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A classic holiday dish with a twist, this Butternut Squash Stuffing recipe is delicious and comforting. Fresh sage, the perfect amount of butter and thick, crusty bread make this the compliment to any meal–Thanksgiving, Christmas and even a relaxing night in!

Butternut squash stuffing on plate with turkey and mashed potatoes.
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The absolute best part of any holiday meal? HOMEMADE STUFFING.

Don’t fight me on this one, it’s a proven fact.

Our spread always includes this Simple Apple Sage Stuffing, but since it is typically all gone in minutes, it’s time to bring another stuffing recipe to the table this holiday season.

This Butternut Squash Stuffing recipe is sort of a two for one sort of dish. You get your squash and stuffing all in one delicious dish. Also, pair this recipe with this Crock Pot Turkey Breast for a super simple main! Try this Beefy Cornbread Stuffing as well!

Why we love this Butternut Squash Stuffing:

  • It’s a fun twist on a classic. The butternut squash makes a more traditional stuffing different, and different really can be good! The roasted butternut squash adds texture and flavor to everyone’s favorite holiday dish!
  • Simple to make! Want to make this even easier to make? Butternut squash can be found pre-chopped! There is never anything wrong with a shortcut, right? This is already a pretty easy recipe, but it can be even more simple to whip up.
  • Stuffing is always great idea for using up stale or almost stale bread. Remember, it’s not a holiday only recipe. Eat it whenever you have some bread that is ready to turn!

Recipe Ingredients:

  • bread: Nice crusty bakery loaves are my favorite for this butternut squash stuffing, but really any stuffing. I like french loaves a lot for this recipe, but Italian bread or a bakery sourdough bread loaf would work well. White bread is definitely ideal over a whole grain or wheat bread.
  • butternut squash: make sure to cut the butternut squash fairly small, about 1/2 inch cubes to make sure they cook well. The squash looks deceivingly large in these photos due to the zoom lens. Check out this post for help chopping yours up! You could also use sweet potatoes in place of the squash if necessary.
  • broth: I used chicken broth when making as I have it on hand always. You could certainly use a vegetable broth if preferred. Chicken stock would work great here as well!
  • celery: no stuffing recipe should be without it. Offers that perfect crunch!
  • onion: white or sweet yellow onion. I don’t suggest red onion in this butternut squash dressing recipe.
  • sage: fresh sage is ideal–nothing beats fresh herbs! You could use dried, but I strongly suggest fresh.
  • thyme: I used dry thyme in these images, but you could do fresh. Fresh thyme was out of stock when I was testing the recipe so went with dried thyme.
  • butter: unsalted butter is my preference, but salted butter will work as well.
Bread, celery, broth, butter and other ingredients.

How to make this recipe:

Check out the recipe card below for measurements and the most precise directions. This section is meant to add a visual so you can refer to it as needed!

  • In preparation for this butternut squash stuffing, you want to make sure the bread cubes are either left out overnight or baked at a low temperature to dry them out. You want your bread to be dried out so that it doesn’t become overly soggy when mixed with the wet ingredients. When ready to prepare, transfer the cubed bread to a large mixing bowl.
  • Sauté the celery and onions in 1/2 stick of butter on medium heat until softened. Add in the chopped sage and allow to cook another minute or so.
  • While the celery and onions cook, whisk together the broth, eggs, thyme, salt and pepper. in a medium bowl. Pour the egg and broth mixture over the cubed bread and toss to coat evenly.
  • Add the celery and onion mixture and toss with the bread. Make sure to add in all the extra liquid from the butter here.Toss in the uncooked butternut squash and stir well to combine.
  • Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13inch pan. Melt the remaining butter and pour it evenly over top of the stuffing.
  • Heat oven to 375°F and cook the butternut squash stuffing covered with aluminum foil first to prevent the top from burning. After about 30 minutes, remove the foil covering and allow to bake another 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown and all the butternut squash is softened.
  • Allow to cool for several minutes before serving.
Baking pan with baked butternut squash stuffing with spoon scooping into the dish.

