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This savory Butternut Squash Casserole is filled with tender roasted butternut squash, thick-cut bacon, sweet apple, kale, and plenty of cheese. Topped with buttery panko breadcrumbs and baked until golden brown, this comforting casserole is rich, festive, and delicious – the perfect autumn side dish.

Butternut squash is by far the best part of the chilly fall and winter months. From simple roasted butternut squash salad to creamy butternut squash soup, the many ways to enjoy this delightful vegetable is endless.
Today, we’re adding this rich and savory butternut squash casserole to our collection.
Admittedly, there’s a lot going on in this recipe. It’s sweet, savory, crunchy, cheesy, and even a little smoky, but that’s what makes it so delicious – and special. This is not your everyday sweet and creamy fall casserole (for that you’ll want to check out my classic sweet potato casserole with marshmallows). Instead, this butternut squash casserole packs bold and flavorful ingredients including roasted butternut squash, crispy cooked bacon, kale, sweet apple, crushed pecans, and melty gouda cheese. The crispy, buttery, brown sugar breadcrumb topping ties it all together.
It’s the perfect holiday side dish, but worth it enough to enjoy as part of your regular weeknight dinner rotation. Plus, it can be prepared ahead of time, and the leftovers are fantastic.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
You can find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Butternut Squash: No surprise, butternut squash is the most important ingredient in this recipe. For amazing flavor with every bite, the squash is roasted in the oven first and then added to the casserole mixture. Feel free to substitute with another type of squash like roasted acorn squash, kabocha squash, or delicata squash, or replace the squash with sweet potatoes.
- Seasoning and Spices: We’re adding dried thyme, dried sage, paprika, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
- Bacon: For a bit of added protein and a whole lot of flavor. Delicious alternatives include pancetta or ground sausage.
- Kale: The perfect, hearty, leafy green veggie for any casserole, but especially this one. You can leave it out or substitute with spinach if you prefer.
- Pecans: Nuts like pecans and walnuts are a fall and winter staple in all recipes, from salads to casseroles. They add nice texture and earthy flavor.
- Apples: The apple adds just a hint of sweetness. If you don’t have any apples, dried cranberries make a fantastic alternative.
- Cheese: This butternut squash casserole tastes great with mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, or even smoked gouda (shown in the images). Cheese helps balance all of the savory flavors and adds a bit of creaminess. Add more or less to taste.
- Brown Sugar and Maple Syrup: A little sweetness to balance the savory, salty flavors that we have going on.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Who doesn’t love a crispy, buttery topping? The ultimate panko topping.
Step by Step Instructions
Here’s a visual overview of how to make this butternut squash mac and cheese recipe. For detailed instructions and the full printable recipe, check out the recipe card below.
- Peel and chop the squash into small 1-inch pieces. Toss in oil and sprinkle
with dried thyme, salt, sage, paprika, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
- Transfer to the oven and roast at 400℉ for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender.
- Cook the bacon until crispy; drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pan.
- Add the kale and cook until tender.
- Then, stir in the chopped pecans, maple syrup, salt, and ground cinnamon. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- As the kale mixture cools, combine the breadcrumbs and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Once combined, stir in the melted butter and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the roasted squash, kale mixture, chopped apple, and 1½ cups of cheese.
- Pour the prepared squash mixture into greased 9×13-inch baking dish and arrange the remaining half cup of cheese over the top.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar and butter panko breadcrumb mixture over the top.
- Then bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top turns golden and crispy.
Serving Ideas
What you choose to serve with this comforting butternut squash casserole depends on whether you plan to enjoy it as a main dish or a side dish.
- If serving as a main dish: Enjoy it with soft dinner rolls and a simple green salad dressed in a light vinaigrette. I love this spinach and pear salad or this light arugula salad with shaved parmesan.
- If serving as a side dish: Personally, I love to serve this butternut squash casserole with some of my favorite meat dishes, including this oven-roasted pork loin, roast turkey breast, or baked chicken breasts. You can pair it with additional sides like creamy parsnip puree or a bowl of creamy potato soup.
Make-Ahead Tips
There are a few ways to go about making this butternut squash casserole ahead of time.
- Roast the butternut squash up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat slightly before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Cook the bacon and kale mixture up to 2 days in advance. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container. I like to wait to add the pecans until assembling the casserole.
- Fully assemble up to 1 day ahead. Assemble the entire casserole (without the breadcrumb topping for best results) and cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil. Refrigerate overnight. Just before baking, add the breadcrumb topping and bake as directed.
Leftovers and Reheating
- Storage: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezing: For best results, freeze before adding the breadcrumb topping and before baking. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating (from frozen): If you are reheating from frozen, it’s best to allow the casserole to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. Prepare the fresh breadcrumb topping up to one day in advance. Just before baking, sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the thawed casserole and top with the remaining cheese. Bake in a preheated 400℉ oven for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
- Reheating: You may use the microwave or oven.
More Favorite Butternut Squash REcipes
If you make this savory butternut squash casserole recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment section below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more delicious food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Butternut Squash Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
For the Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1 (4-pound) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Casserole
- 1 pound Thick-sliced maple bacon, roughly chopped
- 2 cups kale, woody stems removed and roughly chopped
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 large gala apple, cored and diced
- 2 cups smoked gouda or mozzarella cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Toss the squash and olive oil together on the prepared sheet pan. In a small bowl, combine the dried thyme, salt, dried sage, paprika, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Sprinkle the herbs and spices over the squash and gently toss to coat the squash with the herbs.
- Transfer the butternut squash to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, gently toss and continue to bake until fork-tender, approximately 10-15 minutes more.
- In the meantime, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain most of the fat from the pan, leaving only about 2 tablespoons.
- Add the kale and cook until it is tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in the chopped pecans, maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Combine the breadcrumbs and brown sugar in a medium bowl, then stir in the melted butter and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the roasted butternut squash and bacon mixture, along with the chopped apple and ¾ of the cheese.
- Grease a large 9×13-inch casserole dish and pour the filling into the pan. Arrange the remaining cheese pieces around on top, then sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top turns golden and crispy. Garnish with fresh oregano if desired.
Notes
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- For best results, freeze before adding the breadcrumb topping and before baking. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.