For this holiday-worthy recipe, roasting the butternut with several bay leaves slipped between the slices results in a subtle aromatic backdrop for the chile glaze.
Ingredients
8 servings
Step 1
Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Halve squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a large spoon. Using a peeler, remove skin and white flesh below (you should reach the deep orange flesh). Rub all over with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast in a baking dish just large enough to hold halves side by side until beginning to soften (a paring knife should easily slip in only about 1/4"), 15–18 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, bring chile, maple syrup, butter, and vinegar to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally and removing chile as soon as desired heat level is reached (set aside for serving), until just thick enough to coat spoon, 6–8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and keep glaze warm.
Step 3
Transfer squash to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Using a sharp knife, score rounded sides of squash halves crosswise, going as deep as possible but without cutting all the way through. Return squash to baking dish, scored sides up, and tuck bay leaves between a few of the slices; season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Roast squash, basting with glaze every 10 minutes or so and using pastry brush to lift off any glaze in dish that is browning too much, until tender and glaze forms a rich brown coating, 45–60 minutes. Serve topped with reserved chiles.
Do Ahead
Step 5
Squash can be roasted 4 hours ahead. Let cool until just warm; cover and store at room temperature. Reheat before serving.
How would you rate Hasselback Butternut Squash With Bay Leaves?
Leave a Review
Reviews (15)
Back to TopBeautiful to behold, delicious to eat! Major hit during a family passover meal! I thought the Fresno chili pepper was great, but some family members had less tolerance to heat, so future iterations may need to try a different milder pepper. I did add a bit more Maple Syrup which helped! And I love the idea of adding some cranberries!
Mark P. Behar
Milwaukee, WI
4/6/2023
This dish made for a pretty and unique presentation on the holiday table. In terms of taste, it was good but not really anything special. I used fresh bay leaves and the flavor was prominent (but not bad). The large group of guests barely ate half of it.
aallen
Grand Teton National Park
2/2/2019
Made this for New Year's eve and this was the hit of the party. I did make extra of the the sauce and added some sage leaves I had, but otherwise this recipe was perfect.
MikeBob22
San Ramon, CA
1/7/2019
Made this tonight as a test run for Thanksgiving. It was ok, but not OMG great. The hasselback presentation makes this interesting, but next time, I will cube and roast my butternut squash, and then drizzle the glaze over so that it permeates more of the squash.
waunderful7696
Michigan
10/30/2018
I really wanted to like this, but it’s just... meh. We were going to use this as our main for this year’s vegetarian Thanksgiving, and I’m so glad I did a test run. Followed the recipe and like others, found the dish lackluster. I wish I had made extra of the glaze (it’s so good I would love to make chewy caramels out of it!), there’s really not enough of it. The squash cooked perfectly and looked lovely, but it’s just not special enough to hold centerstage on the plate. It’s fine as a side if you have extra glaze, as it is tasty. I will probably use the slices in sandwiches or make a soup out of it. Last year we made Vedge’s roasted kabocha with black trumpets and Madeira wine, it was divine. I’ll keep looking for a dish up at that level, this just wasn’t it. Would I make it again? Eh, probably not. There are more flavorful ways to prepare butternut, though I do really like the hasselback presentation and would do that part again.
karijo
New York
10/28/2018
Quite good! Didn't have a fresno chile so substituted a few shakes of chipotle chile flakes, which added some smokiness. Served with the quinoa pilaf with cherries, almonds and saffron
Anonymous
Swarthmore
4/4/2018
Loved, Loved Loved this - I found this squash both sweet and savory - a great combination. I did not double the glaze - just used it as directed. Will definitely make this each Thanksgiving!
Anonymous
Phoenix
11/29/2017
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was beautiful but kind of divisive. The people who loved it LOVED it; I did make a double batch of the glaze/basting liquid and added more spice. The bay leaves were delicious. It needed more salt...I will make it again.
sherriedrington5565
Dallas, TX
11/28/2017
I added some chopped fresh sage and cayenne pepper to the glaze and found this recipe to be easy to prepare, interesting presentation with the slices, and delicious to eat. We served it over some mixed grains with dried cranberries and toasted hazelnuts. Thanks for the excellent recipe idea!!
jbenstead
Chicago, IL
11/13/2017
Couldn't find a squash smaller than 4 pounds, so I doubled the recipe for the glaze. It came out fantastic. Served with cranberries and a light drizzle of maple syrup. Perfect.
Anonymous
Lake Tahoe
11/9/2017
The best thing about this is the beautiful appearance - so fancy! The flavor is good too, but I would only make again for a special occasion.
jansan1
Orange County, CA
1/23/2017
After reading the negative review, I made 1 1/2 times the basting liquid to make sure it had enough flavor. The recipe was easier to make than I thought, although it took longer than 15 minutes to cook the squash initially. I live at over 7,000' which may be the reason. Looked just like the picture and was delicious! I made sure to baste as directed and that it went in between the slices as it gives a caramelized flavor. May substitute chopped fresh sage for the bay leaves next time and maybe add dried cranberries to the basting sauce for a holiday look. I will make it for Christmas Eve dinner.
cecilyb
Flagstaff, AZ
12/11/2016
Acted as a fabulous thanksgiving side, although it wasn't as gorgeous as the photo above. The dish really got a kick from our use of fresh bay leaves, and the spice was just perfect. I am definitely putting this in my recipe book.
p_w_tiern
Chicago, IL
12/1/2016
I really wanted to love this, but it was basically flavorless and there wasn't nearly enough glaze.
Anonymous
St. Louis, MO
11/28/2016
Huge hit as an alternative to traditional puréed squash. Rich and tasty. A new tradition. The hint of spice is key.
Emhorne
Scituate, MA
11/25/2022
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