Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin
Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin is such a treat and did you know that Delicata Squash is lower in carbs than other winter squash? And this tasty squash is only available for a few months each year, so try it now!
PIN Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin to try it later!
I’m developing a yearly obsession with delicious and user-friendly Delicata Squash! And I love this squash so much that I’m reminding you to make my favorite Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin while you can still get this fun squash variety; I make this recipe every year when Delicata Squash comes into season! And if you like winter squash, I bet you’ll love this recipe too.
I actually created the recipe by accident when Jake and I were trying a sausage and green pepper mixture stuffed inside Delicata Squash, and we ended up with far too much stuffing for the amount of squash we had. So we went to Plan B and made a casserole with the roasted squash, sausage-pepper mixture, and cheese.
Jake isn’t the biggest fan of winter squash but he agreed this gratin with sausage and Delicata Squash was really, really good. But please don’t wait too long to try this recipe, because Delicata Squash is only available for a few months in late summer and early fall, and soon it’s going to disappear from the store for another year.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Delicata Squash
- Olive Oil (affiliate link)
- Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- hot or mild Turkey or Pork Italian Sausage
- onion
- green bell pepper
- grated Mozzarella cheese
What Makes Delicata Squash Different than other types of winter squash?
What makes Delicata Squash user-friendly and different from other winter squashes is the way you can eat the skin! How cool is that? Eating the skin makes it easier to prepare and adds fiber to reduce the net carbs.
Is Delicata Squash Low in Carbs?
Probably no winter squash is technically a low-carb ingredient, but Delicata Squash is lower in carbs and higher in fiber than many types of winter squash. Here’s more information about this attractive and delicious squash variety!
Who else loves winter squash?
I know they’re a splurge on the carbs, but I am a huge fan of winter squash for a treat, especially Butternut Squash! Use Winter Squash to see all the winter squash main dishes and side dishes on my blog!
How to Make Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Delicata squash can have either green or yellow strips like the photo above, top left.
- Cut the squash in chunks about an inch square, saving the ends to dice smaller for the sausage mixture.
- Toss squash with olive oil and Italian Herb Blend, then roast on a baking sheet at 400F/200C for about 25 minutes.
- While the squash is roasting, heat a little oil and then cook the sausage until it’s nicely browned; remove to a bowl.
- Add a little more oil and cook the diced onion and green pepper with a little more Italian herb blend. Add to bowl with the sausage.
- Cut up the ends of the squash into pieces about 1/3 inch squash and cook for a few minutes.
- Then heat the sausage, onions, peppers, and small pieces of diced squash together for a minute or two.
- Spray a large casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray.
- Put roasted pieces of squash in the dish and top with the sausage mixture and then a layer of grated cheese.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, or until all the ingredients are hot and the cheese is melted and starting to lightly brown. Serve hot and enjoy!
More Delicious Recipes with Delicata Squash:
This recipe was featured in 30+ Best Delicata Squash Recipes at The Pioneer Woman.
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin
Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin also has green bell pepper and cheese and this is a delicious easy casserole to make when it's Delicata Squash season.
Ingredients
- 3 Delicata Squash, about 8 inches long each
- 3 T olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp. Italian Herb Blend, divided
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 19.5 oz. pkg. hot or mild Turkey Italian Sausage (see notes)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups grated Mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F/200C.
- Wash Delicata squash if needed and cut off the ends in a piece about an inch wide.
- Cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a sharp spoon to scrape out the seeds and discard. Cut the main part of the squash into pieces about 1 inch square and dice the end pieces into small pieces about 1/3 inch square. (The squash is not peeled before cutting it up; you eat it with the peel on.)
- Put the larger squash pieces in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian Herb blend, and salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste. Put squash pieces on a baking sheet (spray with olive oil or non-stick spray if you need it with your baking sheet.)
- Roast squash about 25 minutes, or until it’s softened but not completely cooked.
- While squash cooks, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Squeeze the sausage out of the casing and cook until it’s nicely browned, breaking apart with a turner (or potato masher) as it cooks. (Most turkey sausage will release some liquid; just cook until it’s evaporated and the sausage will start to brown.)
- Remove the browned sausage to a bowl, add a little more olive oil, and cook the onion and green pepper over medium-high heat until it’s cooked and starting to slightly brown.
- Add the other teaspoon of Italian Herb Blend and cook 1 minute more. Remove the onion-pepper mixture to the bowl with the sausage.
- Add the rest of the oil (about 2 teaspoons) and add the smaller squash cubes. Saute over medium high heat until the squash is quite soft and starting to slightly brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add the sausage, onions, and peppers back into the pan and cook just until everything is heated through.
