Stuffed butternut squash three ways! A quick and healthy weeknight dinner with roasted butternut squash and your choice of filling. Vegan-adaptable and gluten-free!
A reader suggested that I share a recipe featuring one seasonal ingredient in three different ways. I thought this was brilliant and, well, here it is! Stuffed Butternut Squash three ways!
As a chef and recipe developer, I always get excited when fall arrives because butternut squash is one of my favorite vegetables to cook with! I love how buttery and nutty it tastes, how versatile it is, and how well it adapts to any dietary style.
Why You’ll Love Our Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe
This Stuffed Butternut Squash recipe offers three versions to suit every table: a vegetarian Persian lentil filling, a cozy Thanksgiving-style filling with ground turkey, and a deeply savory vegan miso mushroom version.
Each highlights the squash’s natural sweetness while celebrating global flavors and nourishing, seasonal ingredients.
The best part? The filling is made on the stovetop while the butternut roasts in the oven, which takes about 30-40 minutes, tops. Not too bad for a weeknight dinner, made entirely from scratch, based on seasonal produce…my favorite kind of meal.
Stuffed Butternut Squash Ingredients & Variations
- Butternut squash: A small, sturdy butternut squash works best for this.
- Olive oil: Sesame oil also tastes great in the miso mushrooms, and butter (or a mix of butter and oil) works well for the Thanksgiving stuffing.
- Salt and pepper: A simple seasoning to enhance the flavor of the butternut squash.
Persian Lentils
- Onion and garlic cloves: For savory, aromatic depth of flavor.
- Golden raisins: Or substitute with regular raisins, dried currants, or apricots.
- Lentils: Have cooked lentils prepped and ready. You can use our braised French lentils or use beluga lentils (black lentils). Do not use split lentils.
- Seasoning: Salt, cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper.
- Cilantro: Or use Italian parsley or fresh mint.
- Yogurt: Use unsweetened, plain yogurt, full-fat. Or sub vegan yogurt for a dairy-free version.
- Pomegranate seeds: Add a delightfully tart, vibrant flavor that balances the sweetness of the squash.
Miso Mushrooms
- Tofu: Bake the tofu with the butternut squash, or buy pre-baked tofu.
- Bragg’s liquid aminos: Soy sauce works here, too.
- Onion and fresh ginger: For savory, aromatic flavor.
- Mushrooms: I like a combo of cremini, shiitake, and button mushrooms, but you can use just one!
- Miso paste: For umami depth.
- Toasted sesame oil: Adds warmth and richness.
- Scallion: Or use chives.
- Toasted sesame seeds: Optional, but they are pretty for presentation and add a little crunch!
Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Onion and garlic cloves: For an aromatic, savory component.
- Apple: Adds a bit of tartness that balances the dish.
- Ground turkey: Use moist ground thighs, as ground turkey breast tends to get dry. To make this plant-based, you could swap the turkey for lentils or soy chorizo.
- Seasoning: Kosher salt, fennel seeds, and black pepper.
- Pecans: Add a delicious crunch and toasted, nutty taste.
- Dried cranberries: Or use fresh cranberries if you’d like (add maple syrup to taste).
- Sage leaves: For a warm, earthy flavor.
- Maple syrup: For a hint of sweetness that enhances the flavor of the squash and balances the rich, savory flavors of the other ingredients.
How to Pick the Best Butternut Squash
- Matte skin: Avoid glossy squash as it may have been picked too early and won’t be as sweet.
- Check firmness: The skin should be hard and free of soft spots or wrinkles.
- Look for a deep beige color: Pale or green streaks indicate it’s under-ripe.
- Check the weight: It should feel heavy for its size. This means it’s dense and moist inside.
- Look for a smaller squash: Smaller squashes (2-3 pounds) tend to be sweeter and cook more evenly than large ones.
- If the skin looks dull, but feels firm: You’ve got a winner! This means the squash has been cured and has developed its sugars.
How to Make Stuffed Butternut Squash (Three Ways!)
Whether you choose to do more than one ingredient variation or you simply choose one, these stuffed butternut squash recipes all begin with roasting the squash.
