Vegetarian Four Cheese Stuffed Butternut Squash

Front up close shot of melted four cheese mixture coming out of a roast stuffed butternut squash on a wooden board

5 from 5 votes

Vegetarian Four Cheese Stuffed Butternut Squash

Simple, yet show-stopping, this four-cheese stuffed butternut squash is just waiting to take center stage at your next meal. Perfect for serving some vegetarian family and friends something special as a main, or as a gorgeous side dish for the whole family. Why not spruce up your Holiday table with some cheesy goodness? Easily prepared ahead of time for seamless hosting.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Anytime

Keyword: stuffed butternut squash, vegetarian stuffed squash

Servings: serves

Calories: 406kcal

Ingredients

1 butternut squash (choose 1 med-large squash or 4 small squash)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves
4 cups packed fresh baby spinach
½ cup softened cream cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese (grate your own cheese - see notes)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (grate your own cheese - see notes)
½ cup softened gorgonzola cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200C).
Chop the squash (pumpkin) length-wise in two.
Season the inside with salt and pepper and place them with the inside down onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes and then turn them around (flesh side up) to bake for another 10 minutes, or until squash is fork-tender. The amount of time will depend on the size of the squash and you may have to add another couple of minutes if not tender.
While the squash is roasting, prepare the filling.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Once hot, sauté the chopped garlic until fragrant. Add the baby spinach and sauté for one minute or until the spinach is tender and just wilted. Remove from the heat.
Add the softened cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, shredded parmesan, and gorgonzola cheese. Stir to combine.
Once the butternut squash is fork-tender (see notes), remove from it the oven. Use a spoon to scoop out some of the squash pulp in order to make a hole big enough for the cheese mixture.
Mix the squash pulp with the cheese filling and fill the hole you have created in the squash with the mixture. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is evenly melted and heated through.
Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Butternut squash/pumpkin: To serve 4 people you will want one medium to large butternut squash, or 4 smaller squash. The amount of time needed to cook the squash will deffer depending on the size of the squash.

Grated Cheese: pre-grated cheese available from the supermarket has additional preservatives and additives which can make it become grainy when melted. To avoid this, grate your own cheese.

Fork tender: this is when a fork is easily inserted into the orange flesh of the cooked squash. There should be little, to no resistance, and you should be able to scoop it out without exerting too much pressure.

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This can be reheated in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until the cheese and squash mixture is heated through. This mixture does not freeze well.

Meal Prepping/Making Ahead: This dish can be prepped ahead of time. Roast the pumpkin and stuff it with the cheese mixture as per the instructions. Instead of putting it back into the oven to melt the cheese, store it in an airtight container in the fridge (or wrapped with saran wrap/cling wrap) until required. Simply pop into the oven to heat through/melt the cheese when needed.

Nutrition