- Remove the roasted squash cubes from the oven, leaving oven on. Spray a large glass or crockery casserole dish with olive oil or non-stick spray. (I used a dish that’s about 10 inches x 12 inches, but any size that’s close to that will work.)
- Put the hot squash in the bottom of the casserole dish, topping it with the hot sausage/onions/peppers mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
- Bake uncovered about 20-25 minutes, or until the mixture is very hot and the cheese is completely melted and nicely browned. Serve hot.
Notes
I used my favorite Turkey Italian Sausage for this recipe.
This can be kept in the fridge for several days and reheated in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. I’m guessing it freezes well, although I have ever had any leftovers to freeze when I made it!
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 174Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 25mgSodium 274mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 3gSugar 4gProtein 8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin is loaded with low-carb ingredients, and Delicata Squash is lower in carbs and higher in fiber than other types of winter squash. This recipe calculated to be only 7 net carbs per serving, so it should be great for low-carb and Keto diets. However, winter squash is reserved for phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Casserole Recipes for more tasty ideas like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Delicata Squash recipe was posted in 2014. It was last updated with more information in 2023.
46 Comments on “Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin”
I did this recipe for dinner last night and we love it. It’s very easy to make and have a great taste. Thank you!!!
I’m happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for letting me know.
This was delicious. I used sharp cheddar cheese because that’s what I had. I also ended up using frozen red and green peppers and part of a yellow pepper that I had. I love delicata squash and this was a perfect meal for a cold evening.
So glad you enjoyed it and were able to adapt to what you had. I’m a huge Delicata squash fan too!
Nice recipe. I had fresh sage and basil to hand as its middle of harvest season here (which is how we came by the squash). This turned out very nicely indeed.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I like squash so this was a good recipe for me. However, it failed to win over the sqaush-hating husband despite the fact that I used pork sausage, goat cheese, Gouda, and more spices that I know he likes. Oh, well. I have lunch sorted all week 😂
Thanks for sharing!
Oh dear. Sorry to hear that. However, it did remind me of a time my brother Rand had been at my house when I was testing a butternut squash recipe. Right after that he went to my dads and told Dad, “Kalyn just made the most delicious butternut squash.” Without missing a beat my 75 year old dad said, “It might be delicious to some people but it wouldn’t be delicious to me.”
So some people are never going to be convinced!
I’m a fire house cooking Milwaukee Wisconsin, I make a very similar dish to this on which I put my own twist on a version I was taught by my senior firefighter “Ezra”. A humble yet renowned and legendary fire fighter, chef, family man, and human being. I use butternut squash cubed the same way sautéed till al dente. I distribute it over the top of a layer of El Donte pasta (the cut of your choice), I use rigatoni because I like how the ingriedients distribute inside the tubes!) followed by sautéed chopped carrot and celery mixture. Followed by a layer of 1/3’s Sweet, Spanish, and red onion, sautéed in olive oil and slightly browned butter to compliment the nuttiness of the squash. Adding fresh chopped herbs: sage, oregano, basil, and garlic,green or poblano pepper, and green onion. On top sweet Italian sausage browned as drained, then shaved Parmesan, romano and asiago cheese blend sprinkled.
To bring it together, I drizzle coconut milk, enough to coat the contents and bring the 10 x 16 casserole dish to about half the level of the height of the ingredients. This helps steam the al dents layers to perfection, combines the flavors and combined with the starch from the pasta, thickens to create an adhering sauce to add moisture and flavor to every bite! Bake in the oven at 350 for 20 min or till the liquid boils or the edges of the cheese turns golden brown. Allowed to rest for 10 minutes for sauce to thicken, and served in a wide shallow bowl, Garnished with the remaining fresh herbs and green onion! This is my first time sharing any type of recipe online, responses and suggestions or questions are welcome.
Hi Samuel,
I like the sound of that, but I am guessing most of my readers won’t want the pasta. But thanks for sharing your creation with us. I had to delete your e-mail address (don’t want the liability of that) but people can comment here.
Received 4 Delicata Squash instead of yellow summer squash in my organic produce box. So tonight I made Delicata Squash Sausage Gratin a keto recipe from Kalyn Kitchen’s website. I had taco-flavored turkey sausage, so switched Italian seasoning for taco seasoning, and Mexican for mozz cheese. It was delicious! Even DH liked it. Notes: prepping the 2 squash took nearly an hour. It was difficult to cut and the seeds/membranes, challenging to remove. Other than that, the recipe worked. Will use Italian-flavored turkey sausage the next time. Blessings!