How to Roast Butternut Squash
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Slice the squash in half. Use a sharp chef’s knife and sturdy cutting board to slice the squash lengthwise. I recommend placing the board on a damp kitchen towel to avoid slipping.
3. Roast. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the squash halves open side down on the baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until fork-tender and caramelized.
4. Season and remove the seeds. When the butternut squash is done, flip it over and scoop out the seeds. With a fork, break up the tender flesh of the squash. Drizzle with a little olive oil (or butter), sprinkle with salt and pepper, and mix this all into the squash, seasoning it.
How to Make Stuffed Butternut Squash with Persian Lentils (Vegetarian)
1. Sauté onion and garlic. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, or until fragrant.
2. Add raisins, lentils, and seasoning. Add the raisins, lentils, salt, spices, and water to the skillet and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the herbs, reserving a few for garnish.
3. Fill the roasted squash. Top the butternut squash with the lentil filling, spoon plain yogurt on top, and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Scatter with fresh herbs.
How to Make Stuffed Butternut Squash with Miso Mushrooms (Vegan)
1. Bake the tofu. Bake the tofu on the same sheet pan as the butternut squash. Lightly season the parchment paper. Drain and pat the tofu dry, then cut it into even, bite-sized cubes. Transfer to a medium bowl and toss with liquid aminos (or soy sauce) and sesame oil. Place on the baking sheet around the butternut squash. Bake 30 minutes at 425°F.
2. Sauté onion, ginger, and mushrooms. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, ginger, and mushrooms until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
3. Add miso paste. In a small bowl, mix hot water and miso paste with a fork. Pour into the skillet and stir until the water reduces. Turn off the heat.
4. Add tofu to the skillet. Transfer the baked tofu to the skillet and combine. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil.
5. Fill the roasted squash. Top the butternut squash with the sesame tofu and miso mushroom filling. Scatter with scallions and sesame seeds.
How to make Stuffed Butternut Squash with Thanksgiving Stuffing
1. Sauté onion, apple, and garlic. Warm oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, apple, and garlic, and sauté 4 minutes, or until just tender.
2. Add ground turkey and season. Add the ground turkey to the skillet. Season with salt and fennel seeds. Cook 6-8 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through and browned.
3. Add pecans, dried cranberries, and sage. Mix the pecans, dried cranberries, and sage into the pan, cooking a few more minutes until warmed through. Drizzle with maple syrup. If using fresh cranberries, cook them long enough to blister. Taste and adjust the maple syrup, adding more as needed.
4. Fill the roasted squash. Top the butternut squash with a little extra maple syrup and mix into the flesh. Fill with the turkey mixture.
Chef’s Tips
- Season the butternut squash. When the squash is done roasting and you’ve removed the seeds, season with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and use a fork to mash it into the flesh to create an even flavor. I do this after roasting to prevent water from drawing out too early and to keep the texture buttery.
- Stuff the butternut squash. It looks pretty for presentation to stuff the opening in the squash (where the seeds were removed), but for serving, I recommend creating an opening through the entire squash (including the neck of the squash) and spreading the filling evenly throughout. This ensures you get squash and filling with every bite.
- Roast until fork-tender and caramelized. All ovens are different, so check your squash around 20-25 minutes. Cooking time may also vary based on the size of your squash. When done, the top should be slightly caramelized and a deep orange color, and the texture should be soft-but not so soft that the edge of the squash collapses!
- Save the seeds! Use them in our maple-roasted pumpkin seeds recipe!
- Try this with other types of winter squash! You could easily make this recipe with pumpkin or acorn squash.
Meal Prep & Storage
- Make it ahead. Roast the squash a day or two before, reheat, and stuff just before serving. The filling can also be made 2 days in advance and reheated before serving. Store the squash and filling in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
- Store leftovers: Stuffed butternut squash keeps for 3-4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Transfer the assembled squash to a baking sheet and reheat in a 350°F oven with tented foil for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Freeze: You can freeze the filling (the lentil and turkey versions freeze best) for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating, and stuff freshly roasted squash for the best texture.
Serving Suggestions
This healthy stuffed butternut squash recipe is a stand-alone main dish, but for something heartier, here are some perfect pairings!
