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Can I just tell you how I feel about stuffing?

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Like the full on honest truth?

I really don’t like it. Well, wait, I LOVE this recipe (of course I would never share anything that I don’t just love), but stuffing in general? Yeah, I really don’t like. Typically I find stuffing to be kind of just a filler for the Thanksgiving table. For me, there are SO many other delicious things to eat, why would I want to eat soggy bread that’s HEAVY on the onions??

It’s just not really my thing, but I know so many people enjoy stuffing, and you guys, this year I really just wanted to be normal, I wanted to enjoy it too. I wanted to make a stuffing I would LOVE, and one that the family would love too (they are not really stuffing people either…although I think maybe Kai likes it. Typical, he likes the bland food.).

SO. I decided a while ago that I was going to tackle stuffing this Thanksgiving. But not in the traditional way that I find so boring and too heavy on the onions for my taste. Nope, stuffing full of flavor and good, good things! A stuffing that in my mind is worthy enough to sit next to my turkey, my sweet taters and my roasted squash on the Thanksgiving table.

YES.

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvestIn general, this stuffing is pretty basic: carrots, onions, garlic, celery, butter, bread, broth, eggs. I didn’t really do anything crazy, I just caramelized some butternut squash and mushrooms, added some of my favorite herbs, reduced the onions (by a lot, so add more if you like onion), added in a little balsamic vinegar with the mushrooms and also just a little Asiago cheese…you know, for good measure.

Pretty simple stuff, but I added flavors and textures that I love, and in turn I can now say “I love stuffing”!!

Goal for the month = met – Score!

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

SIDE NOTE: I am typing this on my computer. You guys all know how I have a cat now, right? He’s a cute little black cat and if you follow me on snapchat then you see a whole lot of him. Anyway, he is the weirdest cat ever, as I type he literally watches the words going left to right following along intently with his eyes. He does this ALL THE TIME. At first it was cute, but now it has gotten just plain annoying, cause I can’t see what I’m typing. So now when he gets to this point I move him away from my screen…then he goes to his spot…AKA my lap. He’s the best!

SIDE NOTE 2: Asher just ran her loud mouth in here (literally), grabbed Snape (the cat) from my lap and went off, all the while going on about something. Then she came running back because she saw a spider. Now she will not shut it about the spider. I also can’t find the said spider…

UGH.

PS. She is also wearing a reindeer shirt today… Christmas is so coming. 🙂

SIDE NOTE 3: My house does seem to be infested with spiders at the moment and I have to say, it is totally grossing me out. I found FIVE spiders in a cup the other day. Eeww! Can spiders infest your house??? At our old house in Frisco there didn’t seem to be any bugs that could even live above 9000+ feet. We are at the same elevation here, so what’s up with the bug infestation, is it because there used to horses in here?

SIDE NOTE 4: Asher is now playing gymnastic with her Elsa doll from Frozen, every time Elsa does a move, she sings “Let it Go”. HELP…

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Ok, back to this Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing. I truly love this casserole. It’s moist, buttery and actually full of great flavors and textures. You can prepare it in advance too, which is obviously a bonus come Thanksgiving Day!

Oh but question, are you a stuffing “in” the bird or “out” of the bird the person? I am totally an out of the bird stuffing person. Something about cooking it inside the bird weirds me out. Probably because the inside of the bird just weirds me out in general.

Anyone else with me there?

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 813 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 small onion finely diced
  • 4 cups cubed butternut squash
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 3-4 cups mixed mushrooms sliced if large
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage
  • 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoons salt + pepper
  • 8 tablespoons ( 1stick) butter
  • 3 1/2-4 cups low sodium chicken or turkey broth
  • 3 eggs
  • 12 cups cubed day old sourdough bread (about 1 loaf)
  • 1 cup Asiago cheese grated

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, butternut squash and brown sugar. Cook, stirring often until the butternut squash has softened slightly and the onions are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, and continue to cook until the squash is fork tender (but not mushy) and the mushrooms have caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, sage, oregano and time. Cook another 30 seconds and then add the balsamic vinegar and season with salt + pepper. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and eggs. Add the bread + Asiago cheese and gently toss to coat. Now add the the butternut squash/mushroom mixture and all the butter to the pan. Gently toss to combine with the bread cubes. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish.
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until the stuffing is golden on top. Serve warm.
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Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Stuffing | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Stuffing for the win!

