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Butternut Squash Casserole

Butternut squash casserole with a silky mashed filling and a crunchy golden pecan streusel topping. Cubed squash is boiled until very tender, then mashed smooth and baked until the edges bubble.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Butternut squash
  • 1 large butternut squash about 3 pounds, peeled and cubed
Butter
  • 0.5 cup butter melted, divided
Brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar divided
Eggs
  • 2 large eggs
Milk
  • 0.5 cup milk
Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt
  • 0.5 tsp salt
All-purpose flour
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
Pecans
  • 0.75 cup pecans chopped

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Boil and drain the squash
  1. Boil the peeled and cubed butternut squash for 15 minutes until very tender, then drain well to remove excess water. Look for cubes that crush easily when pressed.
Preheat and assemble the casserole
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. You should be ready to transfer the filling right after mashing.
  2. Mash the hot squash with 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt until smooth. The mixture should look creamy and evenly blended with no visible chunks.
  3. Spread the mashed squash mixture into the greased baking dish in an even layer. Smooth the top so the topping bakes uniformly.
Make the pecan streusel and bake
  1. Mix all-purpose flour, chopped pecans, the remaining butter, and the remaining brown sugar until crumbly. The crumbs should clump when pressed and look dry, not wet.
  2. Sprinkle the pecan streusel evenly over the squash. Cover the surface in an even layer so the topping turns golden all over.
  3. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes until the topping is golden and the edges bubble. Let it stand briefly after baking so the center firms up slightly.

Notes

Pro tip: drain the boiled squash well before mashing—extra moisture can make the casserole watery. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Freeze yes: cool completely, portion, and freeze up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat until warmed through. For a lighter option, use unsweetened almond milk in place of milk and reduce butter by 2 tablespoons while keeping the mash smooth.