Name: Blue Cheese and Sage Roasted Butternut Squash Appetizer
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Ingredients: 1 butternut squash cut in half lengthwise through the stem, seeds and strings scooped out; 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; 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); 1/4 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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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.

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!

Blue Cheese and Sage Roasted Butternut Squash Appetizer

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4 from 4 reviews

Author: Lisa
Total Time: 1 hour 25 mins
Yield: 8-10 1x

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Description

Butternut Squash stuffed with either goat cheese or blue cheese and baked. A delicious festive appetizer. Serve with bread or crackers.

Ingredients

Scale

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.

Blue Cheese and Sage Roasted Butternut Squash Appetizer

How to make this Roasted Butternut Squash Appetizer