Author: I'm a big fan of my Puff Pastry Wrapped Lentil Loaf, and according to 48 thousand pins on Pinterest, the 100+ comments, and all of the gorgeous photos of your loaves that you tag me in on Instagram (I adore seeing those!) you are big fans of my lentil loaf as well. As much as I adore that loaf in all its gorgeousness, I was craving a new holiday centerpiece. Introducing my new, stunningly gorgeous, super duper scrumptious, Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash.
I got the idea of stuffing a butternut squash from the vegducken that has been flying around the internet. While I loved the idea of stuffing a butternut squash (clearly), I read a lot of complaints about the layers of bland and mushy vegetables, the butternut squash which was difficult to hollow out when raw, and that the recipe took a ton of time and work to prepare, all of that and it isn't even vegan. I was determined to solve all of these problems.
Bland and mushy vegetables were replaced with my flavour packed wild rice stuffing, the butternut squash is roasted prior to hollowing it out, making it easy and spoon scoopable. And while it isn't my quickest recipe ever, most of the time is spent hands off letting the squash bake and the rice cook. The result? OMG I'm just so in love. Did I say that already?
Let me count the ways I love Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash:
- It can be prepared ahead of time! That's right, you can make the squash and stuffing, and have the whole thing done and tied up with a bow (literally), and ready to go. Just store it covered in your fridge for up to 3 days and the heat through when ready to serve.
- That stuffing! It took me 4 test drives to nail it, but I am now officially smitten with this stuffing. Wild rice, cranberries, walnuts, sage... so much scrumptiousness, I have a hard time not eating it all before it even makes it into the squash.
- You can totally eat the squash skin. Not only does the skin help hold the shape of the squash, but the squash is roasted long enough that the skin becomes very tender so there is no need to peel it off. I like to give it a final seasoning right before serving. Yum!
- It is just so dang cute! I think it's important to have a gorgeous centerpiece for your holiday feast, whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other time you want to celebrate with loved ones. With this stuffed roasted butternut squash you get all of the wow factor a good feast deserves.
TO MAKE STUFFED ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH:
Start by cutting your butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds, then put both halves on a baking tray cut side up. Drizzle a little olive oil on top of each squash and rub around to coat. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until the squash is cooked and fork tender. The timing may vary a bit depending on the size of your squash.
Once baked, remove the squash from the oven. Let it cool enough so that you can handle it. Scoop out the flesh in the centre of both squash halves, leaving about a 1-inch border all around. I like to score a line 1-inch from the edges with the tip of my spoon before I start scooping so I have a guide to follow.
Set aside the scooped out squash flesh and chop it up.
In the meantime when the squash is baking, you can prepare the stuffing. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot sauté the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic until the veggies soften and begin to brown.
Add the wild rice and veggie broth to the pan, give it a stir, then cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Now add the white rice to the pan, cover, and continue to cook another 8 to 10 minutes until the rice has cooked and fully absorbed the broth. Add in the walnuts, dried cranberries, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Add in the scooped out and chopped squash flesh once you have it. Stir everything to combine well. Omnomnom.
Pack in as much of the stuffing into both sides of the squash as you can. You will likely have leftovers, but I like to pack it in nice and firmly and make both sides heaping full. Pick up one squash half and flip it on top of the other. Use kitchen string to tie up the squash in 3 or 4 places holding it together. At this point you can choose to let it cool, cover with foil and store in the fridge for up to 3 days until ready to bake. Or you can bake it right away.
When you are ready to bake, lightly brush the top with oil. Bake uncovered for 20 to 35 minutes until hot all the way through. Season the top with a cracked pepper, and an extra sprinkle of chopped sage.
The slices are tender and will easily fall apart, to help hold them together use a wide spatula, and carefully transfer them to the plate. Serve hot with Quick Onion Gravy.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam.
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Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash
Servings: (depending on the size of your squash)
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Ingredients
For the butternut squash:
- 1 butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the stuffing:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup wild rice, (see notes)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup white rice, (I used basmati)
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 recipe Quick Onion Gravy, (optional for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C).
