This hearty and easy Sausage Butternut Squash Skillet comes together in 30 minutes. Packed with butternut squash, apples, and Italian sausage, your whole family is sure to love the fun fall flavors!
Personal Note
Butternut squash is one of my favorite fall ingredients! It’s vibrant, flavorful, nourishing, and pairs well with both sweet and savory ingredients.
Every year I grow butternut squash in my garden, and if the season is kind to me, I’m lucky enough to harvest enough to carry us through the winter. There’s something so special about cooking with squash you’ve grown with your own hands. Some of my favorite cozy-butternut recipes to make are my Butternut Squash Turmeric Soup, Roasted Brussels and Butternut Squash Kale Salad, and this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
This one-pot sausage and butternut squash skillet is an easy and quick dinner that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Serve it on its own for a healthy, hearty, and naturally gluten free weeknight dinner or pair it with an Apple Cranberry Frisée Salad and Wild Rice Soup for a holiday feast or dinner party.
Nicely spiced with a bit of red onion, garlic, paprika, sage, salt, and pepper, this simple fall recipe will fill your home with wonderful aromas as it simmers on the stove. Trust me, no one will be able to resist piling their plate full of this sweet and savory squash skillet!
Sausage and squash skillet ingredients
- Italian sausages – Italian sausages are extra herby, savory, and spicy compared to other kinds of sausages because they’re made with chili flakes, fennel seeds, and anise. If you’d like to avoid the spice, use kielbasa, sweet sausage or chicken sausages instead. On the other hand, if you want to spice things up, use spicy sausage instead.
- Butternut squash – The nutty and sweet star of this dish! Acorn squash, kabocha squash or sweet potatoes also work well.
- Apples – Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, pink lady, fuji, or Braeburn apples work best because they hold their shape and texture when cooked.
- Broth – Feel free to use chicken, beef, veggie, or bone broth.
- Onion and garlic – This classic aromatic combination adds deep flavor. Shallots would be a good substitute to onions.
- Tomato paste – This packs a flavorful punch while bringing balance and a touch of sweetness to the skillet.
- Sage – This popular cold-weather herb pairs so well with sausage and squash.
How to make a sausage butternut squash skillet
This 35-minute sausage and squash skillet makes a delicious, savory, and unique fall dinner. Enjoy the symphony of flavors and textures after whipping it together in a few short steps:
Step 1: In a hot and oiled skillet, crumble and sauté the Italian sausages over medium heat. Once thoroughly browned, add the onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.
Step 2: Add the butternut squash and your broth of choice to the skillet. Do your best to submerge the squash in the broth, then cover with a lid and let the mixture simmer.
Step 3: Once the squash is almost softened, stir in the apples and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. At this point, all of the ingredients should be soft, aromatic, and flavorful.
Step 4: Remove the butternut squash skillet from the heat, top with fresh sage, and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
When I want to make this stovetop butternut squash skillet the star of the show, I pair it with simpler sides such as oven baked carrot fries, sweet corn risotto, or heirloom tomato salad. You can also find me layering a scoop on top of rice, lettuce, or pasta, or stuffing it into squash, burritos, or enchiladas!
Variations
- Roasted butternut squash – To save time, roast the cubed squash ahead of time and add it to the skillet when you add the apples.
- Vegetarian – Make this butternut squash skillet vegetarian by swapping the Italian sausage for a plant-based alternative. And don’t forget to use veggie broth!
- Turn it into a stew – Double the amount of broth and thicken the mixture with a cornstarch and water slurry or heavy cream.
- Add extra protein or fiber – By stirring in a can of cannellini or black beans.
- Customize the flavors – Create an Italian-flavored skillet by adding oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary, or create a Mexican-inspired skillet by swapping the sausages for ground beef and tossing in a bit of cumin, chili powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Want to add more veggies? Try adding a few diced tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, kale, or broccoli florets before allowing the skillet to simmer.
Looking for more healthy skillet recipes to try?
