Hasselback Butternut Squash with Bacon and Apple is sweet, savory, and smokey. This tender and delicious butternut squash recipe is delicious oven-baked or grilled.
Hasselback Butternut Squash recipe is naturally sweet and buttery. Stuffing it with bacon and apple makes it a show-stopper!
This simple recipe turns out tender and delicious whether it’s oven-baked or grilled. It makes a great side dish or a complete meal.
Our recipe is a no-fuss butternut squash recipe can easily be made vegetarian or vegan.
We love cooking squash. It’s delicious in so many ways. It’s also very versatile.
WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT SQUASH!
- Any recipe that you use with sweet potatoes or other squash varieties can be exchanged with butternut squash. The density and mild flavor are very much the same.
- Squash is loaded with vitamins and fiber.
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How to choose the perfect Butternut Squash
- You can find butternut squash in grocery stores all year long. However, the peak time is summer through fall.
- Butternut squash should be a beige color and the peeling should have a matte look.
- If it’s shiny, it’s not ripe yet.
- It’s alright to have blemishes but you don’t want any punctures or cuts.
- Pick a squash that feels heavy for its size and you want the stem intact. That will keep the squash fresh longer.
So many squash varieties store amazingly well. By keeping squash in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated area, they will last for 3 months or more.
Check the squash regularly. Once they start to soften or show signs of rot, it’s time to throw them out.
Grocery list for Hasselback Butternut Squash with Bacon
- Butternut Squash – This recipe makes 4 side dish servings using only one squash.
- Bacon – Use your favorite! We like the thicker hickory-smoked variety.
- Granny Smith Apple – These apples are firm and can bake at the same rate as the squash.
- Braeburn and Honey Crisp are also among our favorite apples to bake. Resist the softer varieties.
- Vegetable Stock or Broth – We use low-sodium.
- Herbs – Fresh herbs go so well with the flavor profile of a naturally sweet squash. We love rosemary, thyme, sage, or marjoram. Use one or mix them up.
- Maple Syrup – This does two things.
- It adds another sweet flavor to the naturally sweet butternut squash.
- It also helps the other ingredients bind with the squash.
- Pepper – We like the contrast with the other flavors.
Note – We don’t salt the squash because of the salt the bacon adds. If you skip the bacon, you can salt it.
We love adding butter and brown sugar to our baked squash recipes but it’s not needed in this recipe!
Now, there is bacon…lots of bacon, and I just can’t apologize. Hasselback Bacon Apple Butternut Squash is delicious!
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How to Bake Butternut Squash
We decided to cut it using the Hasselback method for a couple of reasons.
Squash is a dense vegetable. Slicing it thinly helps the whole dish cook at the same rate. It also helped to infuse more apple and bacon flavors into the squash.
- Wash the entire squash. We use a vegetable brush.
- Any bacteria on the outside of the squash will be transformed into the flesh when you cut it.
- Remove the stem and microwave the entire squash for 3-1/2 minutes.
- This short spurt will make cutting the squash easier to cut open.
- Handle it with a potholder or paper towel. Even though it doesn’t bake the squash, it will be hot.
- Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler.
- Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
- We use a large spoon but you can also use an ice cream scoop.
- Slice the squash into 1/4-inch slices.
- Be careful not to cut through the bottom. If you do, don’t worry, it will still be delicious.
- We use this thicker slice because it is consistent with the size of our bacon and apple slices.
- Insert the bacon and apple slices alternating in between the squash slices.
- Combine the vegetable stock and maple syrup and pour it over the squash.
- We don’t pre-bake our squash before adding the ingredients so we use a 9×13 baking dish to catch the liquids.
- If you grill this recipe, use a dish that’s safe for the grill or wrap it in aluminum foil and set it in a grill-save pan. we open the foil for the last 20 minutes to let it gain color and crisp the bacon.
- Sprinkle the squash with pepper and herbs
- Bake until fork-tender, approximately 1 hour.
- We spoon the juices over the squash a couple of times while it’s cooking and will garnish it with fresh herbs after it’s baked.
One squash is a good four servings.
The first half pictured above was cooked on a grill at about 375°F using lump charcoal. This is a 25°F warmer than the oven to compensate for losing heat when we spoon the juices over the squash.
The second half pictured below was oven-baked at 350°F.
They were both amazing and as you can see no differences.
If you enjoy this recipe, here are a few more you may like
I would love it if you enjoy this recipe that you will leave me a comment and rate the recipe with 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Even though we didn’t add a bunch of butter and sugar to this recipe, you would never know it. It tasted sweet, tender, and buttery all by itself. The apple, herbs, and bacon gave it a great savory contrast.
Hasselback Butternut Squash with Bacon & Apple
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut squash
- 1/2 lb bacon sliced into thirds
- 1 Granny Smith apple cut in half, cored and sliced thinly
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Fresh rosemary chopped
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Cut off each end of the squash. Place it in the microwave for 3-1/2 minutes. Remove and holding it with a towel, remove skin with a sharp vegetable peeler. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds.
- Slice the squash into 1/4-inch slices. Be careful not to go completely through.
- Alternating the bacon and apple, fill the slices. Place in a baking dish.
- Combine maple syrup and vegetable stock. Whisk to combine and pour over the squash.
- Top with a sprinkle of black pepper and fresh rosemary.
- Bake for 1 hour or until squash is softened, spooning juice over squash occasionally.
Notes
Nutrition
We are eating so much more squash than we used to, and this is one of our favorite ways!
I’d love it if you’d leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite way to eat squash is!
If you’re still looking for a few veggie dishes here are some of my favorites!
- Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Mushrooms
- Fingerling Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoe Packets
- Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice
- Honey Roasted Beets
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Kathleen Pope says
Julie this squash looks amazing, I love the idea of adding to the flavor of an already tasty and flavorful squash with the maple syrup and bacon!
Julie Menghini says
We are squash lovers too! Thank you Kathleen!
Mike says
The combination of the bacon, thyme and the sweetness of the squash is awesome
Sarah says
Oh wow. I have to convince my boyfriend (he’s the cook, I’m the baker in our relationship xD) to make this for me. It looks and sounds amazing. Wow, drooling all over my computer right now… Happy Fiesta!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Sarah! I love cooking with John too. He’s the grill guy and I’m definitely the baker. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Caroline says
I LOVE this idea – why didn’t I think of this!? And bacon and apple, of course, go so well too.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Caroline. It was sure easy and we really liked it.
Eliza Waters says
This looks beyond delicious, Julie! Practically a meal in and of itself.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Eliza! We really enjoyed it and yes it is practically a meal. Squash is so good.
Monika Dabrowski says
A fabulous combination of ingredients and so simple to make! Butternut squash is a permanent fixture in my kitchen this autumn and I think I am going to give this recipe a go:)
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Monika. We used to eat just acorn squash but I love butternut too. If you try this one I hope you will let me know what you think.
Petra says
hi Julie
I am in love with this recipe! Anything with bacon is always good and butternut squash is so delicious. I have added it straight to my “to cook” list and I can’t wait! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Petra! We love bacon and it did really work here.
Antonia says
Wow, Julie! This looks absolutely delicious! Congratulations on being featured and Happy Fiesta Friday!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Antonia! I am humbled when I get featured. There are always so many amazing recipes to choose from.
Maggie says
You had me at butternut squash but then you went and added apple and bacon? I’m in love! I’ve never made hasselback potatoes but I’ve been wanting to for a while but now I think I’d prefer to make hasselback butternut squash. Thanks again for sharing! Don’t forget to be eligible for features to link to Judi’s blog and mine, and to tag your post with Fiesta Friday.
Cheers!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Maggie! We really enjoyed this recipe! I appreciate you stopping by and hope you have a wonderful week.
Summer says
This is such a nice recipe♥
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much Summer! We enjoyed it too.
Ai @Ai made it for you says
Ohhh that bacon juice all over the squash! I still have 40min til lunch and your photos are killing me!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Ai! Looking through food photos are killers isn’t it!
Loretta says
What a brilliant idea to use butternut squash in a hasselback way. I have never really cooked a potato the hasselback way, but you’re giving me some “food for thought” here Julie 🙂 Those pictures look so good and hard to resist. The bacon tops it all around nicely.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Loretta! I’ve really never made a hasselback potato. I’ll slice them up and fan them out in potato packets. Hmmmm another squash idea! Bacon is always good I think!
Linda says
What a fabulous side dish Julie!! 🙂
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Linda! We loved this squash.
Bam's Kitchen says
Julie, I have been sharing this recipe everywhere and now I have come on over to make this recipe. The boys have decided that bacon is one of the major food groups so I am thinking another great way to get them to sneakily eat their veggies. Shhh that will be our little secret.
Julie Menghini says
Thank you! I had to be a little sneaky to get John to decide he liked squash too! Bacon should definitely be a food group!
Judith A. Graber says
I know I commented on this post and for the first time ever with one of your posts “awaiting moderation”. I wonder where it went or if this comment will go through. I am having trouble with some comments!!!
Julie Menghini says
I don’t know why you’re were awaiting moderation, Judi? How dare WordPress to that to an old friend! Truth be told I hardly ever know why the things that happen when it comes to the tech stuff.
Julianna says
So awesome! I am making this one for sure! I just tried making hassle back potatoes for the first tine and was so pleased with them. I can’t wait to try this recipe, Julie! 😀
Julie Menghini says
Thank you, Julianna! We are really enjoying this recipe. I hope you enjoy your week!
Judith A. Graber says
Great idea to use butternut squash to make these “potatoes”. The squash is big enough so you can add lots of goodies like the bacon and maple syrup – two very favorite ingredients. Happy Fiesta Friday Julie!
Judith A. Graber says
I might add some cheese too!
Julie Menghini says
Cheese is always a great addition!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much Judi! Looking at the comments, your comments show up two different ways. As judigraber it goes through. As Judith A. Graber it’s held in moderation. I don’t know what’s the difference? Thank you so much for co-hosting this week!
Jenny says
Oh my, this looks so delicious! Adding bacon to the squash sounds like a great flavor combination! Your photos are mouth-watering!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Jenny! You are so sweet to stop and leave super nice comment!
deliciouslynell says
Mmm, looking at the photos makes me hungry!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much!
Elaine @ foodbod says
Great idea!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Elaine!
frugal hausfrau says
I’m laughing because I thought, Oh that would be so good if only I left out the squash! lol! Seriously, I keep trying every year to warm up to squash and this recipe might actually do it…It does look delish!!
Great job!!
Mollie
Julie Menghini says
That used to be John too Mollie. He now loves it. Might want to revisit that poor squash? LOL
[email protected] says
I’ve been eyeing Hasselback potato recipes lately, but I think the idea of using it in butternut squash is ingenious Julie. Can’t go wrong with bacon either. Thanks for sharing;-)
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Jess! They were really good. I hope you have a wonderful weekend Jess!
Sarah says
I never thought to hasselback a squash, but what a wonderful idea! Love the natural sweetness and flavor combos. Pinning!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you so much Sarah. It worked really well too.
Mimi says
That looks absolutely wonderful! I don’t think I’d even add that much maple syrup, but that’s just because I find squashes already sweet. Great idea!
Julie Menghini says
Thank you Mimi! I think you could cut the maple syrup and it would still be yummy.