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Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole

Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole

This post is sponsored by Taylor Farms, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Wife Mama Foodie!

Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin | Wife Mama Foodie
If there’s one holiday I look forward to every year, it’s Thanksgiving. Sure, opening presents on Christmas is fun, but for a foodie, what could be better than an entire day dedicated to feasting on great food! Not only that, then you get to work off all of those extra calories power shopping with all the other crazy people on Black Friday! (I’m a foodie who also likes to shop, okay?!)

With Thanksgiving only a week away, I’ve been busy planning our menu to include all of our traditional dishes, along with a few new faves! We’ll have turkey, of course, with some sort of mashed potatoes, and since we’re already having potatoes, I’ve put a twist on sweet potato casserole using butternut squash instead! And it’s made even better because this casserole is topped with simple, 3-ingredient maple candied pecans—talk about yum!

Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin | Wife Mama FoodieMaple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin | Wife Mama Foodie
You won’t even miss sweet potatoes in this yummy variation. I used Taylor Farms Butternut Squash, which is convenient because it’s washed, peeled, and ready to use—saving on prep work is a MUST on Thanksgiving! Not only is butternut squash delicious, it’s also a nutritional powerhouse, chock-full of carotenoids, vitamins A & C, with plenty of fiber and potassium as well. 

It’s a great way to include an extra veggie at the table too, though it’ll be disguised as a dessert-like treat!

Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin | Wife Mama Foodie
Speaking of veggies, this broccoli & cauliflower gratin is another side that will definitely be on our Thanksgiving table this year! Move over green bean casserole, there’s now a new favorite green veggie dish in our family! 

This gratin is made even more simple using pre-washed and cut bags of Taylor Farms Broccoli and Cauliflower medley. You literally just empty the bag into a pan and stick it in the oven while you make the béchamel sauce. I’m telling you, it’s crazy simple and SO good! We’ve made this gratin several times in the past few weeks and there’s never any left over, which is always a great sign! The kids got second and third helpings of veggies too—it was unbelievable! Find the easy recipe for both side dishes below! 

Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin | Wife Mama FoodieMaple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin | Wife Mama Foodie

Broccoli & Cauliflower Gratin

Ingredients:

Two 12oz. packages (about 6–7 cups) Taylor Farms Broccoli and Cauliflower medley
salt and pepper
2 cups unsweetened & unflavored almond milk or other milk of choice, divided
3 tablespoons butter (dairy-free can be used)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup shredded Gruyere or cheddar cheese, optional (can omit if dairy-free)
bread crumbs, for crunchy topping (Optional. Use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place broccoli and cauliflower into a 9×13-inch(ish) oven-safe baking dish. Cut or break any large florets into smaller pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place into the oven to dry roast for 15 minutes, while you make the béchamel. 
Meanwhile, heat 1 3/4 cup milk and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together remaining 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch. When milk is heated, add the cornstarch slurry to the pot, stirring continuously until thickened. Reduce heat to low and if you’re adding cheese, add it in now, along with salt and pepper, to taste. 
Remove broccoli and cauliflower from the oven and reduce heat to 350ºF. 
Pour béchamel over the roasted veggies and top with bread crumbs. If you’re grain/gluten–free, you can omit the bread crumbs, use a gluten-free variation, or use a handful of grated parmesan cheese in its place. 
Place back into the oven to bake until hot and bubbly, and top is lightly brown, about 30 minutes. Serve right away.  
  Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin | Wife Mama FoodieFinding ways to cut prep time in the kitchen is key on Thanksgiving day, that’s why I love using Taylor Farms ready-to-use vegetables, which truly saves SO much time when you don’t have to wash, peel, and chop these veggies. And less time in the kitchen means more time with family and friends…and let’s be real—more time shopping!

I hope you enjoy these sides as much as our family does! Happy Thanksgiving! 

Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole and Broccoli and Cauliflower Gratin | Wife Mama Foodie


Maple Pecan Butternut Squash Casserole
 
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This delicious take on sweet potato casserole uses butternut squash as the star! It's a super simple side which is free of gluten, dairy, grains, eggs, and refined sugar!
Author:
Recipe type: Sides, Thanksgiving, Gluten Free, Vegan
Serves: 8–10 servings
Ingredients
  • Two 15 oz. packages (about 6–7 cups) Taylor Farms Cubed Butternut Squash
  • ⅓ cup + 3–4 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter (can use dairy-free)
  • ½–1 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste
  • 1½ cups pecans (chopped or whole)
  • salt
Instructions
  1. Place butternut squash into a large pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil on the stove over medium-high heat and boil until soft when pierced with a fork.
  2. Strain, pressing out any additional water, and continue to let sit in the colander to drain while you prepare the pecan topping.
  3. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  4. Place a large, non-stick pan on the stove over medium heat. Add pecans, ⅓ cup syrup, and a pinch of salt. Stir mixture continuously until syrup thickens and evenly coat pecans, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to cool. Careful not to overcook. If it cooks too long, the syrup will harden like candy on the pecans and be hard to get out of the pan (but makes a really tasty snack!)
  5. Squeeze excess water out of the squash and then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add butter, 3–4 tablespoons syrup (to taste), cinnamon (to taste), and generous pinch of salt (add less if your butter is salted.) Beat mixture with a hand mixer or mash with potato masher until no clumps remain.
  6. Transfer mixture to and 8-inch square or round baking pan and top evenly with maple pecans.
  7. Place into the oven and bake until hot and bubbly, about 30–40 minutes. Makes about 8–10 servings.
Make Ahead:
  1. Casserole can be assembled, without topping, up to 2 days ahead of time, covered and refriegrated. Candied pecans can be made 2 days ahead; store in an airtight container at room temperature. Drain off any excess liquid that may have gathered on top of the squash before topping with pecans and baking.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Wow, these are indeed lovable recipe’s and can be a hit for Thanksgiving, but I shall try it tomorrow for sure. The brocoli cauliflower gratin was a hit for me and I must make it up:)

    Reply

  8. Your recipes look scrumptious! I’ve never tried butternut squash in a sweet recipe but it sounds delicious! Can I just come to your house for Thanksgiving??
    🙂 gwingal

    Reply

  10. This looks absolutely delicious! I want to try this, but maybe add a little bit of bourbon. Have you ever tried candied bourbon pecans? So good! Anyways, thanks for sharing these awesome recipes 🙂

    Reply

  11. These recipes are amazing, Joscelyn! I feel the same way about Thanksgiving! Christmas is great and all but Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite. I get so much joy from recipe testing and creation and serving it to my family and friends 🙂

    Reply

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