- To make the butternut squash: Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds, then put both halves on a baking tray, cut side up. Drizzle the olive oil on top of each squash and rub around to coat. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until the squash is cooked and fork tender. The timing may vary a bit depending on the size of your squash. Be careful not to overcook the squash as it will still bake more when assembled and heated later on.
- Once baked, remove the squash from the oven. Let it cool enough so that you can handle it. Scoop out the flesh in the center of both squash halves, leaving about a 1-inch border all around. I like to score a line with the tip of my spoon 1-inch from the edges before I start scooping so I have a guide to follow. Set aside the scooped out squash flesh and chop it up.
- To make the stuffing: In the meantime when the squash is baking, you can prepare the stuffing. In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot sauté the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic until the veggies soften and begin to brown. Add the wild rice and veggie broth to the pan, give it a stir, then cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Now add the white rice to the pan, cover, and continue to cook another 8 to 10 minutes until the rice has cooked and fully absorbed the broth. Add in the walnuts, dried cranberries, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper. When ready, add in the scooped out and chopped squash flesh. Stir well to combine.
- To stuff the squash: Pack in as much of the stuffing into both sides of the squash as you can. You will likely have leftovers, but I like to pack it in nice and firmly and make both sides heaping full. Optional Stacking: Leave the halves as they are, or stack them for presentation. To stack, carefully flip one half on top of the other. Use kitchen twine to tie the squash together in 3–4 places for stability.
- When you are ready to bake, lightly brush the top with more olive oil. Bake for 20 to 35 minutes until hot all the way through. Season the top with cracked pepper, and a sprinkle of chopped sage. The slices are tender and will easily fall apart, to help hold them together use a wide spatula, and carefully transfer them to the plate. Serve hot with Quick Onion Gravy.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕
joe says
Hi, I was going to make wild rice and cranberry chutney separately but I am choosing this recipe to bring to my families Christmas potluck. My question is, can i steam cook the squash after gutting it to save time and energy and then roast it with the stuffing later?
joe says
edit: can i steam it before gutting it and then roast it withe the stuffing.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Joe! Yes, you can steam the squash halves after gutting to save time, then roast later with the stuffing. Just steam until barely tender (you still want it to hold its shape), then cool and refrigerate. When you’re ready, stuff and roast until hot throughout 😊
Joe says
It turned out awesome! Steaming the squash first went well. i did not over steam it. I used a long grain hand picked wild rice from Moosewood Lake company (very long cook time) and red basmati from Lundburg Farm. I also added portobello mushroom. Everything else I kept just as you decribed. I could only get the young ones to "try" it, but the older family really enjoyed it. thanks so much and have a very happy 2026.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Amazing! That all sounds like a delicious combination and nice to hear the young ones at least gave it a try! 🙂
Happy 2026 to you!
Emily says
I’ve made this before but it’s been a few years. Can you make the stuffing ahead of time on its own and then bake later? I bought everything except the squash somehow 🤦♀️
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Emily, yes absolutley, just mix in the scooped out cooked and chopped squash flesh when you have it ready. Enjoy!
Leslie says
I made this for a holiday meal and everyone liked it, even the carnivores. It's a little bit special but not so fussy that it's difficult to make.
Thanks!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Love that! So happy everyone enjoyed it Leslie, thanks for the review 🙂
Roxanne Cumings says
It’s unlike any recipe I’ve tried; I liked it! I do have a few questions: 1) You indicated you used a wild rice that took 20 minutes to cook. Mine took 45 minutes. What brand of wild rice did you use? 2) For the basmati rice can I use basmati Minute Rice? 3) Does this dish reheat well in microwave? Thanks!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Roxanne, I have a note about wild rice in the recipe notes section that you might find helpful: "Wild Rice: Different types of wild rice may vary the cooking time. The wild rice I used required 20 minutes of cooking time, so I cooked it for 10 minutes, added the basmati so it could cook, and continued to cook it for 10 minutes more. Look at your package of wild rice to see if it needs longer cooking time. If it does, cook longer as directed before adding the basmati." So if your requires 45 minutes, cook it that long, and add the minute rice in the last 5 - 8 minutes to ensure everything cooks at the same time. You just want to ensure both rices finish cooking time at the same time. I hope that helps!
