Name: Garlicky Mashed Butternut Squash
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash; 1 bulb garlic; 1 tablespoon neutral-flavored vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; ¼ cup vegetable stock

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Mashed Butternut Squash is an easy-to-make side dish that will add a splash of color to the holiday table! It’s great for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but it’s also a great side dish for weeknight dinner. This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

Mashed Butternut Squash

Many years ago, waaaaay before I started blogging, a coworker who I frequently talked to about recipes gave me a winter squash. I told her that I had never had one before, and she was quite appalled. How could a foodie never have squash? She told me to cut it in half, drizzle on a little oil and shake on a little salt and pepper, and then roast it.

I took the squash home, put it on top of my refrigerator and the completely forgot about it. One of my cats jumped on top of the fridge and knocked it back to an area that I couldn’t see without standing on a chair. I later found it, and it was not in good shape. I maintained my squash-free diet for another year.

When squash season rolled around the following year, I spotted them in the store and thought of my coworker. She was right – I needed to try some squash. I bought a butternut squash, took it home and followed her advice – I cut it in half and roasted with a little oil, salt, and pepper.

Once I was done roasting it though, I didn’t know what to do with it. Do we eat it straight out of the skin? Do I stuff it with something? Now I know that I can do both of those things, but at the time what I did was scrape it out of the skin and just mash it up with garlic and spices. And it was delicious! I’ve been enjoying mashed squash ever since.

How to Cut Butternut Squash

Cutting your squash for this recipe is super easy!

First you slice your squash in half. If it’s too difficult, you can place it in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes or microwave it for 2 or 3 minutes.
Then scoop out the seeds and stringy bits in inside. I have a grapefruit spoon that I use to make it easy, but you can use any spoon to get it out.

How to Make Garlicky Mashed Butternut Squash

This recipe is s so simple to make, that it almost feels like cheating!

I like to add roasted garlic to my mashed butternut squash to give it a little extra somethin’ somethin’. Garlic roasts up so creamy and has such a nice mellow flavor, that it really lends itself well to any kind of mashed vegetable dish. If you put both the garlic and the squash in the oven together, they should be done around the same time.

Once your squash is sliced in half and the seeds are scooped out, you drizzle a little oil on both halves and sprinkle on some salt and black pepper.
You place the squash cut side up on the prepared baking sheet, and roast for 35-45 minutes, or until it’s tender.
Now you peel most of the paper off of the garlic, but make sure you keep the bulb intact. Use a sharp knife to cut the top part of the garlic bulb off. You’ll want to trim about ¼” off.
Next you drizzle the tops of exposed cloves with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. You cover the bulb with foil and bake it for about 40 minutes, until the cloves are soft. The garlic is done with deeply golden brown and completely soft.
Your squash and garlic should be done around the same time. Allow them both to cool slightly, so they’re not too hot to handle.
Now you scrape the squash out of the skin, and place it in a large bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the paper into the same bowl and add the vegetable stock. Mash everything together with a potato masher or large fork. You can go as creamy or as lumpy as you like. (I prefer a few lumps.) Taste the squash and season it with more salt and pepper, if you like.

I’ve included measurements for the oil, salt, and pepper in my recipe, but those are just estimates. Feel free to use a little more or a little less to your liking.

You can add more seasonings and spices to your squash — such as rosemary, thyme or even nutritional yeast — if you like.