Roasted acorn squash with bourbon sage sauce and crispy parmesan breadcrumbs is an elegant side dish worthy of holiday entertaining or intimate gatherings. It’s best enjoyed in fall or winter when squash is in season.
The natural sugars in acorn squash can caramelize during roasting, creating a rich and sweet flavor.
Toss roasted slices of acorn squash with a simple, flavorful sauce made from sage, bourbon, butter, a touch of balsamic vinegar, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. It’s sweet, buttery, and smells like fall! Top the roast squash with toasted breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and crunchy pecans.
For the finishing touch, crumble fresh goat cheese (chèvre), which brings it all together. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it’s simple to make and comes together quickly. Trust us, this is one side dish recipe you’ve absolutely got to try!
Ingredients For Roasted Acorn Squash
This recipe has three components: the roasted acorn squash, the sage bourbon sauce, and the crispy breadcrumb topping. Here’s what you’ll need for each:
- Acorn squash: When roasted, the flesh of the squash becomes creamy and tender, while the hard to cut skin softens enough to cut with a fork (and yes, you can eat the skin!).
- Extra virgin olive oil: To help the squash roast and crisp up instead of steam.
- Kosher salt: To season the squash.
- Freshly ground black pepper: To season the squash.
For the sage bourbon sauce:
- Unsalted butter: To form the base of the sauce with the bourbon.
- Bourbon, whiskey, or rye: The alcohol cooks off, leaving behind a sweet, warm flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar: To thicken the sauce, add a slight sweetness, and provide a little acidity.
- Fresh sage: An earthy fresh herb that pairs well with squash and bourbon. Thyme is delicious, too!
- Nutmeg: Adds a woody, bittwesweet flavor that is rich and has a hint of cloves.
- Cayenne: For a slight bit of heat.
For the crispy breadcrumb topping:
- Unsalted butter: To toast the breadcrumbs in.
- Panko breadcrumbs (also sometimes labeled Japanese breadcrumbs): The texture of panko breadcrumbs is coarser than traditional breadcrumbs, which are finely ground. These get so crispy, especially when toasted in butter!
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Cheesy Parmesan goodness! Adds a salty, nutty bite, but is strong enough to hold up to the bourbon sauce.
- Toasted pecans: These add another element of crunch and warm, toasty flavor throughout.
How To Cut Acorn Squash
Carefully cut off the stem and the base of the acorn squash so that it will sit flat on a cutting board and not slip. Use a sharp knife to cut through the squash, from top to bottom, no need to peel! You’ll have two acorn squash halves.
When you open the squash, you’ll need to use a spoon to scoop out the membrane and seeds. Discard these.
Next, place the squash cut side down on a cutting board. Acorn squash is notoriously difficult to cut thanks to the tough skin. Use a sharp chef’s knife to carefully but strongly press down into the squash, cutting each half into ½” thick slices. Repeat until each squash is fully sliced.
To roast the squash, you’ll need a sheet pan and parchment paper (recommended, but not essential — it prevents the squash from sticking).
How To Roast Acorn Squash Slices
- Season the acorn squash. Preheat an oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the sliced squash on top. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, then season with ½ tsp Kosher salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper.
- Roast the acorn squash. Cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
You can absolutely serve roasted squash just like this. It would be an easy, healthy side dish that pairs well with just about any fall or winter menu! But we like to dress it up with a homemade bourbon sage sauce and crispy breadcrumbs.
What’s The Difference Between Roasting And Baking?
Roasting refers to oven temperatures of 400F or higher, while baking refers to anything below. If you’re going to bake acorn squash, drop the temperature, but note that (1) it will take longer to cook through, and (2) it is less likely to brown in the oven or have crisp edges. But baked acorn squash is delicious, too!
Make The Bourbon Sauce
In a small saucepan, combine 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp bourbon, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, ⅛ tsp grated nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne.Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the bourbon cooks off and reduces, about 4 minutes total. Note: when the alcohol heats up enough, the vapors will ignite and you’ll have a small flame in the pan. This is supposed to happen! Keep cooking until the fire dies out on its own. Remove from the heat.
