Mashed butternut squash is a sweet and savory side dish that only uses a handful of ingredients and brightens up your fall/winter table.
Mashed potatoes get all the glory (which is fine most of the time since they're delicious), but have you ever tried mashing butternut squash? All you need is a bit of butter and some elbow grease to get a silky mash. It's naturally sweet and could be a tasty addition to your Thanksgiving feast!
I like to add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg since the flavors play nicely with the sweetness of the squash, but it'll still be delicious without them if you decide to just stick to salt & pepper.
How to make mashed butternut squash
Peel the squash then cut it into small pieces and roast it for 25-30 minutes (or until tender). Transfer the squash to a pot (or another stable container for mashing) and then mash with butter using a potato masher until smooth. (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)
Love squash? Try my Butternut Squash Soup, this Sausage & Parmesan Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe, or my Honey Roasted Butternut Squash recipe.
Recipe notes & tips:
- Shortcut: Buy pre-cut squash pieces to save time. I'd aim for between 3-4 pounds since once you peel the squash the actual edible parts will weigh less than the suggested 4 pounds of whole squash.
- Instead of cutting the squash into pieces, you can cut it into halves (lengthwise), scoop out the seeds, add a bit of butter to each half (where the seeds were) and roast it for about an hour. You then scoop out the flesh and continue with the recipe.
- You can boil the squash pieces if you prefer, but results tend to be best when you roast it (it's less watery and roasting really brings out its natural sweetness).
- Use a hand-held potato masher like I did, or you could instead use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer w. a paddle attachment.
- If you wanted to get fancy, chop up some fresh sage leaves and fry them in some butter. Pour it over the mashed squash when you're just about to serve.
- Leftovers will last 4-5 days in the fridge. They can also be frozen. I'd re-warm them in a pot over low heat and re-mash to get the consistency back.
Other delicious side dishes to try:
- Cheesy Scalloped Sweet Potatoes
- Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots
- Classic Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Made this recipe? Leave me a comment/review below and tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Mashed Butternut Squash
Mashed butternut squash is a sweet and savory side dish that only uses a handful of ingredients and brightens up your fall/winter table.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded & cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400F and move the rack to the middle position.
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Prep the squash. To easily peel the squash, I cut it into quarters and carefully use a knife to cut the peel off since it's very thick. Cut it into approximately 1.5" pieces.
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Place the squash on a large baking sheet and toss it with the olive oil. Season generously with salt & pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until it's very tender. I like to toss it halfway through baking for more even color.
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Transfer the squash to a pot (I find this to be the most stable thing to use for mashing) and then add the butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and mash it using a hand-held potato masher. Really mash it (it takes more effort to get it smooth than with potatoes). Taste it and add more salt & pepper if needed. Once it's nice and smooth, transfer it into a serving bowl.
Recipe Notes
- If you don't want to peel & cut up the squash into pieces, you can cut it into halves (lengthwise), scoop out the seeds, add a bit of butter to each half (where the seeds were) and roast it for about an hour. You then scoop out the flesh and mash it as the recipe indicates.
- You can halve the recipe if 6-8 servings are too much (I usually buy two 2-pound squashes).
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
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