Butternut Squash & Orzo Casserole (Dump-and-Bake)
This butternut squash orzo pasta bake layers tender roasted squash, crumbled sausage, and creamy Boursin cheese into a dreamy, weeknight-friendly dinner. Everything cooks together in one pan for a hearty, cozy casserole that’s comforting and super easy!
5 star review
“Another phenomenal recipe from Robyn! Made this for dinner and it was unbelievably good. Can’t wait to add this to our regular rotation!”
– Emilia
Butternut Squash + Orzo Pasta is the Perfect Cozy, One-Pan Dinner!
Say hello to my new go-to one-pan, dump-and-bake dinner! I created this recipe because I wanted a warm, fall-ish meal that could fit easily into Tuesday night chaos, while also looking stunning on a holiday table; all with no separate pans, and no babysitting the stove.
The true beauty of this one is that it’s made in all one pan with no pre-cooking (you know I love that!) with caramelized roasted squash, crumbled sausage, tender orzo, and that hit of garlicky Boursin that perfectly melts into every bite. It’s exactly the kind of thing I pull together when I want real dinner flavor with barely any dishes, and that I know everyone will actually eat.
And, in true Real Food Whole Life let’s-make-this-super-simple fashion, I made sure the sausage and squash roast at the same time so you’re not juggling pans or steps. And stirring the orzo right into the same pan means less cleanup and that dreamy, baked risotto vibe with none of the stirring (similar to my wildly easy and simply delicious chicken orzo bake). Truly, this one tastes so elevated and cozy you won’t believe how easy it was to make!
Welcome to My Kitchen – Let’s Make a Butternut Squash Casserole!
A Few Testing Notes Before You Make This Butternut Squash Bake
- When I tested this, I found that using pre-cubed squash made prep faster, but I always double-check for any super big pieces and cut them smaller if necessary for even cooking.
- I recommend crumbling the raw chicken sausage into smaller bits so it roasts evenly with the squash. Think bite-sized pieces, or about the same size as the squash.
- I found a pinch of red pepper flakes gives just enough kick to balance the creamy Boursin, so if you like a little extra heat, go for it!
Butternut Squash & Orzo Casserole (Dump-and-Bake!)
Ingredients
- 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 1-inch pieces)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound uncooked chicken sausage (mild or Italian)
- 1½ cups dry orzo
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 5.3 ounce package of Boursin garlic & herb cheese
- Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat and Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray with cooking spray or grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Prepare the Sausage & Squash: In the baking dish, combine the butternut squash, olive oil, ½ teaspoon of the salt, garlic and Italian seasoning, tossing to coat. Add the chicken sausage (crumbled or broken into pieces) evenly over the butternut squash.
- Roast: Roast for 20–25 minutes, uncovered, stirring once, until the squash is tender and the sausage is cooked through.
- Add the Orzo, Broth & Boursin: Remove the pan from the oven. Stir in the dry orzo, ½ teaspoon of salt, and chicken broth. Nestle the whole Boursin cheese into the center. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes if you’d like a little kick.
- Bake: Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the orzo is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir everything together until creamy. Finish with fresh parsley if you like.
Notes
- For serving: I recommend sprinkling chopped fresh parsley on top for a little pop of green.
- Sausage: You want raw (not pre-cooked) chicken sausage for this recipe. You can find it in bulk or in links. If it’s in links, simply remove from the casing before adding it to the squash.
- Before serving: In testing, letting the casserole rest for 5 minutes before stirring really helped the orzo soak up the extra broth. If it looks liquidy when you pull it out, be sure to give it that extra time to rest.
I made this tonight and it was great. My only alteration is that I would add more chicken sausage next time . I love a good one pot dish!
Kathleen so happy to hear you enjoyed this one, and great idea to add more sausage! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review. 🙂
Hey can I use Italian pork sausage
Brandee, yes, I tested it with pork sausage (bulk or squeezed out of the casing) and it works great! You can use sweet Italian or spicy or a mix. I hope you enjoy!
So delicious! Definitely worth adding the pinch of hot chili flakes because #somelikeithot
It’s me, I am some 🙂
Adrienne, lol, same, I love a little kick from the red pepper flakes! So happy you enjoyed, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Another phenomenal recipe from Robyn! Made this for dinner and it was unbelievably good. Can’t wait to add this to our regular rotation!
Emilia! Yay, I’m so thrilled to hear you enjoyed this one, and thank you as always for leaving a review!
This recipe was easy to make. It was delicious! I will be making this one again.
Michelle, yay, I love it when a recipe make it to the “make again” list! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review. 🙂