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Comments

  1. Beautiful website, beautiful recipe!

    Regarding your spider “infestation”: Don’t freak out, Tieghan! Aside from a couple of types, spiders are absolutely harmless and great for the environment (would you rather have a quiet industrious fly-eating critters in your kitchen or a bunch of noisy unsanitary flies?) It’s absolutely normal for them to be more visible this time of year (why do think spiders and their webs are symbols for Halloween? Because fall is their time to shine!)

    1. THANK YOU! Totally making me smile tonight! 🙂

      Also, thank for your notes on spiders! Luckly I am not totally freaked by them! 🙂

  2. OH MY GOODNESS TIEGHAN! This looks so good. AND, I was just informed that I am on stuffing duty this year. I think mine needs to include squash and mushrooms now. YUM!

  3. I am absolutely making this stuffing recipe for this year’s Thanksgiving feast! Stuffing is my favorite dish and these pictures are making me drool. I will let you know what everyone thinks 🙂

  4. A stuffing in the bird girl. I am surrounded by, and cooking for, men. Men who what piled high traditionally adorned plates of thanksgiving grub. No funny business.

    However ~ this will be a Delightful addition on any other ‘unnamed’ occasion!

  5. The stuffing is my favorite food on Thanksgiving . I love it smothered with cranberry sauce and gravy. Your looks yummy.

  6. I love stuffing (even the box kind which is as basic as you can get but I’ve always wanted to try my own with bacon or sausage and dried cranberries or raisins and maybe other delicious things like butternut squash :o. This recipe looks so good. Well done!

    For spiders I read that Lemon Eucalyptus Essential Oil is good for keeping them away. I bought it to deal with my silver fish issue but its suppose to work with spiders too. I think cause it’s getting colder they might be coming in for the heat.

    Also never had stuffing in the bird, doesn’t sound good for you.

  7. I’m def a stuffing lover and would make this one in a heartbeat!! Also, ALWAYS OUTTA THE BIRD. It 100% grosses me out too. 😀

  8. This looks so delicious! I’ve solved the problem of stuffing in the bird by doing my turkey the America’s Test Kitchen way. Butterfly the turkey and get that old broiler pan that came with your stove, place the stuffing in the pan, put the slotted grate over it and lay turkey on top. Lovely juices and flavors drip down to the stuffing and turkey cooks much quicker and more evenly as it is same thickness across the pan. While turkey rests, brown top of stuffing under broiler. Delicious!

  9. I defiantly prefer my stuffing outside the bird because it’s bakes more evenly. Even though this stuffing is simple, all the flavors you have going on makes it a gourmet dish.

  10. Oh my gosh, I LOVE stuffing. (Outside the bird; mine is vegan.) It’s absolutely my favorite, even though growing up we just had stove top. About 10 years ago, I discovered much better versions and I love it even more. I’m not a fan of mushrooms so I won’t be making this version. I have a blended Barefoot Contessa/Williams Sonoma recipe my friend came up with a few years ago that I love. It uses dried cranberries and red wine. LOVE it.

  11. Now, this is a stuffing I could handle! I’m not a stuffing fan either, but I think this is one that would be welcome at my Thanksgiving table! 🙂 Also, watch out for those spiders!! However, that could have come in handy around Halloween time with a little natural spider in the background of your photos! 🙂

  12. I’m just the opposite, I Love stuffing! 🙂 I like you you spruced it up, can’t wait to try this. BTW your photography is Amazing, Cheers! 🙂