Note: never pour alcohol from the bottle into a pan over a direct flame. If the alcohol catches fire or ignites as you’re pouring it, you can have a pretty big flame. Add the bourbon before turning on the heat and you’ll be good to go!
Make The Crispy Panko Breadcrumb Topping
- Toast the breadcrumbs. Heat 1 Tbsp unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat until melted. Add ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs, then use a spatula to stir constantly until evenly toasted, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, then transfer to a small bowl.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. To this, add 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese and 3 Tbsp toasted chopped pecans. Stir well.
When the squash is fork tender, toss it in a large bowl with the bourbon sauce, then transfer to a plate or platter. Sprinkle on the parmesan panko mixture. Garnish with crumbled goat cheese, if using, then serve immediately!
Can This Be Made Ahead Of Time?
You can slice and prep the acorn squash ahead of time, but we recommend roasting it fresh and toasting the breadcrumbs fresh too. They’ll get soggy if they sit out for too long. The sauce, however, can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in a refrigerator until needed. Reheat before tossing with the squash.
What To Serve With Roast Squash?
Roast turkey or rotisserie chicken is the best entrée to serve! The simple clean flavors of the poultry won’t compete with the immensely flavorful roast squash slices. Plus, you can dip the roast chicken into any extra sauce at the bottom of the plate — yum!
This would also be great with pork tenderloin, sous vide filet mignon, or this apple cider braised pork.
Sweet and savory perfection! If you make this Roasted Acorn Squash recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
Love winter squash? Us too! Make sure to try these Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash, Hasselback Butternut Squash, and the best ever Butternut Squash Risotto! These are some of our all time favorite squash recipes!
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More holiday side dishes:
- Butternut Squash Mash
- Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
- Cauliflower Gratin
- Focaccia Stuffing with Chorizo, Butternut Squash, and Goat Cheese
Roasted Acorn Squash with Panko & Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 medium acorn squash skin on, cut into ½" thick half slices, see note below
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 2 Tbsp bourbon
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp chopped sage
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg grated
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 3 Tbsp toasted pecans coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbsp goat cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Season the acorn squash. Preheat an oven to 425F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the sliced squash on top. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, then season with ½ tsp Kosher salt and ⅛ tsp black pepper.
- Roast the acorn squash. Cook until tender, about 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
- Make the bourbon sauce. In a small saucepan, combine 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp bourbon, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage, ⅛ tsp grated nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the bourbon cooks off and reduces, about 4 minutes total. Note: when the alcohol heats up enough, the vapors will ignite and you'll have a small flame in the pan. This is supposed to happen! Keep cooking until the fire dies out on its own. Remove from the heat until needed.
- Toast the breadcrumbs. Heat 1 Tbsp unsalted butter in a small skillet over medium heat until melted. Add ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs, then use a spatula to stir constantly until evenly toasted, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat, then transfer to a small bowl.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. To the breadcrumbs, add 3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese and 3 Tbsp toasted chopped pecans. Stir well.
- Finish the squash. When the squash is fork tender, toss it in a large bowl with the bourbon sauce, then transfer to a plate or platter. Sprinkle on the parmesan panko mixture. Garnish with crumbled goat cheese, if using, then serve immediately!
Notes
- To cut acorn squash: Carefully cut off the stem and the base of the squash so that it sits flat on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut through the squash, from top to bottom, no need to peel! You’ll have two acorn squash halves. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds (discard).
- Next, place the squash cut side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to carefully but strongly press down into the squash, cutting each half into ½” thick slices. Repeat until each squash is fully sliced.
Wow! Such a good recipe! And it totally came through for me when I needed to use up some delicata squash that I had been meaning to use up. Will definitely make again with acorn!
Love the combination of sweet roasted squash with tangy goat cheese. So good! xo, Ari