Autumn Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Casserole Recipe
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4.7 from 3 reviews
This Autumn Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Casserole combines roasted seasonal vegetables with a creamy white wine and sausage sauce, topped with melted cheeses for a comforting and flavorful meal perfect for cozy dinners.
Total Time:1 hour 10 minutes
Yield:6 servings
Ingredients
Vegetables
3 cups cubed butternut squash
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 large shallot, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
White Wine Sauce
1.5 lbs ground Italian sausage
1 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Toppings
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (can substitute cheddar)
Instructions
Preheat and Prepare Vegetables: Preheat your oven to 425°F and grease the bottom of a 9×13” baking dish. Toss together the cubed butternut squash, cauliflower florets, thinly sliced shallot, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper directly in the baking dish.
Roast Vegetables: Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the vegetables for 30 minutes until tender and beginning to brown.
Cook Sausage: While the vegetables roast, cook the ground Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until it is fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain excess grease carefully.
Make White Wine Sauce: Pour the dry white wine into the skillet with the cooked sausage. Cook down the wine for 3 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in fresh chopped sage, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, cooking for 1 more minute.
Add Cream and Cheese: Add the heavy cream to the sausage mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off heat and stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese until well combined. Set the sauce aside.
Combine and Lower Oven Temperature: After the vegetables have roasted for 30 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Pour the sausage and white wine cream sauce over the roasted vegetables in the baking dish and gently stir to combine everything evenly.
Add Toppings and Bake: Sprinkle the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the casserole. Bake for an additional 20 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese.
Broil for Browning: Turn the oven to broil and broil the casserole for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely to brown the cheese without burning it.
Rest and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld and the dish set. Enjoy your hearty autumn casserole!
Notes
Substitute shredded cheddar for mozzarella if preferred for a sharper cheese flavor.
Use gluten-free sausage to make the dish gluten-free if needed.
To reduce calories, swap heavy cream for half-and-half or a lighter cream alternative, though the sauce will be less rich.
Be sure to monitor the broiling step carefully as cheese can burn quickly under high heat.
Fresh sage adds the best flavor, but dried sage can be used in a pinch—use one-third the amount if dried.
