Easy Butternut Squash Casserole : This butternut squash lasagna is a perfect casserole recipe for the fall season. It’s filled with the flavors of Thanksgiving with just a bit of sweet and covered with cheese.
If you’ve never had butternut squash lasagna, I am sorry. You are seriously missing out on something wonderful. I like to refer to it as Thanksgiving lasagna because with just one bite, I’m immediately taken to a warm Thanksgiving memory where I’m gathered with the whole family around a table filled with a delicious feast.
This is really just an easy butternut squash casserole recipe, but since I use those wide lasagna noodles, I think it’s a great replacement for a traditional lasagna that gives you all those wonderful flavors of fall.
There’s something about butternut squash that always reminds me of Thanksgiving, but using it as filling for lasagna, along with a creamy basil sauce, creates an even heartier dish that I just can’t seem to get enough of.
Easy Butternut Squash Casserole
Ingredients
1 (2lb.) butternut squash
2 almond biscotti, finely crushed
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
Pinch nutmeg
3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
No boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Using a large knife, cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Place each half face down in a baking pan and bake for about an hour or until the inside flesh is tender.
Scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the biscotti crumbs and set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour for about a minute. Then gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a slight boil. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes or until it slightly thickens, making sure to whisk often.
Allowing the sauce to cool a bit, transfer half of the cooled sauce into the blender and add the basil leaves. Blend until smooth and then return to the rest of the sauce and blend. Make sure to season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in a lightly buttered baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/3 of the squash mixture over the noodles and add 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce over the cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times then cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Add the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, allowing the top to slightly brown.
I hope you enjoy this easy butternut squash casserole recipe. Be sure to check out our other easy recipes, too.
Try this Butternut Squash Lasagna this week. It's fabulous! Click To Tweet
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- 1 (2lb.) butternut squash
- 2 almond biscotti, finely crushed
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- Pinch nutmeg
- 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
- No boil lasagna noodles
- 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Using a large knife, cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds. Place each half face down in a baking pan and bake for about an hour or until the inside flesh is tender.
- Scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the biscotti crumbs and set aside.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour for about a minute. Then gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a slight boil. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes or until it slightly thickens, making sure to whisk often.
- Allowing the sauce to cool a bit, transfer half of the cooled sauce into the blender and add the basil leaves. Blend until smooth and then return to the rest of the sauce and blend. Make sure to season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in a lightly buttered baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/3 of the squash mixture over the noodles and add 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce over the cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times then cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Add the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, allowing the top to slightly brown.