Rox says
Yep! I saw your note about the wild rice. I was just curious what brand of wild rice you used. I did a rehearsal run of this great recipe prior to Thanksgiving so I’d have it down pat on Thanksgiving day….actually I’ll make it the day before. I believe I’ll use a rice blend (Rice Select Royal Blend) rather than the wild rice and basmati rice. I’m planning to cook the rice blend separately in vegetable stock then once it’s done adding it to the cooked carrot/ celery/onion/garlic mixture. That works, right?! 🤔 Thank you so much!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Roxanne, that plan will work totally fine, just keep in mind that since your rice blend will already be cooked in vegetable stock you should reduce or even omit the broth in the stuffing step and simply stir the cooked rice into the sautéed veggies until everything is well combined 😊 If the mixture ever looks a bit dry you can splash in a little extra stock as needed.
Carmen says
outstanding!!
I used pecans and medjool dates instead of walnuts and cranberries
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Oooh sounds perfect! So happy you enjoyed it Carmen, thank you for the review 🙂
Rox says
Is it okay to use Basmati Minute Rice?
Betty says
Very pretty and tasty! Agree with many that I will not tie halves together.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it Betty!
Gwendolyn says
Excellent! My daughter made it and now I can’t wait to share this at my potluck.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! So thrilled you loved the recipe! 🙂
Tamara says
Sure wish I could upload a picture! We had a lot of fun with this recipe. I ended up adding more spice (maybe 1.5 times) and some poultry seasoning as my squash was big and I made more stuffing too. Didn’t use white rice but a brown/black rice blend. Threw in some green lentils too. Yum!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
wonderful! So happy you loved it so much Tamara! 🙂
Erin says
Can I bake these open faced instead of tied together? Going to attempt next week. Thanks
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Erin, yes absolutely! That would work great. Enjoy!
Lindsay says
I just made this and am going to store in the fridge and bake tomorrow. I just tasted the stuffing and my rice is crunchy. Can I salvage this before baking by adding more broth right before or will the extra baking tomorrow soften it?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Lindsay, yes, rice cook times can vary, and I’ve included a note about this in the recipe notes. 🙂 I’d recommend stirring in a small amount of vegetable broth, covering, and gently warming the stuffing until the rice softens. For next time, it’s best to ensure the rice is fully cooked before moving on to the next steps. I hope that helps!
Glenn Galler says
I made this recipe and we enjoyed it. I scooped out too much squash and may have overcooked it because when I put the one half on top of the other half it kind of fell apart and I couldn’t tie it together with string. we think heading pinenuts might make it even better.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're glad you enjoyed it! Pine nuts sound great indeed.
Deb Fell says
Very nice. Interesting presentation.
Mark says
Great recipe. I know you’re a vegetarian. Made mine with garden veg, beef pork and bacon stuffing . Caramelized onions and old cheddar on top !! Yumm. Thanks for your version.
Mark
Nicola says
Just made this for a Thanksgiving main dish. It was lovely! I didn't tie it up, just left it as two open halves. A little simplified presentation, but just as good.
Thanks for the recipe!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful! We love that it was part of your Thanksgiving meal!
GABRIELLE OTTAVIO says
Can we add tofu to stuffing to increase the protein? Or what do you suggest to increase protein?
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Hi Gabrielle, yes you can definitely do that! You could also try beans. Enjoy!
megan says
I add lentils! delicious : )
Barbara says
This is so good. I have it regularly in the fall.
Barnett ca says
Any suggestions on making this as a casserole with the chunks of squash instead of inside and stuffed?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
You could cube and roast the squash then add it to the stuffing mixture and bake the whole thing in a casserole dish. You'd have to experiment a little to see what you like best!