your holiday menu, too (Thanksgiving and Christmas)!
How to make stuffed butternut squash (step-by-step photos)
Please note that the complete recipe (with exact amounts and detailed instructions) is down below in the recipe card.
1) Prepare the butternut squash. Slice each one in half lengthwise. Keep fingers away from the knife to avoid injury. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fleshy strands tangled with the seeds.
Drizzle the cut sides of butternut squashes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Turn the squash over, and place it cut sides down on a baking sheet. Tip: you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
2) Roast the butternut squash in the preheated oven at 400 F for 40 minutes.
3) Prepare the cheese and veggie mixture. Slice mushrooms and cook them with olive oil in a large skillet. Combine and mix cooked spinach, half of the cooked mushrooms, softened cream cheese, and 1 cup of the shredded Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Tip: Save the other half of the cooked sliced mushrooms to arrange on top of the cheese mixture.
4) Stuff the squash. By this time, you have roasted the butternut squash for 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven and turn the cooked squash halves cut sides up. Let it cool slightly.
Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving about a 1-inch border along the sides. See photos for more clarity:
Divide the veggie and cheese mixture among the 4 halves and stuff the squash until the mixture is leveled. Top the stuffed butternut squash with the remaining half of the sliced cooked mushrooms.
Top with the remaining ½ cup of the shredded Parmesan cheese.
5) Bake it some more and broil. Roast the stuffed butternut squash in the preheated oven at 400 F for 15 more minutes until the cheese mixture melts. Optionally, broil for 3 or 5 minutes to get a golden crust over the cheese.
Substitutions and Variations
- Squash. You can substitute butternut squash with acorn squash. Just keep in mind that acorn squash is smaller and bakes faster-around 30 minutes at 400°F. You can roast acorn recipe using this recipe: Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash.
- Cheese. Instead of Parmesan, feel free to use Asiago or Gruyere.
- Greens. If you don't have spinach on hand, kale or arugula make great alternatives. You can also use frozen spinach, as long as it's fully thawed and thoroughly drained of any excess liquid.
- Mushrooms. Any type of mushroom works well in this recipe-white button mushrooms, cremini, or even chopped portobello for a heartier, "meatier" option.
- Spices. Add extra spices like Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, paprika, or chili powder when cooking the mushrooms. Or mix the spices in the cheese mixture.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Fridge. Store any leftover stuffed butternut squash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating in the Oven. To reheat, place it in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
- Reheating in the Microwave. You can also microwave it. For best results, remove the spinach, mushroom, and cheese mixture from the squash and heat them separately. Once warmed, combine the mixture back into the butternut squash.
What to Serve with Stuffed Butternut Squash
This recipe pairs beautifully with a variety of fall vegetables and holiday side dishes. Here are my top recommendations:
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Toasted Pecans, and Dried Cranberries
- Easy Scalloped Potatoes with Garlic, Thyme, and Parmesan Cheese
- Cheesy Baked Asparagus with Gruyere cheese, Garlic, and Bacon
- Green Beans with Pine Nuts
- Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Garlic
Other Butternut Squash Recipes
- Vegetarian Enchiladas with Butternut Squash, Black Beans, and Bell Pepper
- Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce and Pecans (you can use store-bought, pre-made ravioli)
- Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash with Spinach, Pecans, and Cranberries
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries
- Creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup with Orzo and Spinach (30-Minute, One-Pot)
- Garlic Butter Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
Stuffed Butternut Squash
Ingredients
Butternut squash
- 2 whole butternut squash medium
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- black pepper freshly ground
Spinach, mushroom, and cheese mixture
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 oz mushrooms (crimini or baby bella)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 oz spinach fresh
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1.5 cups Parmesan cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
- salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Instructions
Roast the butternut squash
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Prepare the butternut squash. Slice each one in half lengthwise. Keep fingers away from the knife to avoid injury. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fleshy strands tangled with the seeds.
- Place butternut squash cut sides up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cut sides of the squash with olive oil and rub the oil into the squash. Season generously with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Turn the squash over, and place it cut sides down on a baking sheet. Tip: you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
- Roast in the preheated oven at 400 F for 40 minutes.
Make spinach and mushroom cheese mixture
- While the butternut squash is in the oven, prepare the cheese and veggie mixture.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Cook sliced mushrooms (seasoned with salt and pepper) on high heat for about 1 or 2 minutes until lightly browned and softened. Remove the cooked mushrooms from the skillet and put them on a plate.
- Add another tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat to the same skillet and add fresh spinach. Cook for about 5 minutes until the spinach wilts. If there is any liquid in the pan, drain it. Alternatively, microwave the fresh spinach in a large microwave oven-safe dish for 1 or 2 minutes until it wilts.
- Add cream cheese to a large microwave-safe bowl (the same one you used for spinach if you microwaved it). Soften cream cheese briefly in the microwave oven. Make sure the cheese does not actually melt, just softens.
- Add 1 cup shredded Parmesan (saving the remaining ½ cup for later), cooked spinach, and half of the cooked sliced mushrooms to the same bowl. Mix everything well. Tip: save the remaining half of the cooked mushrooms to arrange on top of the cheese mixture.
Stuff roasted butternut squash with the cheese and veggie mixture
- By this time, you have roasted the butternut squash for 40 minutes. Remove it from the oven and turn the cooked squash halves cut sides up.
- Let it cool slightly. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh leaving about a 1-inch border along the sides. (For reference, I provide the step-by-step photos, including this step, above the recipe card).
- Add the scooped-out squash back to the larger cavities and press it down if needed.
- Divide the veggie and cheese mixture among the 4 halves and stuff the squash until the mixture is leveled or is slightly over the top. Top with the remaining cooked mushrooms. (see my photos above the recipe card for reference)
- Roast the stuffed butternut squash in the preheated oven at 400 F for 15 more minutes until the cheese mixture melts.
- Optionally, broil for 3 or 5 minutes to get a golden crust over the cheese. Watch closely and be very careful not to burn the squash and the cheese mixture. Tip: Broil on the second oven rack from the top - not on the very top rack so that it doesn't burn. Do watch carefully because all ovens are different. My squashes were fine broiled for 5 minutes on the second oven rack from the top.
- Top with fresh thyme (or other fresh herbs you like!)
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
So, so delicious! I did not add mushrooms as I don’t care for them, but maybe next time I’ll sautee onions in place of them. Make sure not to scoop out too much flesh so that you have a nice balance of squash and cheese stuffing.
Thank you for trying this recipe, Carol!! 🙂 And, great tip about not scooping too much—gotta keep that perfect squash-to-stuffing ratio!!
I made this recipe only thing I did differently was I made one butternut squash instead of two. So therefore I halved the ingredients. I will be making this again. It’s so creamy good the flavors marry each other so well and it not only taste awesome but it looks awesome too. If you haven’t made it Make It. It’s soooo good. Thank Tou
"Keep fingers away from the knife to avoid injury"
Thank you for this. My mom would be proud!
Yes! You can never be too careful!