From the roundup: 24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes Classic Enough to Please Every Table
Roasted delicata squash is one of those side dishes I come back to every fall because the prep is genuinely fast. You slice it into rings, scoop the seeds with a spoon, toss everything in a bowl with olive oil and salt, and it goes straight onto the pan. No peeling. The skin softens in the oven and you would never know it was there.
The maple and sage brown butter takes maybe four minutes on the stove while the squash finishes roasting. You are not babysitting two things at once for long. Most of the 35 minutes is hands-off oven time, which means you can be doing something else entirely, setting the table, helping with homework, whatever needs to happen before dinner.
One thing worth knowing: the brown butter moves fast once it hits amber. I keep a light-colored saucepan for this specifically so I can actually see the color change. Pull it off the heat the second it smells nutty and looks golden brown, then stir in the maple syrup off the burner. That step takes maybe 30 seconds and it is the part that ties the whole dish together.
How this ended up on our table
The first time I made this, I was trying to use up two delicata squash that had been sitting on the counter for over a week. I had fresh sage leftover from a soup earlier in the week and butter that needed to be used. I roasted the squash, browned the butter while it finished, and that was dinner alongside some chicken thighs. My husband asked if it was a recipe I had been working on or something I just threw together. It was very much the second one.
I have made it properly since then, with actual planning and a pretty platter, and it holds up for Thanksgiving just as well as it does for a random Tuesday. The rings look intentional on a serving dish even when you are moving fast.
Why you will love this
- No peeling: delicata skin is thin enough to eat after roasting, which cuts prep down to about 10 minutes
- The brown butter and maple syrup come together in one small saucepan while the squash is still in the oven
- The rings hold their shape on a platter and look more composed than a mash or a scoop
- At 35 minutes total, it fits on a busy weeknight without rearranging dinner
- Leftovers reheat well in the oven and work alongside eggs the next morning
Tips for success
- Use a hot oven: 425 degrees is not optional here. Lower heat and the squash steams instead of caramelizes, and you lose the golden edges that make this worth making.
- Do not crowd the pan. If the rings overlap even slightly, they trap steam. Use a large rimmed sheet pan and give each ring its own space.
- Flip at the 12-minute mark and check the underside before you flip. It should already be deep golden. If it looks pale, give it another two minutes before turning.
- Watch the brown butter closely. Once the foam settles and the butter smells like toasted nuts, you have about 30 to 45 seconds before it burns. Pull it off the heat the moment it turns amber, not after.
What to serve alongside it
- It works next to roasted chicken or pork tenderloin, the maple in the butter bridges savory mains without competing
- For a vegetarian spread, pair it with a grain like farro or wild rice and something green and bitter, like roasted broccoli or sauteed kale
- On a Thanksgiving table it holds well on the platter for 15 to 20 minutes, so it can go out early while you finish other things
- Leftover rings are good alongside a fried egg for breakfast, the edges crisp back up in a hot skillet in about three minutes
Substitutions
If your store is out of delicata, acorn squash works and has a similar sweetness. Small butternut squash rounds are another option, but both of those need to be peeled, so factor in extra prep time. The cooking time stays roughly the same. For the sage, fresh makes a real difference in the brown butter because the leaves crisp into something you actually eat. Dried sage can work in a pinch, about 1/4 teaspoon stirred into the butter, but you lose the texture and some of the flavor. Use Grade A or B pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup and goes cloying fast.
If someone at your table avoids dairy, you can skip the brown butter entirely and finish the squash with a drizzle of good olive oil and a little maple syrup straight from the bottle. It is simpler but still good. The flaky salt at the end matters either way, so do not skip that step.
Make-ahead and storage
You can roast the squash rings up to a day ahead. Let them cool, then store them on the sheet pan covered tightly with foil in the fridge. When you are ready to serve, reheat them in a 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges are hot and starting to crisp again. Make the brown butter fresh right before serving. It does not store or reheat well once it has been drizzled, and it only takes a few minutes to make, so there is no reason to make it ahead.
Leftover squash keeps in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven rather than the microwave if you want any of the caramelized texture back. I would not freeze this one. The rings go soft and watery after thawing and the whole point is the texture from roasting.
Roasted Delicata Squash with Maple and Sage Brown Butter
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. A hot oven is key here because you want the cut sides to caramelize, not steam.
- Trim the ends off each delicata squash, then cut them crosswise into rings about 3/4 inch thick. Use a spoon to scoop the seeds and stringy bits out of each ring. The skin is thin and edible so there is nothing to peel.
- In a large bowl, toss the squash rings with the olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper until every piece is coated. Spread them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Do not stack them. If they overlap, they will steam instead of roast and you will miss the caramelization.
- Roast for 12 minutes, then flip each ring with a spatula or tongs. The underside should already look golden and starting to brown. Roast for another 10 to 13 minutes until both sides are deep golden and the squash is tender when you pierce it with a fork. The edges should look slightly darker than the center.
- While the squash finishes roasting, make the brown butter. In a small light-colored saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once it is melted and foamy, add the sage leaves. Cook, swirling the pan often, for 2 to 3 minutes. The butter will turn from pale yellow to golden to a warm amber color and smell like toasted nuts. The sage leaves will crisp up and darken. The moment you see the butter turn amber and smell nutty, pull it off the heat. It can go from brown to burnt in under a minute.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the maple syrup. It will bubble up briefly. Stir to combine.
- Arrange the roasted squash rings on a serving platter. Spoon the brown butter and crisped sage leaves over the top. Scatter with flaky sea salt. Serve right away while the squash is hot and the butter is still glossy.
Notes
← Back to 24 Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes Classic Enough to Please Every Table