Savory Acorn Squash Casserole

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5 from 3 votes

Savory acorn squash nestled in a flavorful combination of herb-seasoned breadcrumbs and tangy Pecorino cheese.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 241kcal

Author: Anecia Hero

Equipment

9 x 13 Pyrex baking dishes
Long-handled tongs
7 x 11 baking dish

Ingredients

3 large acorn squash See Recipe Notes
¾ cup milk 2% or whole
2 large eggs
⅔ cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, divided ⅓ for the squash mixture; ⅓ for the topping
1½ cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix
3 tablespoons melted butter for the breadcrumb topping
2 tablespoons butter, to grease the baking dish
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon minced garlic (I use jarred, miced garlic)
½ teaspoon ground sage
½ teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt, divided (½ teaspoon for squash mixture; ½ teaspoon for topping mixture)

Instructions

Prep and Cook the Squash

Preheat oven to 350°F; get two large 9 x 13 baking pans and add ½ - 1 "inch of water to each
Cut about ½ inch off the ends of the acorn squash; then slice them in half; use a sharp spoon and remove seeds and stringy pulp. Place the squash cut side down into the pans with the water; bake on middle rack, uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until squash can be easily squeezed using a pair of long handled tongs
3 large acorn squash
Butter the bottom and sides of a 7 x 11 baking pan; set aside
2 tablespoons butter, to grease the baking dish

Resume Recipe

Once the squash are cool enough to handle, use a sharp spoon and remove the pulp; put the pulp in a large mixing bowl and combine with a fork until smooth
Add milk, eggs, half of the grated cheese, onion powder, garlic and half of the salt to the squash; combine well and pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish
¾ cup milk, 2 large eggs, ⅔ cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, divided, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, divided
Melt butter in microwave
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine Pepperidge Farm Herb stuffing mix, melted butter, ground sage, ground thyme, remaining grated cheese and the remaining salt
⅔ cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese, divided, 1½ cups Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix, 3 tablespoons melted butter for the breadcrumb topping, ½ teaspoon ground sage, ½ teaspoon ground thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, divided
Sprinkle this over the squash mixture and bake at 350°F uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes; if you want a more crispy topping, pop it under the broiler for a few minutes
Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving; garnish with fresh chopped parsley or sage

Notes

Acorn squash

Weigh the squash at the store; you'll need between 5- 6 pounds of squash, which equates to about 3-4 large squash. Once cooked, you'll want to have about 6 cups of cooked squash. I used large squash and got one cup of cooked squash from each half.

Pecorino cheese

You can substitute with Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese

Breadcrumb Topping

You may have to add a little more melted butter to the dried bread crumb topping; you want it to be moist, but not gummy

Salt

Taste the acorn squash mixture for salt before you put the topping on to make sure it's salty enough for you. You can always add more, but you can't take it out.

Yield

I got about 12 half-cup servings from 5 pounds of cooked squash. You may get more or less depending upon how much squash you bake, the size and depth of the baking dish, and the size of the serving spoon.

Nutrition