Mashed Butternut Squash Casserole - the crunchy topping makes the dish! SO delicious!! Butternut squash, eggs, sugar, butter, milk, coconut, ginger topped with cornflakes, brown sugar, pecans and butter. AMAZING! Perfect side dish for your holiday meals.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray an 8x8-inch or 9x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
Combine squash, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup softened butter, milk, ginger and coconut flavoring. Pour into prepared pan.
Combine cornflakes, brown sugar, chopped pecans and 2 Tbsp melted butter. Set aside.
Bake casserole for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cornflake mixture (you might have some leftover). Return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Notes:
How to Cook Butternut Squash: You can cook the butternut squash a few ways - boil it, bake it, or even cook it in the slow cooker.
To cook in the slow cooker, put the whole butternut squash in the crockpot and let it cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours. Once it has been cooked, you can easily cut it up and scoop out the flesh.
If you prefer to boil the squash, peel it, chop it up and boil it for about 15 to 20 minutes until soft.
You can also bake the squash. Cut the squash in half, discard the seeds, and bake at 350 for about an hour.
Walmart sells bags of peeled and chopped butternut squash in the freezer section. It is a HUGE time saver.
You can cook the butternut squash a few days ahead of your meal and refrigerate the mashed squash.
You can substitute an equal amount of mashed sweet potatoes for the squash.
Can Butternut Squash Casserole be made in advance? Yes! You can assemble the casserole a day or two in advance and refrigerate it before serving.
Can Butternut Squash Casserole be frozen? Yes! You can assemble the casserole and freeze unbaked for a quick side dish later. To bake, thaw completely and bake as directed.