The variation of stuffed butternut squash you prepare will determine the type of pairings that work well! I’ve included some of our favorite salads, grains, sides, and proteins for each type of stuffed butternut.
- Persian lentils: Persian Chicken, Persian Walnut Salad, Couscous, Cauliflower Couscous, Middle Eastern Rice
- Miso mushrooms: Broiled Miso Salmon, Miso Soup, Seasoned Japanese Rice, Jasmine Rice, Emerald Kale Salad, Pan-Seared Turnips
- Thanksgiving stuffing: Wild Rice or Wild Rice Pilaf, Blistered Green Beans or Green Beans Almondine, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sautéed Greens, Roasted Beets, Braised French Lentils, Popovers, White Cheddar Cheese & Apple Salad
FAQs
Because butternut squash is so versatile, the options are truly endless! Here I’ve come up with three different flavor variations: Persian lentils with yogurt and pomegranate, miso mushrooms and sesame tofu, and ground turkey with apple, pecan, and cranberry. The key is to find something savory to balance the sweetness of the squash.
I keep it simple with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and let the natural sweetness of the butternut squash shine. This also makes it easy to pair the squash with any dish! If you’d like to dress up the seasoning even more, warm, savory spices like thyme, rosemary, sage, cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg are natural pairings.
For this stuffed butternut squash recipe, you’ll roast the squash on its own and prepare the filling on the stovetop. Butternut squash roasts in the oven for 30 minutes at 425°F.
Anything savory! Because of butternut squash’s natural sweetness, savory fillings like sautéed onion, garlic, and mushrooms, turkey sausage, and braised lentils work well. Tart fruit also makes a great pairing, like apple, pomegranate, cranberries, or raisins.
Let me know which filling was your favorite in the comments below!
More Recipes You Might Like
After you try these stuffed butternut squash recipes, let us know how they turn out in the comments below. Your review will help other readers, too! Sign up here to join our community and receive our latest recipes and weekly newsletter! xoxo Sylvia
Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe (Three Variations)
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: main, vegan, vegetarian
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Stuffed Butternut Squash- with three different fillings. Hearty, healthy weeknight dinners perfect for fall! Each recipe serves 2. Make the filling while the butternut roasts.
Ingredients
Stuffed Butternut Squash with Persian Lentils
- 1 small butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ and onion- ½ cup diced
- 2 cloves garlic- rough chopped
- ¼ cup golden raisins – or use regular, or dried currants or apricots
- 1 ½ cups cooked little lentils (not split)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup water
- ¼– ½ cup chopped cilantro or Italian Parsley ( or ¼ cup mint)
- ⅛ cup Plain Yogurt
- ¼ cup Pomegranate seeds
Stuffed Butternut Squash with Miso Mushrooms
- 1 small butternut squash
- 8 ounces tofu ( or buy “baked tofu”)
- 2 Tablespoons Braggs liquid aminos or soy saue
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil– or olive oil
- ——
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ¼ an onion, diced, about ½ cup
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 6 ounces sliced mushrooms- cremini, shiitake,button
- 2 teaspoons miso
- 3–4 tablespoons hot tap water
- drizzle toasted sesame oil
- 1 scallion- sliced at diagonal, or use chives
- toasted sesame seeds-optional
Stuffed Butternut Squash-Thanksgiving Stuffing
- 1 small butternut squash
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter ( or a mix is nice)
- ¼ of an onion- ½ cup diced
- ½ an apple, diced
- 2 garlic cloves rough chopped
- 8 ounces ground turkey ( ground turkey breast tends to get dry, ground thigh is much moister)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup pecans
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries- or use fresh, adding extra maple syrup to taste.
- 8–10 sage leaves, finely sliced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
Roasted Butternut Persian Style:
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Cut butternut down the middle lengthwise. Place open side down on lightly greased parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast 30 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork, through the skin.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add raisins, lentils, salt, spices and water and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates and flavors meld. Stir in herbs saving a few for the garnish.
- When butternut is done, flip over and scoop out the seeds. With a fork, break up the tender flesh. Drizzle the squash with a little olive oil ( or butter) and sprinkle with salt and pepper, mixing this all into the squash, seasoning the flesh
- Top the squash with the lentil filling, a dollop of plain yogurt, and some fresh pomegranate seeds. Scatter with fresh herbs.
