Roasted butternut squash baked with goat or blue cheese makes a fabulous festive appetizer that's easy to throw together!
There are so many things I love about this dish: the great colors, the wonderful shapes, fresh seasonal ingredients, the combo of healthy and decadent, the rustic excitement of the butternut squash being cooked yet still in its raw form, the fact that it's easy to assemble and throw in the oven and, most of all, it's absolutely delicious!
I always love a dish that draws a crowd around it - this one does!
Included in the recipe are two different stuffings - one with goat cheese and one with blue cheese. Choose one or make both - one in each squash half.
How to make this Roasted Butternut Squash Appetizer
The only hard part of this recipe is cutting the squash in half. Use a very sharp knife, take your time, and be careful!
Scrape out the seeds and strings from the squash, score the flesh so the cheese mixture can sink in, and cut a small slice off the bottoms to help stabilize them on the roasting pan and serving platter. Prepare the cheese mixture, coat the squash halves with cheese, letting most of it fill up the hollows. Arrange sage leaves decoratively over the cheese and bake for just over an hour, until the squash is tender and the cheese is bubbling.
This butternut squash stuffed with hot bubbly blue cheese or goat cheese can come right from the oven to the appetizer platter. Surround it with crackers and a knife for spreading, and everyone will gather around.
This dish is so harvesty! (not a word - I know - but still perfect to describe this)
During the holidays, when so many dishes require hours of prep, it's great to be able to throw something like this together in minutes, pop it in the oven, and an hour later, pull out a beautiful festive appetizer that's ready to be enjoyed.
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Here's the roasted butternut squash appetizer recipe. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think!
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Blue Cheese and Sage Roasted Butternut Squash Appetizer
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins
- Yield: 8-10 1x
Description
Butternut Squash stuffed with either goat cheese or blue cheese and baked. A delicious festive appetizer. Serve with bread or crackers.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash cut in half lengthwise through the stem, seeds and strings scooped out
For The Blue Cheese Stuffing Mixture
- 6 ounces blue cheese crumbles or gorgonzola crumbles
- 4 tablespoons ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 or three sprigs of fresh sage or several fresh sage leaves
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For The Goat Cheese Stuffing Mixture
- 8 ounces goat cheese crumbles
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced (1 teaspoon)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper
- 2 or three sprigs of fresh sage or several fresh sage leaves
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 450ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Slice a small bit off the bottom of the bottom of the bulgy end of each squash so it can sit stably on the roasting pan and on your serving platter. (see photo in post).
- Cut fairly deep cross hatches into the flesh of the squash to ensure more even cooking and to let some of the flavors from the cheese mixture seep in (see photo in post).
- Place the two squash halves on the prepared pan, skin side down. Combine the ingredients for whichever cheese mixture you've chosen. Spoon it into the holes of the squash halves and mound some on the flat parts as well.
- Lay sage sprigs or leaves decoratively over the cheese, gently pressing them into the cheese so they stick and hold their shape and don't shrivel during the cooking process. Sprinkle each squash half with a couple of pinches of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
- Loosely tent the squash with foil and cook for 40 minutes. Lower the oven temp to 400ºF and remove the foil. Cook for 30 minutes longer, or until the squash is tender and the cheese is golden brown in spots.
- Serve warm or at room temperature, with bread or crackers on the side.
Notes
This recipe is adapted from Tina Nordströms Scandinavian Cooking
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: oven roasting
- Cuisine: Scandinavian
Originally published November 20, 2014. Updated October 25, 2020 with a few new photos and clearer instructions in the recipe.
I’ve been making this recipe for over 10 years and it’s a solid go-to! I make it for holiday parties and it always gets lots of oohs and ahhs. Over the years, I’ve made modifications to the baking method, bake time, and amount of filling for my guests and my personal preferences. In the past, I struggled with the baking times and an undercooked squash, despite extra time in the oven. Could be because I like to work with a really large butternut squash. In any case, I’ll first halve the squash, slather with olive oil, sprinkle a little sea salt and roast cut side up covered in foil for about 50-55 minutes at 400. When a little bit cooler, I’ll also scoop out some of flesh of the center part of the neck and stuff the whole thing with 1.5xs the cheese filling the recipe calls for. Then I’ll put it back in the oven covered with foil for about 35 mins. With the extra filling, it’s extra extra tasty! Plus there’s much less leftover squash that’s been picked clean by party guests just looking for the “good parts,” ha ha.
Tried this out last night and it was totally amazing. I went with the blue cheese and everyone loved it. I am definitely including this in my upcoming Thanksgiving meal!
I tried this recipe using goat cheese a few weeks ago and loved it. I plan on making it again for Thanksgiving.
Great to hear Linda! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Can I make this ahead and reheat in the microwave?
hi Erin. I'm not sure if cooking in the often and reheating in the microwave would work. I'd be more comfortable with reheating it in the oven. Or, if you want to work ahead I would suggest doing step one without any cheese. Then you can refrigerate the squash overnight. Let it come to room temp and assemble it with cheese and herbs the day of your event and continue with step two in the oven. If you do need to get the whole thing cooked in advance, I suggest you let it come to room temp and then heat it gently in the oven or microwave. I hope this helps!
Loved this recipe have lots of butternut squash from our garden
I made it with the goat cheese. Came out perfect!
Followed the instructions exactly and it burned to a crisp. $30 wasted.
Cat, I feel terrible that the recipe didn't work out for you. I'd like to know exactly what went wrong. I sent you an email so I hope we can discuss ~ Lisa
Lisa I have made this several times and we love it, It always wows our guests. I am hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow and I am preparing it to go along with our dinner. Thank you for spicing up our dinner table. Xxxoo. Jane
Loved this! Very easy I make and a crowd pleaser!! I used the goat cheese!!
Oh, yum Lisa - can imagine this will go down well at your holiday celebrations:)