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Last weekend, I walked into our kitchen to the wonderful smells of my husband Jack cooking up a new recipe.
He was also talking to himself, muttering “Oh my God – this is good…” and Jack seemed especially pleased with his culinary creation!
That ‘creation’ was today’s recipe for Baked Winter Squash and Apple Casserole with Crispy Topping – and yes – this recipe IS good! VERY good – in fact!
Jack made this recipe – intending for it to be a sweeter side dish to complement a more savory Thanksgiving turkey (or any fall meal for that matter). But with the sweet-tart of the Granny Smith apples combined together with butternut squash, plus a crispy topping made with pecans, dried cranberries, brown sugar and Rice Krispies – this could almost be served as a dessert!
Either way this Baked Winter Squash and Apple Casserole with Crispy Topping is fantastic and comforting – and a dish that kids and adults will both love! We made ours with butternut squash that we grew in our garden – but any Winter squash such as Hubbard, acorn or buttercup will also work deliciously in this recipe.
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Baked Winter Squash and Apple Casserole with Crispy Topping
Ingredients
Squash layer
- 2 pounds butternut squash (any winter squash would work such as Hubbard, buttercup or acorn)
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Few grinds black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Apple layer
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 large Granny Smith apples
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Topping
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Peel, seed and cut squash into one inch cubes
- Mix squash with oil and pour out onto a sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until tender, flipping half way through.
- Place into a food processor with butter, salt, pepper, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Puree until creamy and set aside.
- Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt butter in a medium pan that has a tight fitting lid, but don’t use lid yet.
- Peel, core and dice apples into bite sized pieces adding to butter and mixing as you dice to avoid dis-colorization.
- Add flour and sugar and bring heat to medium. Cover and cook five minutes or until just barely tender. Set aside.
- Mix all topping ingredients and set aside.
- In a buttered casserole dish (ours was a 8x12x3 oval), add apples, then squash, and finally the crispy topping.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.
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You may also like:
Butternut Squash and Chicken Chowder
Blue Hubbard Squash and White Bean Soup
I thought I spotted Rice Krispies™ in there ah the “Snap, Crackle and Pop” I can hear it now I love a recipe that talks to me and better yet sings my holiday jingle. What a delightful combo of ingredients that is sure not to bore any of your holiday guest just glad I spotted it soon enough to alter the holiday menu. I can hear Zak “now what Mom!”
Thanks for sharing,
Christine
Enjoy Christine! 🙂
The treat that talks to you how can you go wrong.
Happy Holiday
Hello.. I was wondering if the Baked Winter Squash & Apple Casserole with Crispy Topping could be made ahead of time and then just warmed up on Thanksgiving Day? I have a crowd coming and I am trying to do as much as possible ahead of time. Maybe the squash and apple part could be done a day ahead and then add the topping the day of but I wasn’t sure. Please let me know if you think that this might work as this dish looks and sounds so wonderful. Thanks!
Hi Stefanie – Yes – it can definitely be made ahead and you are correct – add the topping the day of serving when you reheat it. To avoid the topping from getting too browned when you bake it, I’d also suggest bringing the squash & apple filling up to room temperature if possible. Hope that helps!
Thank you so very much! I am looking forward to making and sharing this dish with my family and friends.