This squash was meant to be mashed! Our mashed potato squash recipe takes perfectly oven-roasted squash and makes it into a creamy and delicious mashed squash dish!
What is mashed potato squash?
Mashed Potato Squash is a variety of winter acorn squash. It has a bright white rind and white flesh on the inside. When baked, it's flesh fluffs up similar to mashed baked potato. Not only is this squash delicious, but it also has much fewer calories and carbs than a potato! All these qualities make this deliciously vibrant mashed potato squash perfect for a recipe like this one! (source)
Any mashed squash or mashed potatoes recipe is incomplete without the right spices and creaminess. That's why this recipe uses aromatic sage and garlic. It also uses sour cream to amp up the creamy texture of the mashed potato squash. This combination creates simply the BEST mashed potato squash dish!
Looking for more fall recipes? Try these out! Bisquick Apple Cobbler, Easy Cheese Potato Bread, and Mashed Potatoes and Squash.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
Mashed Potato Squash: This squash is perfect for this recipe because it's very similar to mashed potatoes when baked. Even better, it has a fraction of the calories and carbs than potatoes do!
Substitutions: You can use this recipe as a guide to make similar dishes with butternut squash, winter squash, sweet potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, and more! You'll just have to adjust the cooking time as needed depending on the size of the squash you're cooking.
Sour Cream: Sour cream adds some extra creaminess to this dish and just brings everything together!
Substitutions: Butter or cream cheese can be used in place of sour cream.
Garlic: We place minced garlic on the squash while it cooks so that the flesh absorbs some of that tangy garlic flavor!
Substitutions: Garlic powder or fresh garlic cloves can be used in place of minced garlic. If using garlic powder, cut the amount in half.
Olive Oil: The flesh of the squash is drizzled in olive oil before baking. This is to help prevent the flesh that's exposed to the air from drying out.
Substitutions: Any oil can be used, such as avocado oil, vegetable oil, or whatever other cooking oil you have.
Spices: We use sage, salt, and pepper as the spices to flavor this dish. Sage is a great fall flavor for harty dishes such as this one.
Substitutions: Salt and pepper should not be substituted. However, you can omit the sage if desired, or substitute rosemary or thyme for the sage.
How to Cook Mashed Potato Squash
Step one: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Step two: Cut the top off your squash. Then, place the cut side down and slice in half the long way. Next, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Discard seeds.
Step three: Place squash halves on a baking tray lined with tinfoil. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic. Bake for 35 minutes.
Step four: Remove the baking sheet from the oven. You'll know the squash is cooked when it feels tender with a fork. Using a spoon, scoop the inside of the squash out, leaving the skin behind. Be careful not to burn your hand while scooping out the flesh. Place squash insides in a blender or food processor.
Step five: Combine squash, sour cream, sage, salt and pepper inside the blender and blend for 10-20 seconds, until creamy. Then, enjoy!
Watch How to Cook Mashed Potato Squash
Joy Tip!
This recipe uses a blender to make an extra creamy mashed potato squash dish. However, if you prefer chunky mashed potatoes you can certainly skip the blender and mash with a fork or potato masher in a large bowl instead! This will allow you to control the amount of mashing and leave some chunks.
Facts and Common Questions
Where do you get mashed potato squash?
We're located in the midwest of the US. Mashed Potato Squash starts showing up in our local grocery store in the fall and is available into winter. It's located in the produce section, typically next to potatoes and other squash. It can also be found at your local farmers' market in the fall. Being a fall plant, this is a perfect dish for Thanksgiving dinner!
What does mashed potato squash taste like?
Mashed potato squash tastes like a cross between a russet potato and spaghetti squash. The flavor is a little on the sweet side and is also subtle like a potato. This white squash was made to have fewer carbs and more fiber than potatoes, and you can tell it has a lot of fiber when eating it.
Is mashed potato squash lower in carbs than potatoes?
The nutritional value of this squash is pretty good compared to a russet potato. It's a great alternative to potatoes if you're looking for something with fewer calories and carbs!
One 330g serving of mashed potato squash has approximately 50 calories and 14g of carbs (source). By comparison, one 330g serving of russet potatoes has approximately 320 calories and 71g of carbs. That's a big difference!
What is served with Mashed Potato Squash?
Squash is commonly eaten in the fall and winter. Therefore, it's a great dish to serve during the holiday season with meals such as turkey dinner, ham dinner, and pork chops!
Want to Save it for Later? Here’s how!
Fridge: This dish can be stored in the fridge for up to a week if stored in an airtight container. To reheat, just microwave for one minute and enjoy!
Freezer: Store any leftovers in a freezer-friendly sealed container. To reheat, microwave for 3 minutes. Check temperature after 3 minutes and if it's still cold, microwave in additional 30-second intervals until hot.
Fun Fact
Mashed potato squash is low in sugar, calories, and carbohydrates when compared to potatoes. These are a variety of acorn squash and grow on compact, semi-bush vines. Each fruit is approximately 1 - ½ pounds (source).
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Did you try this and love it? Leave us a review, we would love to hear from you!
Recipe
Mashed Potato Squash Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 mashed potato squash
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon sage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut top off mashed potato squash. Then, place the cut side down and cut in half the long way. Next, use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Discard seeds.
- Place squash on a baking tray lined with tinfoil. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper on top of the squash. Bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven. You'll know the squash is cooked when it feels tender with a fork. Using a spoon, scoop the inside of the squash out, leaving the skin behind. Place squash insides in a blender or food processor.
- Combine squash, sour cream, sage, salt and pepper inside the blender and blend for 10-20 seconds, until creamy. Then, enjoy!
Andrea says
Delicious! Just as yummy and filling as mashed potatoes but a great way to incorporate different produce and make a healthier side.
Kristen says
Great low carb alternative to normal mashed potatoes. I used thyme instead of sage and it turned out great.
Piper says
This is super similar to spaghetti squash but even less carbs! Great recipe!