Roasted Butternut with Miso Mushrooms:
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Cut butternut down the middle lengthwise. Place open side down on lightly greased parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving room for tofu.
- Cut tofu into small bite sized cubes. Place in a bowl and toss with soy and sesame oil. Place on the same pan as butternut. Roast both 30 minutes, or until butternut is easily pierced with a fork, through the skin.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onion, ginger and mushrooms and sauté until tender and golden, about 6-8 minutes.
- Mix hot water and miso paste in a small cup with a fork until combined. Pour over mushroom mix. Cook a few minutes until water reduces. Turn heat off.
- When butternut is done, flip over and scoop out the seeds. With a fork, break up the tender flesh. Drizzle the squash with a little olive oil ( or butter) and sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix this all into the squash, seasoning it.
- Add the baked tofu to the skillet, warming the mushrooms up if necessary, and drizzle with a little toasted sesame oil.
- Top with squash with sesame tofu and mushroom filling. Top with scallions and sesame seeds.
Thanksgiving Stuffing Version:
- Preheat oven to 425 F
- Cut butternut down the middle lengthwise. Place open side down on lightly greased parchment-lined sheet pan. Roast 30 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork, through the skin.
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onion, apple and garlic and sauté until just tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add ground turkey, salt and fennel seeds, and cook until turkey is cooked through and browned, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add pecans, dried cranberries and sage, and cook a few more minutes until warmed through and drizzle with maple. If using fresh cranberries, cook enough to let them blister, taste and adjust maple, adding more to taste. Set filling aside, keeping warm.
- When butternut is done, flip over and scoop out the seeds. With a fork, break up the tender flesh. Drizzle the squash with a little olive oil ( or butter) and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little more maple and mix this all into the squash, seasoning it.
- Top with turkey cranberry filling. Serve immediately.
Notes
Notes- in the photos I have the filling placed in the “hole” of the butternut, and while this looks pretty for the photo, I feel the squash needs to be broken up and “seasoned”, for the best flavor.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container, up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Stuffed Butternut- Persian Lentil Version
- Calories: 469
- Sugar: 22.5 g
- Sodium: 607.8 mg
- Fat: 16.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 71 g
- Fiber: 17 g
- Protein: 17.9 g
- Cholesterol: 2.3 mg
I made the Persian lentil stuffed butternut. It was beautiful and very tasty. I needed to roast the butternut squash about 15 minutes longer than suggested, but that was the only change I made. It was easy, and I’ll be making it again, soon.
Great to hear Tom!
Excellent! Made the Persian lentil version and can’t wait to try the others. Great use of our CSA box and Aerogarden herbs. Cut back a bit on cinnamon and salt, and used broth instead of water, otherwise made the recipe as written. Thank you! (Put a photo on my IG stories — couldn’t resist!)
Great to hear Kari!
Butternut squash stuffed with lentils & apricots is a must make for me! I have all ingredients on hand so I plan to make this – really looks amazing.
Love to hear how it goes Anne!
Yum! I made the one with miso, mushrooms, and tofu. Not only was it tasty, the instruction to scoop seeds after roasting instead of before, and to remove and mash the flesh before serving, were both game-changers. Not putting it back in the shell of the squash would have simplified it too, but of course I had to see how it looked with the topping artfully piled on top 🙂
Glad you gave it a try Lily! Appreciate you taking the time to review.
We made the Persian Lentil version with beluga lentils. It was absolutely delicious, simple to make, and we love the prep hints. We’re looking forward to making a veg version of the Thanksgiving stuffing with some mini-butternuts!
Cute! So glad you enjoyed!
We enjoyed the Thanksgiving Stuffed squash recipe so much ! I roasted a whole one. We cannot eat onion,so I replaced it with 1/4cup of Chopped leeks. Thank you Sylvia for encouraging us to try different combinations of flavors. This works so well.
Yum!! Apple made the ground Turkey taste like sweet sausage, No leftovers!🌞
Nice Judith! So glad you enjoyed.
