Caramelised Butternut Squash Mash With Sage Brown Butter
Rich and creamy caramelised butternut squash mash topped with nutty brown butter and crispy sage leaves. A simple side to prepare that’s full of flavour.
Caramelised butternut squash mash is the perfect Autumn side dish and it’s a great alternative to regular mashed potatoes! Pair the sweet, creamy butternut mash with a drizzle of nutty brown butter and a handful of crispy sage leaves and you’re onto a winner. There’s parmesan melted into the mash as well, for extra richness and just enough saltiness to cut through the maple roasted squash.
The great thing about making mash with butternut squash is that there’s no peeling involved. You cut the squash in half down the length, scoop out the seeds then roast each half whole before scooping the cooked flesh out of the skin. The flat surface of each half gives a great base for adding seasoning and flavourings, in this case brown sugar, a few spices and a drizzle of maple syrup. Scoring the flesh lets more flavour in and it will caramelise perfectly as it bakes.
You can easily make this side dish ahead of time and it only takes a few minutes to reheat on the stove. It’s a simple yet impressive side to serve at Thanksgiving or as part of a Sunday roast.
For more side dishes to try, take a look at our collection of sides! And for a main course to serve with th, check out our ever growing collection of Thanksgiving recipes and Christmas recipes.
Ingredients For Butternut Squash Mash
- Butternut Squash – You’ll need 1 whole butternut squash for this mash recipe. These tend to weigh between 1-1½ kg. If you wanted, you could use the same weight of pumpkin instead.
- Sage Brown Butter – You’ll need butter and fresh sage leaves to make sage brown butter. If you’d prefer, you can omit the sage and just make brown butter!
- Brown Sugar Seasoning – You can season your butternut squash with a ready made seasoning if you like but I make one with light brown sugar, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper.
- Maple Syrup – A drizzle of maple syrup helps the butternut caramelise in the oven and adds an extra layer of flavour. Think pumpkin pie!
- Creme Fraiche – Tangy creme fraiche makes the butternut mash creamier and the subtle tanginess helps cut through the sweet caramelised squash.
- Parmesan – Nutty, salty parmesan adds richness and cuts through the creamy, sweet butternut mash.
How To Make Caramelised Butternut Squash Mash
Making butternut squash mash is super easy. You simply roast butternut squash until tender, mash the flesh into a pan then warm with creme fraiche, parmesan and butter.
1. Butternut Squash Prep
You’ll need a whole butternut squash for this mash. You cut it in half (no need to peel!), scoop out the seeds then lightly score the flesh in a cross hatch pattern. You drizzle the squash with veg oil then season with season with a mix of brown sugar, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper.
2. Caramelised Squash
The butternut squash halves bake at 175°c/347°f for around an hour, until they are just tender. You’ll know when they are ready when the tip of a knife slides into the flesh with little to no resistance.
Once baked, drizzle the butternuts with maple syrup then cook for another 10-15 minutes, until nicely caramelised.
3. Scooping Flesh Out Of Skin
Before scooping the flesh out of the skin, you’ll need to let your squash cool for 15 minutes or so, otherwise it will be too hot to handle. Then it’s simply a case of using a spoon to scoop the cooked flesh out of the skin, ready to mash. The skin can be discarded.
4. Mashing
I like to mash my caramelised squash with a potato ricer but if you haven’t got one or would prefer a chunkier texture, you can use a potato masher or fork instead. If using a ricer, mash the butternut into a pan. If you’re using a masher, add the butternut into the pan then mash.
5. Adding Creme Fraiche And Parmesan
To finish the butternut mash, add creme fraiche, finely grated parmesan and some of the sage brown butter (more on this below!). Season the mash with salt and pepper then warm over a low heat, until the parmesan has melted. If your mash is a bit thick, you can adjust the consistency by stirring in a small amount of hot water.
6. Serving
To serve your caramelised butternut squash mash, spoon it into a serving dish, drizzle over some sage brown butter then finish with a few cracks of black pepper.
Sage Brown Butter
Sage brown butter is the perfect accompaniment to anything made with butternut squash! The nutty brown butter and crispy sage leaves work fantastically with the rich, slightly sweet butternut squash mash. I add some of this butter to the mash itself then drizzle the rest over the top, along with the sage leaves to serve.
To make sage brown butter, you melt butter in a pan (over a medium heat), add in sage leaves then cook, stirring regularly until the butter has browned and the sage leaves are crisp. For this butternut dish, I like to roughly tear the sage leaves before cooking, as I think they look better on the mash.
