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This Butternut Squash Apple Casserole Makes the Perfect Holiday Side

This Butternut Squash Apple Casserole Makes the Perfect Holiday Side

Your Thanksgiving spread just got cleaner. This butternut squash casserole is a healthy spin on traditional holiday dishes. Mashed butternut squash sits on a bed of sweet apples and fresh sage, topped with crunchy toasted pecans. It’s cozy, nourishing, and oozing with fall flavors.

by Mindy Palmer

Your Thanksgiving spread just got cleaner. This butternut squash casserole is a healthy spin on traditional holiday dishes. Mashed butternut squash sits on a bed of sweet apples and fresh sage, topped with crunchy toasted pecans. It’s cozy, nourishing, and oozing with fall flavors. 

The best part? This casserole is cleanse-approved for Clean 7 and Clean 21, and can be enjoyed whether you’re cleansing or not. It’s wholesome, delicious, and brings all the comfort of classic holiday fare, without the heaviness. 

A Holiday Side Bursting with Health Benefits

This apple butternut squash casserole isn’t your average Thanksgiving side. It’s sweet, savory, nourishing, and made with a medley of fall staples. But unlike many classic holiday sides, it won’t trigger a sugar crash or leave you overstuffed.

Here’s a look at some of the nutritional benefits of this dish:

Butternut squash is a nutrient powerhouse

Butternut squash is one of our top Clean picks for seasonal fall foods, and for good reason. It’s low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Like all orange veggies, butternut squash is rich in beta carotene, an antioxidant that’s converted into vitamin A. 

Vitamin A supports a healthy immune system, which is crucial as we head into the colder winter months. But it’s also essential for maintaining healthy eyesight. It protects the eyes from harmful UV rays and helps your eyes see in low-light conditions. And each cup of butternut squash delivers 100% of the daily value of vitamin A. 

Apples are good for the gut

We’ve all heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Since 70-80% of your immune system lives in your gut, there’s some truth to that. And apples are one of the best gut health foods out there.1 They’re rich in insoluble fiber, which prevents constipation and keeps your digestive system moving. But they’re also a good source of prebiotic fiber, which feeds your beneficial gut bacteria.2 

Apples are also rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidants that help balance your gut microbiome.3 The majority of apples’ polyphenols come from their skin. So, we’ve left the apples unpeeled in this butternut casserole recipe. The cooking process softens the apples’ skin, so they’re barely noticeable. 

Pecans for healthy fats

Pecans’ rich, buttery flavor makes them a favorite in fall recipes. But their benefits go far beyond taste. They’re an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that support balanced cholesterol levels. 

Pecans also have the highest flavonoid content of any tree nut.4 Flavonoids are plant compounds that have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.5

On top of that, the healthy fats in pecans help stabilize your blood sugar, preventing the energy crashes that often follow holiday sides. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Butternut squash: this recipe uses roasted squash to bring out its rich, sweet flavor. 
  • Apples: add nutrients, fiber, and a subtle sweetness to this casserole, without the need for added sugars.
  • Shallot: adds savory notes to this recipe to balance the sweetness of the squash and apples.
  • Sage: adds warm, earthy tones that pair perfectly with the other ingredients. Feel free to swap it for another fresh herb, like rosemary or thyme. 
  • Pecans: you’ll toast them to enhance their flavor and crunchy texture.
  • Coconut milk: adds a rich flavor and creaminess to the squash.
  • Lemon juice: adds a bright, zingy flavor, along with a dose of vitamin C. 
  • Salt + pepper: enhances the flavor of the other ingredients in this casserole. 

How to Make This Apple Butternut Squash Casserole

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, divided (plus more for coating the squash)
  • 3 large apples, thinly sliced to about ¼ inch (about 1 ½ pounds)
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 12-15 fresh sage leaves
  • ⅓ cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup raw pecans
  • Sea salt & pepper

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice off the top and bottom of the squash. Then, stand it upright and slice it in half. Place the squash halves on the prepared baking sheet. Rub a little coconut oil over the squash’s flesh and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the squash cut-side down and roast for 45-50 minutes, or until the squash caramelizes and turns soft. 

2. While the squash cooks, slice the apples and shallot and chop the sage. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, apple, and sage, and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the apples are soft, turn off the heat. 

3. Pour the apple mixture into a casserole dish and spread the apple slices out evenly.

4. Once the squash is cooked through, remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 350° F. Scoop out the squash flesh with a spoon and discard the skin. Add the roasted squash to a food processor, along with the coconut milk, lemon juice, and ¾ tsp sea salt. Mix for a minute or so until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor on hand, a potato masher will work too. 

Spread the mashed butternut squash over the cooked apples evenly. Bake in a 350°F oven for 25 minutes. 

6. While the casserole bakes, you can toast the pecans. Mix the pecans with 1 tbsp of coconut oil and ½ sea salt in a small bowl. Toss until coated evenly. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the pecans. Stir frequently for 3-5 minutes until the pecans start to turn fragrant. Keep a close eye on them, as nuts can burn quickly. Once toasted, transfer to a paper towel to dry. 

7. Once dry and cool, coarsely chop the pecans (or feel free to keep them whole). Spread the toasted pecans over the cooked butternut casserole before serving. 

Helpful Recipe Tips

  • Best apples: This casserole works best with firm apples that are sweet or tart. Soft apples like Red Delicious can get mushy when cooked. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, or Granny Smith would all work well in this recipe. 
  • Sweetness: This recipe is free of added sugars and natural sweeteners to keep it low glycemic and cleanse-friendly. But if you’re not cleansing and prefer a sweeter flavor, feel free to add 1-2 tbsp of maple syrup to the mashed squash. 
  • Make-ahead: You can easily prep this casserole a day ahead if you’re serving it for a holiday meal. Just wait to add the toasted pecans until after you bake it to prevent them from burning. 
  • Storage: If you have leftovers, store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

More Clean Thanksgiving Sides to Add to Your Holiday Menu

Looking for more healthy dishes to add to your Thanksgiving spread? Here are a few recipes to try:

Recipe and photography by Mindy Palmer

Sources:

  1. The Interplay between the Gut Microbiome and the Immune System in the Context of Infectious Diseases throughout Life and the Role of Nutrition in Optimizing Treatment Strategies | Pubmed
  2. Apples and Cardiovascular Health—Is the Gut Microbiota a Core Consideration?| PMC
  3. Polyphenols—Gut Microbiota Interrelationship: A Transition to a New Generation of Prebiotics | PMC
  4. The phytochemical composition and antioxidant actions of tree nuts| PMC
  5. Important Flavonoids and Their Role as a Therapeutic Agent | PMC

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