Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole

Maybe it's the weather...it is literally freezing here in Southern Kentucky and has been below freezing all week or maybe it's because I am nursing and always feel famished, either way I have been craving hearty and filling meals like this savory slightly sweet Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole.  

A friend of ours gave us a huge butternut squash last week so I have been coming up with creative ways to use it and this butternut squash and sausage casserole has been our favorite so far.  

This is about a quarter section of our butternut squash.  It was amazingly huge!  I peeled, sliced and then cubed about 2 pounds squash for this dish.

I love the combination of butternut squash, sausage, sweet onion, garlic, and spinach.  This casserole is hearty, fresh and delicious.  Our whole family loved it including our boys.  
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Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb. mild ground sausage
2 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. thyme
10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained or several handfuls fresh spinach
1/4 cup cooking sherry 
salt 
pepper
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cocktail size balls

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
​2.  Microwave peeled and cubed butternut squash for 3 to 4 minutes to partially tenderize.
3.  Cook sausage, onion, garlic, and thyme over medium high heat until sausage is browned.  
4.  Add cooking sherry to skillet and scrape up any browned bits (which add more flavor).  (Sausage mixture should still be in skillet.)
5.  Stir in spinach and butternut squash.
6.  Salt and pepper to taste.
7.  Top with fresh mozzarella balls.
8.  Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until squash is fork tender and cheese has melted.  Use an ovenproof skillet like a 12" iron skillet.  If you don't have an ovenproof skillet, simply transfer to a large greased casserole dish or a 9 X 13 inch pan before baking.  
  

I used frozen chopped spinach because I had it on hand, but you could easily use a few handfuls of fresh spinach instead.  We loved the fresh mozzarella topping which melted beautifully and gave a rich yet balanced flavor, but you could use shredded swiss or another favorite cheese.  

Yum