Recipe Tips

  • Make sure to cut the butternut squash into about 1/2 inch – 3/4 inch cubes. If you cut them too large, they will not soften enough in the time allotted to bake this stuffing.
  • I don’t use the ends of the loaves of bread as they are a bit too hard when dried out. I know this is not ideal with food waste so I try to serve them with dinner the night before.
  • If you don’t have fresh sage, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried sage.
  • For easier day-of prep, have all the veggies cut the night before. This will make your holiday cooking a bit smoother!

optional Add-Ins:

This squash stuffing is amazing just as it is, but here are some options to add in some other ingredients to make it more amazing!

  • sausage: brown some Italian sausage or even breakfast sausage and toss it in when adding the squash to the recipe
  • veggies: you could certainly add some mushrooms to the onion and celery mixture. You may want to add some more butter if doing so.
  • nuts: some chopped walnuts or pecans are a great addition if you like some extra crunch in your stuffing
  • bacon: chopped bacon will really add a fun twist to this dish!
  • cranberries: you could add dried cranberries or fresh to the mixture
  • apples: I LOVE this simple apple stuffing recipe, so adding apples is a favorite way to vary this recipe as well!
  • cornbread: you could sub some cornbread cubes in for about half of the regular bread
  • other herbs: fresh rosemary or any other fresh savory herbs would add good flavor to this dish as well!
Plate with stuffing, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Storage:

Store leftover stuffing in an airtight container for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator. When reheating, you may want to drizzle some extra melted butter over top if you need to add a bit moisture back into it.

You can freeze this dish. Make sure it has cooled completely and then transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

What to serve with this recipe:

Aside from the usual, you know, turkey, mashed potatoes and more, I LOVE this stuffing with this Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin and Apples. In fact, depending on what our plan is for our Thanksgiving meal, we may have this pairing for “turkey day!” And if not, definitely Christmas.

I also am a big fan of this White Wine Pan Seared Chicken and Butternut Squash Stuffing. I promise though that I am not trying to talk anyone out of turkey this year!

Other holiday sides I will never be caught without is this Balsamic Cranberry Chutney, Butternut Squash Casserole, and Roasted Parmesan Green Beans and you better believe these all go perfectly together.

Other Fall Side Dishes:

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5 from 3 votes

Butternut Squash Stuffing

A classic holiday dish with a twist, this Butternut Squash Stuffing recipe is delicious and comforting. Fresh sage, the perfect amount of butter and thick, crusty bread make this the compliment to any meal–Thanksgiving, Christmas and even a relaxing night in!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 

  • 2 1 lb. loaves french bread (15 cups cubed)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2½ c butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, about 1/2 of a squash
  • ½ c plus 3 T butter, separated
  • 2 c chicken broth
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 T fresh sage, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
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Instructions 

  • The night before making this dish, cut the bread into 1 inch cubes and lay evenly on parchment to allow to dry out. If you are short on time, you can lay the cubed bread in a single layer on several baking sheets and bake for about 30 minutes at 325°F. When you are ready to prepare the stuffing, transfer all of the bread into a large mixing bowl.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Over medium-high heat, melt one stick of butter. Add the onion and celery and sauté until the onions start to become translucent. Add in the chopped sage and allow to cook another minute or so. Set aside.
  • While the celery and onions cook, whisk together the chicken broth, eggs, thyme, salt and pepper. Pour the egg and broth mixture over the cubed bread and toss to coat evenly. Add the celery and onion mixture and toss with the bread. Make sure to add in all the extra liquid from the butter here. Stir in the butternut squash last.
  • Pour the stuffing into a greased 9×13 pan or large casserole dish. Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter over top, paying extra attention to any spots that may look dry.
  • Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the squash is softened and the middle has set. Cool for several minutes before serving.

Notes

Make sure to cut the butternut squash into about 1/2 inch – 3/4 inch cubes. If you cut them too large, they will not soften enough in the time allotted to bake this stuffing.
I don’t use the ends of the loaves of bread as they are a bit too hard when dried out. I know this is not ideal with food waste so I try to serve them with dinner the night before.
If you don’t have fresh sage, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of dried sage.
For easier day-of prep, have all the veggies cut the night before. This will make your holiday cooking a bit smoother!

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 699mg, Potassium: 263mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 3471IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question?Leave a comment below!
5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. Julie Osborne says:

    5 stars
    It’s really good and it disappears fast

    1. Lorie says:

      Ha, I totally get that. Glad you loved it Julie!