Making Butternut Squash Mash Ahead Of Time
Butternut squash mash is an ideal side dish to make ahead of time, as you can easily reheat it on the stove. To make your butternut mash ahead of time, you can either mash the squash, add in the creme fraiche and parmesan, warm to melt then leave to cool and store in the fridge. Or you can just mash the squash after roasting, store in the fridge then add in the creme fraiche and parmesan when you reheat it.
The best way to reheat butternut squash mash is to add it into a saucepan then warm over a low heat until piping hot. If the mash is too thick, you can adjust the consistency by stirring in a splash of hot water.
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t worry about peeling the skin from your butternut squash. It’ll be easier to scoop the squash out of the skin once it’s been cooked.
- Lightly score the butternut squash flesh, to let more seasoning in!
- Once cooked, let your butternuts cool slightly so you don’t burn yourself when scooping out the flesh. I like to make the sage brown butter whilst the squashes cool.
- If you’ve got one, a potato ricer is perfect for making smooth butternut squash mash. A potato masher or fork will work if you haven’t got a ricer or if you want your mash to be chunkier.
- Warm the mash up gently once you’ve added in the creme fraiche, to prevent it from splitting. You’ll need to warm the mash up just enough to melt the parmesan.
Frequently Asked Questions
To cook caramelised butternut squash mash in an Aga, bake the butternut squash in the baking oven, on the bottom set of runners. Use the simmering plate to warm the mash after adding in the creme fraiche.
Yes, pumpkin can be used for mash instead of butternut squash, just make sure to use the same weight/amount. You’ll need to cut pumpkin into wedges.
If you can’t get hold of any creme fraiche, sour cream, cream cheese or mascarpone can be used instead. Though for this mash, I’d recommend using creme fraiche as it’s what the recipe was developed using.
More Side Dishes To Try
- Garlic Bread Sausage Stuffing Balls
- Crème Fraîche Mashed Potato
- Hot Honey & Cheddar Dinner Rolls
- Garlic & Parmesan Creamed Corn
- Caramelised Onion and Cranberry Gravy
- Honey Roasted Carrots & Parsnips
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Caramelised Butternut Squash Mash With Sage Brown Butter
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Potato Ricer (See Notes)
- Large Saucepan
Ingredients
Caramelised Butternut Squash
- 1 Butternut Squash (Around 1-1½ kg)
- 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tbsp Light Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Ground Cumin
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
For The Mash
- 150 g Crème Fraiche
- 50 g Parmesan (Finely Grated – See Notes)
Sage Brown Butter
- 100 g Unsalted Butter
- A Small Handful Of Fresh Sage Leaves (Around 12 Leaves)
Instructions
Caramelised Butternut Squash
- Preheat an oven to 175°c/155°c fan (347°f/311°f).
- Trim the top and bottom from the butternut squash then cut in half down the length.
- Use a spoon to scoop the seeds out of the squash then score the flesh in a cross hatch pattern, using a sharp knife. Place the squash onto a baking tray (cut side up) then drizzle the oil all over the top.
- Next, add the sugar, paprika, cayenne and cumin into a small bowl, season well with salt & pepper then stir to combine. Sprinkle this mix over the butternuts, massaging it into the flesh with your hands.
- Bake the butternuts for 50 minutes – 1 hour minutes until they're just tender then drizzle the maple syrup over the top and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until nicely caramelised.You'll know when the butternuts are cooked when the tip of a knife slides into the flesh with little to no resistance.
- Once cooked, let the butternuts cool for 15 minutes or so, until cool enough to handle. Make the brown butter in the meantime.
Sage Brown Butter
- Pick the sage leaves then roughly tear them and set to one side. I aim for pieces around 2cm.
- Next, roughly chop the butter, add into a small saucepan then set over a medium heat. Cook, stirring regularly until melted then add in the sage leaves.
- Continue cooking the butter, stirring frequently until the butter starts to foam, smells nutty and you can see that the milk solids on the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown. The sage leaves will have crisped up at this point too.
- As soon as the butter is cooked, transfer it to a bowl then set to one side.This stops the butter from cooking any further.
Butternut Squash Mash
- Use a spoon to scoop the butternut out of the skins then use a potato ricer to mash the flesh into a large saucepan.If you haven't got a ricer, add the butternut into a pan then mash using a potato masher or fork. You can keep it as smooth or as chunky as you like.
- Add the crème fraiche, grated parmesan and 2 tbsp of the brown butter (no sage leaves though!) to the pan then set over a low heat.
- Season the mash with salt & pepper then warm gently, stirring regularly until the parmesan has melted and the mash is hot. If needed, you can add 1-2 tbsp of hot water to the mash, to adjust the consistency.If the mash tastes grainy it means that the parmesan hasn't melted fully!
- Give the mash a taste to check the seasoning then add in more salt & pepper as needed.
- To serve, spoon the mash into a serving dish then drizzle the sage brown butter over the top.
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