This recipe for Butternut Squash Mash is made super creamy with a secret ingredient. It gets amp’ed up with flavor from simple garnishes and an easy-peasy, yet flavorful Tahini Sauce. This is the perfect side for your holiday, yet easy enough to accompany any weekend meal!
Hi, guys and happy almost Fri-yay!
I feel like I owe you all an apology! If you read my last post, you know my Grandmother passed away the day after Thanksgiving. But, you also know I was so caught up in eulogizing her that I never asked how your Turkey Day was!
🙁 I’m a bad friend. Soooo, how was your Thanksgiving?
What did you eat?
Did you have some food self-restraint or did you go all in and devour everything in sight?
If you follow this blog, you know Boy and I were supposed to go over to the in-laws for an appetizer and then out to dinner. Well, Boy ended up being very sick, so we did neither.
Instead, I picked up steak, live lobster and some asparagus; and we had a steakhouse dinner at home in our pajamas. Totally not traditional at all.
Therefore, I need to know what the best Turkey day dish you ate was, because I must live vicariously through your belly! 😉
Anyways, my mother is coming into town today, so I’m going to make this post a short one, because this good daughter needs to prepare!
Seriously Creamy Butternut Squash Mash with Za’atar, Pepitas, Shallots & Tahini
So what makes this mash seriously creamy? The secret ingredient, which I promise you cannot taste at all – silken tofu.
Did you just look at me sideways? Yes. I said tofu. It makes this butternut squash silky, rich, and light as air. Trust me, you will be singing the praises of silken tofu after you crave bowl after bowl of this butternut squash mash.
This supa’ creamy butternut squash mash, with its slightly sweet, buttery, melt in your mouth appeal is delicious on its own. However, everything can always be made better. And in my world, better pretty much always means toppings.
This mash becomes better when generously sprinkled with za’atar, pepitas and shallots. Those simple, three ingredients add a touch of crunchy texture and salty, garlicy, earthy, nutty flavor.
But.But.But, I didn’t stop there.
I added an easy-peasy tahini sauce to the mix. The sauce is rich with creamy, decadent flavor and a touch of lemon acidity.
All together the mash with the garnishes and the sauce results in a dish that explodes with texture and flavor… and is one you are sure to love.
This butternut squash mash would be an excellent addition to your Christmas table. Especially if you are like me, someone who likes to switch things up every year. I get tired of the same ‘ole offerings and crave change each year.
However, if you are a traditionalist, you should still add this to your table. (insert evil grin here)
Or, you can simply make this mash to go along side one of your weekend dinners.
Or, you can make this butternut squash your entire meal, like I did, because this is a side that can definitely stand alone.
Regardless of when or how you serve this creamy butternut squash mash, I know you are going to love it! So get your holiday-tunes-hummin’-tookis into the kitchen and whip up some scrumptious squash mash! Until next time, friends, Cheers – to a beautiful weekend!
-xoxo-
Cheyanne
Creamy Butternut Squash Mash {with Za'atar, Pepitas, Shallots & Tahini Sauce}
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut Squash – halved lengthwise and seeds removed (3 ½ pound)
- 1 ½ TBS Unsalted Butter , divided (may substitute Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt – divided, plus more to taste
- 1/8 tsp Ground Pepper , plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp Cumin
- Dash Cayenne
- 1 large Shallot – halved and thinly sliced
- 8 oz Silken Tofu – drained
- 5 TBS Chicken Broth
- ½ Cup Pepitas , or more to taste
- ¼ Cup Za’atar , or more to taste
- 2 TBS Fresh Parsley – roughly chopped
- Tahini Sauce:
- ¼ Cup Tahini
- ½ Lemon – juiced (about a scant 1 TBS)
- 1 large clove Garlic – minced
- Heaping ¼ tsp Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1-3 TBS Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Place squash halves, cut side up, on prepared baking sheet. Pierce each squash half with a fork several time. Melt 1 TBS of butter and brush top and insides of squash with butter and season with ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoonpepper, cumin and cayenne. Roast squash until tender, and a knife can easily be inserted, about 1 hour. Halfway through cooking, remove squash from oven and use a pastry brush to brush butter that has pooled in the cavity of squash onto the tops and continue roasting.
- Meanwhile: Melt remaining ½ tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- And Prepare the Tahini Sauce: In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the tahini sauce, until smooth. If consistency is too thick, add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
- When squash is cooked and cool enough to handle, but still warm, scoop out inside of butternut squash and transfer it to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add tofu, chicken broth, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon Za’atar and puree until silky smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
- Transfer butternut squash mash to a large bowl or platter. Drizzle with tahini sauce and garnish with pepitas, zaatar, and sautéed shallots.
Notes
Nutrition
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Silken Tofu??? I am intrigued. I love when recipes have funky ingredients like that. I totally want to try this out! This mash looks too fluffy/creamy/decadent to put into words. Totally drooling while looking at all your fabulous pictures. LOVE! Pinned :).
So much love for all the middle eastern flavours going on in this mash Cheyanne! Za’atar is the best, and the tahini sauce too? I never would have guessed your secret ingredient either – so now I reckon I need to try it!
Sorry to hear about your grandmother as well – you definitely don’t owe us any apologies! And your steakhouse dinner sounds pretty awesome if you ask me – you need a non-traditional Thanksgiving every now and again 🙂