[This post with is sponsored by McCormick! I’m so excited to continue my partnership with them this season to bring you some amazing Thanksgiving dishes, starting with hasselback butternut squash!]
As if we couldn’t get enough of squash this time of year, now I’m making sure you hasselback them!
Hasselback butternut squash is my current favorite THING. If you’re a butternut squash freak like I am, then you are going to looooove this spin on the best basic vegetable of fall. You may just find yourself standing over the dish eating it with a fork – it’s that good.
I’m partnering with McCormick again this month to bring you some delish Thanksgiving side dishes!
Super pumped about this one because it’s one dish, two flavors – talk about twice as nice! You can make the entire dish in one pan, but spice things up with different flavors according to your preference! I’m quite obsessed with this idea for Thanksgiving because it checks all the boxes. Sweet and savory is always the goal at my table. Every day of the year!
I’ve been making hasselback squash since September and when I first shared them on insta stories, you guys were freaking out! I’m so excited to bring them back for Turkey Day because they’re actually easier to make than you would think. Making the slices can be tedious, but if you use this knife trick I talk about in the recipe, it’s SO much easier.
And honestly, since one side is flat, I think slicing the squash is much easier than slicing a potato. You know?
I’m no stranger to hasselback potatoes (remember these oatmeal cookie crumble sweet potatoes?!) and for someone who constantly gets bored with traditional dishes, I love that it’s a way to change things up but still keep the flavors that I adore.
Here we have two perfect flavors – one sweet, one savory – for Thanksgiving that can be made in a single sheet! One dish, two flavors. I’m into it. Everyone gets what they want.
And I get two flavors to suit whatever mood I’m in that Thanksgiving.
Some days call for sweet sides and others call for savory! Always. Who know hasselback butternut squash could cure that.
Let’s start with flavor number one: Maple Pecan.
Ooooh, there is something about maple right now that I’m loving. We start with a spiced version of the hasselback squash – using McCormick Ground Cinnamon and McCormick Ground Nutmeg. The glaze is made with pure maple syrup, butter and roasted pecans. It has texture and so much fall flavor, you won’t be able to stop.
Heck, it even tastes like dessert. I could eat it for breakfast. Can you say leftovers? The day after Thanksgiving will be legit.
For flavor number two, we’re talking brown butter sage. Only theeeee best combo to ever grace your autumn table. Squash + sage + brown butter is coming in a close second to classics like chocolate and peanut butter. The flavor combo is SO delicious.
To make this magic happen, I seasoned the squash with McCormick Black Pepper and McCormick Ground Sage, and drizzled the entire thing with brown butter.
If you want a fun garnish, fresh sage works and adds a touch of texture!
Gosh, I just LOVE THIS.
The best part is that while these flavors are completely different and can please everyone, they somewhat go together too. If one slightly spills into the other, it will still taste incredible. Check out the how-to video below to see exactly how I make it!
Hello holiday season! We have arrived.
Hasselback Butternut Squash
Hasselback Butternut Squash, Two Ways
Ingredients
- 2 butternut squash similar in size
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon McCormick Black Pepper
maple pecan
- ½ teaspoon McCormick Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon McCormick Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
brown butter sage
- ½ teaspoon McCormick Ground Sage
- ¼ teaspoon McCormick Ground Nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- a handful of fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice the squash down the center lengthwise. Remove the seeds from the inside and peel the outside. Place the squash on a baking sheet, cut-side down, and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
- Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, just until the squash is tender enough to slice into.
- Let the squash cool slightly until they are cool enough to manage. Place one squash on a baking sheet and lay a butter knife on each side. This will allow you to make slices in the squash without cutting the whole way through.
- Make tiny slices in the squash about 1/8 inch apart. This takes some time, but looks so pretty! Gently place the squash back on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining squash.
- Drizzle the squash with olive oil again. Sprinkle two halves with the cinnamon and the nutmeg. Sprinkle the other two halves with the sage and nutmeg. Roast the squash for 20 minutes.
- While the squash is roasting this time, prepare your glazes. Place the butter, maple syrup and pecans in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
- To brown the butter, place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and immediately begin whisking. Stir as it bubbles, and after 2 to 3 minutes or so you should see brown bits appear on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat immediately and drop half of the sage leaves in.
- After 20 minutes, remove the squash. Drizzle two of the squash with half of the pecan mixture and the other two with half of the brown butter sage. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the squash are fork tender.
- To serve, very carefully remove the squash from the baking sheet (I use spatulas!) and transfer them to a platter. Use the remaining glaze and sage butter on the squash to finish them off. Serve!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Look at that flavor perfection!