Sausage Butternut Squash Skillet
Ingredients
- 16 oz (4) italian sausages
- 2 cups butternut squash, cubed
- 1 apple, cubed
- 8 oz broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh sage
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet. Add sausage crumbled (casing removed) and saute to brown (8-10 minutes). Add onion, garlic, tomato paste and seasoning. Stir well.
- Next add in the butternut squash and broth. The squash must be somewhat submerged in broth but not necessarily all the way submerged. Cover, turn heat down to medium low and let it simmer for about 12mins or the butternut squash has softened.
- About 3 minutes before squash is done, add in the diced apple. Cover and let it simmer.
- When done remove from heat. Garnish with fresh sage and serve.
Notes
Allow the skillet to cool completely, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. Tip: If the dish looks a little dry after chilling, add a splash of broth or a tiny drizzle of olive oil before reheating to bring back moisture. Freeze:
This dish freezes beautifully! Place in a freezer-safe container or portion into individual servings for easy meal-prep. Freeze for up to 2 months. Note: Butternut squash may soften slightly once thawed, but the flavor remains delicious. Reheat:
- Stovetop: Warm in a skillet over medium-low heat for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a tablespoon of water or broth if needed.
- Microwave: Heat in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until warmed through.
- From frozen: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat using one of the methods above.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this tonight for dinner even though it is clearly not Fall. I doubled the broth and added some arrowroot to thicken it. I also added about 2 cups of kale. Other than that, I pretty much followed the recipe. It is delicious and comforting without being heavy. Thank you.
You are very welcome Shea, I am so glad you liked it. 🙂 and thanks for taking the time to share your feedback!
Great dinner, lots of flavor from simple recipe!
Wonderful to hear Carol!
How much time should we let it simmer? Thank you!
Hi Ben, you can let it simmer for about 12 mins or until the butternut squash has softened.
Wow, that’s soooooo good!! Made it exactly as stated.
Added rice on the side to bulk up the portions a little.
That’s so great Isa, I am so happy to hear! and thanks for sharing your feedback, xoxo
I made this tonight because I happened to need to use up Italian sausage, butternut squash, and tomato paste… it was fantastic! I will absolutely make it again!
That’s great Jessica, happy to hear!
Trying to incorporate more veggies in our meals. My husband doesn’t love butternut squash but he had TWO bowls of this! Followed directions but I forgot the sage. Didn’t miss it. I did add a can of cannelloni beans. Yum! Will make again!
That’s great, I am super happy to hear. Yayyyy to more veggies on our plates! xoxo
This recipe is fantastic! Definitely give it a try. I served it over rice noodles once, and over rice another. Both were delicious 🤤
Definitely give the apples in it a try, we loved the addition of apple. But if you don’t have apples, make it without, it’s still perfect 🤌
Hi Clare, that’s great happy to hear that you liked my sausage butternut squash recipe. Also thanks so much for leaving your feedback, means a lot to me! xoxo
📣THIS IS THE RECIPE YOU’RE LOOKING FOR IF YOU HAVE AN ABUNDANCE OF BUTTERNUT SQUASH TO USE UP! 😉😉
The flavor on this dish is AMAZING! 🤤There’s no better way to use up an abundance of butternut squash.
Follow the recipe as is, or make any adjustments you’d like, you really can’t go wrong with this base for a recipe and flavors! Sooooooo good!
The apple addiction is delicious! But don’t have apples? No problem, make it without. Want to add Kale? Go for it! It’s always amazing!
Very good
Awesome, happy to hear that you enjoyed my sausage butternut squash recipe Debra! xoxo
This is a very good base recipe to follow as well with many options. I turn it into an Italian meal by adding two cans of fire roasted tomatoes and a 20 oz. package of tri-colored 5 cheese tortellini. It has become a family favorite along with a salad and garlic bread with cheese.
That sounds delicious John! Thanks for trying my sausage butternut squash recipe!