This Roasted Butternut Squash Gratin is a delightfully cozy side dish, perfect for any occasion, from holiday feasts to weeknight dinners. Topped with parmesan pecan breadcrumbs and drizzled with honey, it’s a delicious addition to any table!
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What started as the quest for a side dish that could make its debut at Thanksgiving, has quickly turned into a family fall staple in our home. Perfectly roasted butternut squash slices tossed in a little garlic butter, honey, and a few teaspoons of your favorite fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary are my favorite), all topped with chopped nuts, panko, and parmesan cheese – kids and adults alike will enjoy this holiday feast crowd-pleaser. So much so, you might just find yourself making it all winter long!
Why This Roasted Butternut Squash Gratin?
We seriously can’t get enough of this squash recipe. There’s something so delicious about the sweet and savory flavors that go so well together. I also love that it feels special, but really all we’ve done is add a bit of crunch to it. The beauty of this dish – besides being ready in under an hour – is that it’s forgiving. Swap olive oil for butter or hazelnuts for pecans, and don’t forget to experiment with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.
And in terms of a Thanksgiving side? It’s not buried in marshmallows – simply a dish that adds a little extra crunch and a whole lotta flavor to one of fall’s finest foods. Make this dish for a vegetarian holiday feast crowd-pleaser.
What You’ll Need
- Parmesan Bread Crumb Topping
- Butter: Helps to roast the veggies, but also adds flavor. And for this dish, it really doesn’t matter if you’ve got salted or unsalted butter.
- Fresh garlic: For the garlic butter sauce. Yum! Psst… the work you do to infuse the butter with the garlic does double duty to toss with the squash, but also to help create a flavorful, golden brown topping for the dish. Don’t skip it!
- Panko: Here I like panko breadcrumbs for their natural crunch, but you can also swap for homemade sourdough breadcrumbs, and it would be heaven.
- Parmesan cheese: Packed with umami and a little saltiness.
- Pecans: Toasted to provide a rich, nutty flavor.
- Fresh herbs: Thyme and rosemary; although you could do straight up thyme or rosemary, or try swapping rosemary for fresh sage. Swap for 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs.
- Seasonings: Salt, and pepper; Since you can taste the breadcrumbs, I say to season this to taste, starting with ¼ teaspoon of salt and working your way up.
- A bit of spice: chili pepper flakes are optional. If you think you’d like to add a hint of spice, I recommend ¼ teaspoon – ½ teaspoon.
Butternut Squash
- Butternut squash: I recommend finding a smaller one for this. If you get a large one, though, try cubing the leftovers and freezing for later use (roasting for a salad or soup).
- Runny honey: For sweetness
- Apple cider vinegar: For zing.
- Seasonings: salt and freshly ground black pepper
Other Toppings for Butternut Squash Gratin
This is a great side dish to elevate any meal and as such, I like to experiment with toppings. Try everything from:
- Swapping nuts: Hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds would all work beautifully in this recipe
- Making fresh breadcrumbs: When using homemade breadcrumbs I’ll often toast the breadcrumbs in the garlic butter before mixing it with the parmesan, but love using every last bit of fresh bread when we have it.
- Garnish with parsley at the end for an extra pop of color, and taste!
- To make prep a little easier (not much), forego breadcrumbs altogether and instead top with copious amounts of cheese; a mix of white cheddar or fontina and mozzarella would be tasty with the honey. What you lose in texture, you make up for in pure unadulterated comfort.
Let’s Make It!
Make the parmesan panko topping
- In a small saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter over medium heat, then reduce heat to low, add 3 minced cloves of garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl toss together bread crumbs, parmesan, thyme, rosemary, chopped pecans, and season lightly with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoon of the garlic butter over the panko mixture then toss to evenly coat.
- Brush the remaining butter and garlic mixture over the squash in a baking dish, then season the squash with salt and pepper. (You can taste the breadcrumbs, so here I say, season to taste, starting with ¼ teaspoon.)
Make the butternut squash gratin
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
- Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil, and then add the squash to the baking dish.
- In a small bowl combine the rest of the garlic butter mixture, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup honey, salt, and pepper.
- Toss with the 2 pounds of butternut squash slices and distribute evenly in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly over the top with a spoon. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes until tender. If the topping is not golden brown, turn on the broiler setting and broil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Finish with a drizzle of honey.
- Serve warm.
Can You Make This In Advance?
While this dish is best eaten fresh,you can make it, bake it (you can reduce baking time to 25-30 minutes), and then toss it in the fridge for a day or two. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and roast until the dish is warmed through and the breadcrumbs are crispy again.
How to Store: I like to store this in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to 4 days. I also cover and freeze them for up to 2 months. Simply thaw them for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating them.
How to Reheat: To reheat them, add your desired portion to a pan, cover with foil, and bake in the oven at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until hot. In addition, you can simply add them to the microwave and heat them until hot, but the breadcrumbs will lose their crunch.
What to Serve with Roasted Butternut Squash Gratin?
📖 Recipe
Butternut Squash Gratin with Parmesan Pecan Crumble and Honey
Ingredients
Parmesan Pecan Crumble Topping
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup toasted pecans roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves chopped (for me that was xx small leaves)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes optional, to taste
- Salt to taste
Butternut Squash
- 2 pounds butternut squash sliced (approximately 1 small squash)
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- Honey for serving
Instructions
Make the parmesan pecan topping
- In a small saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter over medium heat, then reduce heat to low, add 3 minced cloves of garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl toss together bread crumbs, parmesan, thyme, rosemary, chopped pecans, and season lightly with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoon of the garlic butter over the panko mixture then toss to evenly coat.
- Brush the remaining butter and garlic mixture over the squash in a baking dish, then season the squash with salt and pepper. (You can taste the breadcrumbs, so here I say, season to taste, starting with ¼ teaspoon.)
Make the butternut squash gratin
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
- Spray a 9×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil, and then add the squash to the baking dish.
- In a small bowl combine the rest of the garlic butter mixture, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup honey, salt, and pepper.
- Toss with the 2 pounds of butternut squash slices and distribute evenly in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle crumble mixture evenly over the top with a spoon. Bake in a preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes until tender. If the topping is not golden brown, turn on the broiler setting and broil for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Finish with a drizzle of honey.
- Serve warm.
