This Stuffing Has a Story For You

Right, let me tell you—the first time I whipped up this butternut squash, date & apple stuffing, it was mostly by accident. I’d totally forgotten to buy breadcrumbs (yep, classic me) for my regular stuffing, so I thought, “Eh, why not throw in what I’ve got?” Turns out, the combo is so much better. You know when you try something and think, well, that’s going straight into my ‘why didn’t I ever do this before?’ folder? This was one of those moments—and as a bonus, my cousin Colin didn’t even complain it was ‘too healthy,’ which is his standard response.

And all right, confession time: I did once singe the squash a bit from daydreaming mid-roast. Impatient cooks, unite.

Why You’ll Love This (Like, Actually)

I make this stuffing anytime I want something bright and a bit different—definitely at Christmas, but also when it’s chilly and I want to use up apples before they go wrinkly (the back of my fruit bowl is like narnia for apples). My family goes crazy for it because it’s just sweet enough, it feels a bit fancy, but you can eat half the pan while standing in your socks and no one’ll judge you. Kids love it, vegetarians are thrilled, and I can vouch that smuggling in more than a fair share before dinner isn’t frowned upon in this house.

Probably my favorite bit is that there’s no fussing over dry bread cubes, which, honestly, I always manage to over-toast. If you’ve ever muttered at a pan of burned croutons, this one’s your redemption arc.

Here’s What You’ll Need—With My Twists

1 small butternut squash (usually about 500g peeled; I sometimes grab pre-cut, because who’s got time for wrestling squash on a Tuesday?)
2 apples – Granny Smith for tart, or whatever’s rolling around in the bottom of the fridge
120g dates, pitted and chopped—Medjool are fancy but I’ve used the dried block in a pinch. Even a handful of prunes worked once (don’t tell the family that time, though)
1 onion, diced
2 big cloves garlic, chopped (or, okay, garlic granules if desperate)
2 celery sticks, chopped small—if you hate celery, just swap in carrot, it’s not the end of the world
2–3 slices good bread, torn (My gran swore by day-old crusty white, but honestly, I’ve even used rye. Brioche was too sweet though!)
Big knob of butter or 2 tbsp olive oil—use vegan butter if you’d rather
Two eggs (skip if vegan, or use flaxseed ‘egg’, but honestly, it binds better with real eggs)
Small handful fresh sage, chopped (dried will do in a pinch, but don’t tell the food snobs)
Salt, pepper—generously
Optional: handful toasted walnuts or pecans if you fancy a crunch

How I Actually Make It (Plus Some Honest Bits)

Roast the squash: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Peel, dice, oil and salt your squash cubes. Spread them out (parchment helps unless you love pan scraping) and roast until golden—usually 25ish minutes. Sometimes they mash themselves, which is fine—don’t panic!
Sauté the veg: Meanwhile, melt a hefty knob of butter in a big frying pan. Tip in the onion, celery (or carrot), and garlic. Cook over medium until soft and golden—maybe 8 minutes? This is the point where I usually sneak a chunk of onion. Don’t worry if the pan looks sticky, it’s flavor.
Chuck in the fruit: Add apples and dates, sauté them for 5–6 minutes, so they start to caramelize a bit (and you’ll get that lovely toffee smell—don’t get distracted cleaning something else, though, or you’ll have apple glue on the bottom of the pan).
Mix it all up: In a big bowl, combine your roasted squash, sautéed mixture, torn bread, eggs (crack ’em straight in, less washing up!), chopped sage, salt, and pepper. Toss in nuts if you like. Give everything a good tumble. If it looks dry, splash in a little milk. Or water. Or honestly, white wine if you’re feeling reckless.
Bake: Transfer to a buttered baking dish (mine’s roughly 8×8 inches, but anything oven safe works—once did it in a pyrex measuring jug, totally fine). Press down a bit. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 40–50 minutes—cover for the first half if you like it softer; leave it uncovered for crispy bits.

(By the way, this is an excellent time to phone a friend or, I dunno, read this awesome roasted squash guide if you want your cubes extra fancy.)

Little Notes I’ve Figured Out—The Hard Way

If your bread’s very fresh, toast it lightly first, or the stuffing’s soggy. Learned that one the, erm, wet way.
Letting it cool and then reheating actually makes the flavor deeper. I think so, anyway.
Dates can clump, so try and separate them as you mix; my hands always end up sticky, but it’s worth it.

If You Want to Mix It Up (Sometimes I Do)

Pear instead of apple gives a mellow, softer flavor—great but, it can get a bit soupy if you overdo it.
Once I added dried cranberries. Looked festive, though tasted a bit too tart for me.
Chorizo, for the non-veggies, is actually delish—though, funny enough, my sister wasn’t wild about it (she likes her stuffing sweet, go figure)

What You’ll Need (Or How I Get By)

Big frying pan/skillet (if you own a cast iron, brilliant; if not, regular’s fine—I once used a soup pot, didn’t matter)
Oven-proof dish (size is flexible, as you’ve read—I really did use a measuring jug one year)
Chopping board & sharp knife (careful on those squash—if it rolls, just microwave it 2 minutes first, learned this on Serious Eats)

How To Store This Stuffing (If Any’s Left, Which…)

I pop leftovers in an airtight box in the fridge and it’ll keep 3-ish days—though, honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day. Have reheated slices for breakfast and it’s fantastic with a runny egg. You can freeze portions (wrap well!), but it’s never quite as dreamy re-thawed.

How to Serve It (And Why We Eat It For Lunch, Too)

This isn’t just for the turkey crowd—sometimes, we slab generous portions next to roast chicken (even rotisserie, shh), or just with greens and a mountain of gravy. For a quirky twist, I actually plonk leftovers on toast with extra sage. Christmas morning, it’s our go-to. Don’t tell anyone, but once I scooped it onto a baked potato—utter heaven.

Stuff I Learned The Hard Way—My Pro Tips

I once tried rushing the bread–squash mix and poured hot squash straight on. The eggs scrambled. Don’t do that. Let things cool a tick first.
Using soggy apples? Not worth it. They go mushy and disappear. Use a slightly firm variety, even if you have to nick one from the kid’s snack box—hasn’t hurt yet.
Keep an eye on the top in the last ten minutes. I got distracted on a phone call once, and the crust turned a bit too, um, robust. On second thought, cover loosely if your oven runs hot.

Real-Life Questions I’ve Actually Received

Can I make this gluten free? Oh, for sure! Tried it with gluten-free white bread—came out just as tasty. Avoid overly sweet types though, unless you want dessert for dinner (I mean…maybe you do!)
What if I hate dates? You absolute rebel. Swap for more apple, or throw in dried apricots; it’s forgiving, promise.
Do you peel the apples? Sometimes. If I’m feeling posh. Most days I just chop and go—never noticed a real difference (and life’s too short to peel apples you’re baking, innit?).
Can I make this ahead of time? Yup, and I think it tastes better the next day. Just warm it through covered, splash in a bit of stock if it looks dry.
My stuffing is falling apart. Help? That’s usually the bread—either too fresh, or not enough egg. Add a splash of milk and press it down; no big drama.

So—give this a go, let me know how yours turns out, or if your family is as appallingly greedy as mine when this comes out of the oven. And if you’ve read this far, treat yourself to another cup of tea. Or maybe just a forkful more stuffing. I won’t tell.

Butternut Squash, Date & Apple Stuffing