This was our first year of growing Butternut Squash in our backyard garden and I’m happy to report that it was a total success! We planted 2 Butternut Squash plants with each one yielding approximately 6 large squashes each! Over the past few weeks I’ve been using them in various recipes like this Baked Butternut Squash and Cheese casserole which is very similiar to homemade baked Macaroni and Cheese…instead of using elbows you use cubed squash!
** This post contains affiliate links.
For baking…I baked it in a 3-quart glass casserole baking dish that was lightly sprayed with non-stick baking spray. Use a sharp vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Then cut it into a more manageable size. Remove seeds and strings. Cube into 1/2″ to 1″ cubes. At our local grocery store I purchase the Mac and Cheese blend shredded cheese in the dairy case. It’s with all of the other bags of shredded cheese. Makes this recipe super easy-to-make!
Baked Butternut Squash and Cheese Casserole Recipe
1 fresh squash (peeled, seeds removed and cubed)
1-2 Tbsp. onion, finely chopped
water
2 large eggs
2 cups shredded Mac and Cheese blended cheese (see above)
1 cup milk
salt (to taste)
ground black pepper (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Blend
3-4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prep the baking dish (see above).
Place the cubed squash in a pot of water on the stove-top. Bring it to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Pour the partially-cooked squash into a colander in your sink with cold running water running over it. Do this to cool it down and to temporarily stop the cooking process.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine together the 2 large eggs, shredded cheese, milk, salt, ground black pepper and Italian Seasoning Blend until combined.
Melt the butter in the microwave. Pour into a small bowl along with the dry seasoned bread crumbs. Combine to make a crumbly topping.
Pour the partially-cooked squash into the baking dish. Stir in the cheese mixture next. Stir until everything is well combined together. Cover the top of the mixture with the dry seasoned bread crumbs.
Place the baking dish in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. It’s done when the squash is fork tender and all of the cheese has melted. The topping will be lightly brown. Remove from oven. Serve immediately.
Freezing: We’re empty nesters so I like to freeze leftovers for later meals. I let this casserole completely cool to room temperature. I then spoon it into 2 cup freezer containers leaving a 1″ headspace. Lid and label the contents. I freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The next day reheat in your oven or microwave oven for a quick meal.
* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may or may not receive a small commission which helps to support this site. Thank you!
