Description
A comforting butternut squash casserole blended with sweet apples, fragrant herbs, and gooey Gruyere cheese, perfect for fall gatherings and family dinners.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled and cored
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried sage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
- 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
- 2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- Fresh sage leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with foil.
- In a bowl, combine butternut squash and Honeycrisp apples. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
- Add maple syrup, sage, and Herbes de Provence, stirring until evenly mixed.
- Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and roast for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While roasting, heat olive oil in a skillet and cook the crumbled sausage until browned, then set aside.
- Add more oil if necessary and caramelize fennel and onion in the skillet for 10-12 minutes until golden.
- Combine sausage with fennel and onion in a bowl.
- Once squash and apples are tender, mix them with the sausage mixture and the remaining maple syrup, and season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a baking dish, top with grated Gruyere cheese, and place under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Garnish with fresh sage leaves and serve hot.
Notes
For added texture, consider incorporating nuts or seeds before baking. Adjust maple syrup based on your sweetness preference.