Thanksgiving version is 10/10. Smashed the pumpkin to a purée,
Served it with pommes duchesse, mushroom sauce, pears filled with cranberries ‚jam‘. Looked like a fine dining dish 🙂 Thanks a lot for the recipe.
Sounds absolutely divine Les!
With the falling temps in NE, I made the Thanksgiving version last night. Really wonderful – easy and delicious. Can’t wait to try the other versions!
Awesome Jennifer!
Hi Sylvia! I want to make the Thanksgiving squash, but I’m allergic to walnuts and pecans 🙁 Do you think I could skip them or are they essential to the flavor of this recipe?
I think you could just leave them out!
The thanksgiving recipe was delicious. We would like to make it for christmas, adding plain noodles. Could you recommand a sauce that goes well with it? Red wine sauce?
Thanks a million 🙂
Hi Leslie- thanks! Do you mean to add pasta to the filling or on the side? Would the sauce be for the pasta itself, or over the whole thing? Sorry, I’m a bit confused. 😉
Yes, we would like to add as a side dish noodles or pommes duchesse (french-style piped potatoes) and without any sauce it‘s too dry 🙈Thanks a million for ur reply, didn‘t expect it🙊And thanks for all ur delicious recipes which are easy to veganize. Best regards from Luxembourg (small country in Europe)🙂
Have always wanted to visit Luxembourg- hopefully someday! Ok, I understand you now, yes a wine sauce or mushroom sauce would work well here.
The 3 fillings look fantastic and I am definitely going to try them for my vegetarian friends, but surely ground turkey isn’t vegetarian, could I replace with Quorn or similar? Thank you.
Yes, absolutely Ron! Fee free to replace with any vegan, plant based meat!
I made the roasted butternut squash with Persian lentils. It was very easy to make and Absolutely delicious. Very impressed with this recipe. A keeper without a doubt!💕💥
So glad you enjoyed this Charlotte!
Delicious
Wonderful vegetarian meal filled with flavour and easy to prepare
Thank you
Thanks Jack!
I made the Thanksgiving stuffing recipe for my wife and I after a day of hard hiking. It was terrific in every way. Easy to prep and cook (I was pretty tired) and delicious. Definitely a keeper. Can’t wait to try the other 2 recipes. Thank you!
Great to hear Joe!
The thanksgiving stuffing version was incredible! It smelled amazing while it was cooking and tasted even better. I will be keeping this recipe forever. Thank you!
I made the miso mushroom version, and it was delectable. My butternut skin fell apart, so I couldn’t restuff them. Easy solution was to scoop out the flesh on the plate and top it with the mushrooms and tofu. Just as amazing.
Made the Thanksgiving Stuffing version of this last night. My family loved them. Looking forward to trying the other 2 versions.
Thanks Eve! glad they liked it!
thanks- made the lentil one and it was tasty!
Over the last year we’ve made all three of these for dinner and love each one! Kept the Thankgiving one vegan with soy sausage.
The lentil stuffed squash was easy and delicious. I didn’t have pretty pomegranate seeds but I did have some leftover toasted pine nuts which were just fine with this dish. Looking forward to trying the others one of these days. Thank you for providing the convenient scaling tool.
The recipe for the Thanksgiving stuffed butternut is not showing up. One of the other recipes is listed twice. I would love to get the Thanksgiving stuffed butternut recipe!
Wow!! The colors are absolutely stunning in this!! I would definitely want to try different recipes in the squash, you could do so many different things!
Yes, they are so versatile aren’t they? A really easy dinner that can be tailored to your own preferences.
How wonderful. You’ve managed to make squash look artful, beautiful…and completely delicious-looking. Can’t wait to try these creative methods.
Thanks so much!
All of these variations of stuffed butternut squash look incredible! I think the thanksgiving one has my heart the most 🙂
Yes, I love that one too! Thanks Bethany!
I’ve got 2 beautiful butternut squash in my pantry right now! these recipes are beautiful, as are the photos. What great ideas, and I’m definitely going to give all three of them a try (LOVING the lentil one!) Thank you!
Oh perfect! I love the lentil one so much, I’m so curious which one you’ll like best. Please come back and leave feedback,and tell me which one you like best!