Very creative! Glad you enjoyed it. I do wonder why your squash was hard to cut and clean though. I haven’t ever had that problem and I know squash are notorious for cross-pollinating, so I wonder if you got some kind of hybrid?
I used to make a stuffed acorn squash very similar to this recipe, so I know I’ll love this casserole! I look forward to my yearly haul of delicata squash–it’s our favorite of all the winter squashes. My SIL just bought 60 lbs of delicatas at the Farmers’ Market, so I’m headed there to do the same!
Oh wow, so jealous of all that delicata squash you’re going to be getting. Hope you enjoy the recipe! (I’m going to see if I can still find some when I go to the store today; our Farmers Markets are long closed in Utah.)
Yum! Delicata squash was in my CSA basket this week. I found this recipe and wow! Both are my new favorite things. I used 1/2 chicken sausage/ pork sausage ( what I had on hand), I also cut the baked squash pieces in half to maximize my squash experience per bite. Thank you!
Thanks for the reminder to look for Delicata Squash! It is so tasty but the season is so short; glad you enjoyed it!
This is stupid good. I cannot think of anything I have made this year that we liked as much. I followed the recipe exactly. This made six servings for my husband and me, and we enjoyed every one of them. This will become a regular dinner for us during squash season.
Thanks Eileen! So glad it was such a hit for you.
I made this with chicken apple sausage because that and the delicata were what I had on hand that needed to be cooked! It’s very delicious but I will definitely make it again with spicy sausage—I can see what a lovely contrast that would be with the sweet squash!! Love how easy this recipe is, I will definitely be able to remember it when shopping and cooking in the future.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Wow! This Delicata Squash and Sausage Gratin looks really delicious! I’ll definitely try making this at home. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m sure my family will enjoy this too.
Glad you like it!
This was delicious. Was making it for two so cut everything in half, otherwise followed it to the “T”, and would not change a thing. Have more than enough left over for lunch. TFS.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I substituted vegetarian Field Roast Italian sausages to make a delicious vegetarian dish! This recipe is great! I will be making it again!
So glad you enjoyed it, and good idea on the substitution!
This is our family's first try with Delicata and everyone loved the recipe. Our only change was to cube the squash much smaller than recommended – a concession to my Low carb hubbby's preferences.
So glad you liked it and love hearing how you adapted it to your preferences!
This was INCREDIBLE! I added wild rice and mushrooms to the mixture, as well, and used pork sausage. My new favorite dinner recipe. Thank you!
Anna, so glad you liked it. Love your adaptations to the recipe.
Wanda, I hope you enjoy! I am really loving it.
I just bought the Delicata at the last Tuesday Farmer Market because I like the color. Its still sitting in my vegetable basket, so thanks for this recipe. Cannot wait to try it!
Yes, the oven temperature is 400F/200C for the whole recipe. Hope you enjoy!
When you put the dish back into the oven for baking, all assembled, is the temp still kept at 400? I'm not seeing it in the recipe. Thank you, can't wait to make this!
There was a reason (at least in my mind!) The smaller pieces from the ends end up getting really soft (because they're small and they get sauteed with the veggies) and then semi-dissolve and hold the mixture together a bit more than if those small pieces weren't there. Probably not essential, but I liked the result.
Curious why you cook the tops separately instead of in the oven with the rest. there has to be a reason why you did that. Just curious why.
Tobie, I did use the squash with the skin on in this recipe. I didn't know they had a short season; need to stock up!
I agree with you re delicata squash. It's the sweetest. I just roast them and eat them plain and have been told you can eat the skin as well.
Too bad the season for them is so short.
Amanda I would love to try Kabocha but I never see it in my stores. Will have to look harder for it!
Have you tried kabocha squash? It is another "user-friendly" squash. I think it has such a wonderful flavor too. This is my first fall being a squash eater so I am still working my way through the different varieties. Next on my list is delicata and sweet dumpling!
I agree, being able to eat the skin is one of the big advantages of Delicata. And the skin adds fiber, so double win!
I share the same obsession Kalyn! I just made a stuffed Delicata squash the other day. When my husband asked why Delicata, I said, "…because you can eat the skin!"
Thanks Eileen, and it really was just so delicious!
So delicious! I usually just roast my delicata squash, but a combination with tangy sausage sounds just about perfect. 🙂
Thanks Lydia. And love the sound of grilled Delicata squash in a salad!
I agree — delicata squash is such a versatile vegetable. I love to cut it in rings and grill it (sometimes on my panini press), and then add the rings to salads. This gratin looks wonderful.